San Antonio's small business website design and development company - Focused Idea

The web has evolved since its early days. People now go to the Internet for a specific reason rather than out of curiosity. Since the early days of the Internet, people have learned what a site should off them. Web users today are purposeful and demanding. When they wade through a sea of information and find the site they want, they expect it to look professional. They also want to be informed. There are many ways to provide information, but all can be broken down to the six Cs (and an S).

Content

This is probably why most people come to your webiste. They come to view your content. You can't "drive" people to your site, but you can lure them with readable content that fits their needs. Give visitors information of value. Make sure that the information is clear and well written. If you sell too hard, you will be sent to marketing oblivion with a click. People aren't looking to be sold. They want to be informed. Provide content that your competitors aren't providing. Nothing will turn off your visitors faster than rehashed ideas. All too many sites are playing copycat and offering nothing more than what can be found elsewhere.

Currency

Keep your site fresh. Update your content and your page monthly if possible. People go to the web looking for up-to-the-minute information. You can meet this need by providing high-quality information that's topical and readable. It should engage your customers and give them reasons to come back.

Consistency

Don't use different elements on each page. Your entire website should have a unified look and feel. Changing formats merely confuses your visitors. You want a site with few gimmicks, and with easy navigation. After the first few times a visitor comes to your site, they will develop a mental image and expect it. On a similar note, don't use more than a few different typefaces throughout your site. It gets confusing. Everything you do should convey the same message and represent what you stand for.

Credibility

You may be a one-person operation, but they beauty of the Internet is that no one has to know that. Even though you may be working out of the basement of you home, the appearance of you site needs to be sharp, professional, and coherant. Become an expert in your field and stick with your area of expertise. Offer only a few related product lines. Save your diversification for new web sites connected by links.

Convenience

Make sure your site is easy to get to and easy to use. Don't make life difficult for people. At one time, frames were in vogue, but people found them too complicated. Frames technology allows you to have more than one web page on your screen at the same time. Typically, sites with frames include a menu down the side or across the top with the main page (or contents) filling the rest of the screen. With a structure built on frames, a visitor to a site doesn't know where to focus his or her attentino. Using frames became so complex that they were actually discouraging people from using the sites. Make it easy for visitors to get where you wnat them to go quickly and painlessly.

Clarity

Once again, don't try to confuse your visitor. State your points clearly and succingtly. Your home page should tell your visitor, "I know what you want. Here's how to find it."

Simplicity

When people are surfing the web, they generally don't want to spend more than a few seconds on any page until they've found exactly what they're looking for. Too much text on your home page will cause visitors to move on. If your site looks complex and confusing, they won't come back. If they feel comfortable and feel you have something worthwhile to offer, they'll likely come back again.

If you want only techies to visit your site and do business with you, then use the jargon they understand. If you wnat scientists, then use their unique language. Write in the language that your intended visitors use. Get to the point. Be specific. Invite dialogue. Apply the writing to the reader's interests