Something I often say, “If you don’t have a business plan for your website, you don’t have a website.” Something I have been saying all of 2010, “Make your site do something.”
Yesterday one of my coworkers sent me a link to a comic titled “How a Web Design Goes Straight to Hell“. I’m sure many of you have seen it, but if not, it’s about how a site owner hires a webmaster to redesign their site. The webmaster does a great job, the client loves it, but then pecks away at it, slowly turning it into a Frankenstein of a website, just the way it looked when it started.
Looking at the shot above though, if the objective of the website was to get visitors to call, it might actually be a success.
My oldest client, one that I have had since 1996, has a similar site to the screenshot above. Every few years they bring me on to redo their site, and make it look more modern. I do, they love it, and just like the comic, they slowly have me replace chunk after chunk until it’s nearly identical to the original site. What’s going on?
Their reasoning at first appears hidden to me, but after the numbers start rolling in it all becomes very clear. They have a plan, they know what they want the site to do, and it does it, really well.
Though the site I have built for them lacks visual appeal it makes up for by being well designed to meet its business purpose. It’s one of my busiest sites that I manage, one with the lowest bounce rate, and a site that gets email subscribers faster than any site I manage. How they do it? It’s all about the plan, and staying focused on making the website do something.
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Pretty design. I have some psd files for my websites. But I can not change it to xhtml codes. Some one help me?
Fail to plan is like planning to fail.. website functionality as well as the design needs to be plan with both webmaster and the client.
>>Looking at the shot above though, if the objective of the website was to get visitors to call, it might actually be a success.<<
I actually quite liked it.
Guy.
Oh, oh, comic sans ms in the image?
Do I win a prize?
Wow. What happened to that font? lol
John
I couldn’t agree any more!
I am building a new site and I went about it differently this time. This go around instead of just building it I wire framed it. This was able to help me visualize it before putting it into motion. It has helped me avoid many flaws in my original concept, and saved me a lot of time.
I’ve seen some websites that were built in the 90s, that are still alive today, and they have their old design that they made in the 90s, and are still alive and well, and they are based around a community! So definitely as long as their is a focus on the website, and it’s content, it doesn’t necessarily need a pretty design.
Till then,
Jean
I guess they are kinda looking at it as an internet billboard that is more appealing than an add or spam. Actually it’s quite brilliant. K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid~!
Same here Jean, It is all about what you can provide, not always do you need to over design something, if it works don’t fix it.
That was a great website, it has a cool design and a call to action.
I am surprised it has the click through rate that it does.
Their reasoning at first appears hidden to me, but after the numbers start rolling in it all becomes very clear. They have a plan, they know what they want the site to do, and it does it, really well.
The toast website is kinda cool if you ask me!
Pretty design. I have some psd files for my websites. But I can not change it to xhtml codes. Some one help me?
Contact me, I can help you.
@Fiber Optic, its actually not a hard thing to do, theres quite a few videos on youtube that you can learn how to do it from, basically you will be “slicing” your website into different pieces, but you will have to do it in Adobe ImageReady which comes with photoshop at least in my version it does.
I hope that helps.
Till then,
Jean
There are a few great youtube videos.
????, ???
What you tube videos do you suggest?
please share the link of youtube video…
This is great info thanks. I am also wondering about the you tube links.
The toast website is kinda cool if you ask me!
Most of our clients think they know about usability but have no idea about usability. At least they are receptive to our advice and whilst they always focus on the design, they end up appreciating the importance of FOCUS.
Are you guys mad ? This is just ludicrous and the designer should be show
fatmagülün suçu ne is from reality qality dizi
I guess they are kinda looking at it as an internet billboard that is more appealing than an add or spam. Actually it’s quite brilliant. K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid~!
which is inspired by military history However, morality is a term is where the universe is amoral and considered by Japanese indiferente.
Fail to plan is like planning to fail.. website functionality as well as the design needs to be plan with both webmaster and the client.
I don’t see why you would plan for the webmater. reader is king plan for him and make your code clean
the 3DTV Reviewer Blog has more impact (for me) and it is still very readable.
You must have used Adobe Photoshop CS2, CS3 and CS4, but now Photoshop’s new version Adobe Photoshop CS5 have outdone all those tools.
The toast website is kinda cool if you ask me!