Whether you are interested in developing a new Web site or redesigning your existing Web site, there are many things to consider.  So many in fact, entire books have been written on the subject.  This article takes a peek at the process of development and provides some guidance to get you started in the right direction. 

Identify the purpose of your Web site

When developing your new Web site or redesigning your existing one, it is important to identify its purpose.  Maybe it’s a basic Web presence to provide contacts and other information about your organization.  It may be a Web site designed to generate leads for your sales force, provide additional information services or to assist with support issues.  Perhaps you are creating a full-blown e-commerce Web site to sell your products or services online.  The answer to this question greatly influences how the Web site will be developed, what technologies are involved and of course the costs associated with the project.  Whatever the purpose it must be clearly understood by both you and the developer in order to produce the desired result and measure the progress going forward.

Decide on content for your Web site

What information will make up the content of your Web site?  How often will it be updated?  Whom do you expect to be your audience?  What methods will your Web site employ to ensure visitors find your site interesting and want to return?  These questions should be answered prior to development so that the layout of the Web site can be designed around the content.  The content of your Web site is what drives traffic.  People will return to Web sites that contain information they want.  There are many different ways to provide information in an entertaining and informative way on your Web site. 

Function and layout

Once you have decided on the content for your Web site you can choose how you would like that content displayed.  For example, if your Web site has photos of your products for sale online, you could present them to the visitor in a catalog format, a thumbnail format or perhaps a list format.  Each of these methods has different technical requirements as well as associated costs.  Each format also takes up a different amount of screen space, which can also affect layout considerations. 

The most successful Web sites on the Internet share these Web site design features:

·         Easy to use

·         Navigation links that are easily identified

·         Color scheme for each page compliments the content

·         Provides the visitor with the shortest route to the information they are after

·         Always lets the visitor know where they are in the site

·         Loads quickly

·         Presents content in an appealing way

Just when you think it’s done…

After you have your new Web site online and you’ve registered with some search engines, your Web site should be enjoying some traffic.  Remember that your Web site is a living document and that most Web content has a limited shelf life.  If your Web site’s content tends not to change very often perhaps you can offer additional content such as industry headlines, contests or surveys.  Keeping your content fresh and giving your visitors a reason to return should be a priority in any Web development project. 

This article was originally published in the June 2005 issue of the Corona Business Monthly.