Today RD2 did a presentation at the DFW Wordpress monthly meet-up. I was very excited once they started talking because we feel very similar about design and approach as they did. So instead of doing a review of them, I'm mostly going to summarize their presentation with a few of my own thoughts interjected.  This presentation was given either for people planning to work with a design team, or someone who creates blog/website design.

What is the biggest challenge of design?

Design is subjective, its personal. Most people have trouble explaining why they pick a color scheme. What needs to happen is you need to move to an objective place. Colors, for example, maybe they support the mood of the pace, exemplify a fundamental change in the company, convey the message, or just support their branding colors.

Why?

The best way to be objective is to apply the "why" filter. With every design, color, piece of content, we need to ask why? The answer to the question why should line up with one of the following:

• Overarching reason or purpose
• Mission
• Key Summary
• Core Value System

You need to keep an overall goal in mind. What is the purpose of the website? Is it to put out information, leverage your clients or customers, share knowledge, network or maybe just establish yourself as an expert? Get this well defined.

Steps

1. Know your goals

We talked a little bit about the why up above. Spend a lot of time defining the goals. Again, just apply the "why" over and over again. Without goals you won't be able to get anywhere.

2. Identify Your Audience:

Its so important to KNOW your audience. RD2 suggested actually doing full profiles of possible users of the website, including slice of life descriptions. (AKA, how old is the user, where do they live, why are they on the site, what do they do, activities, family, etc.) User profiles can be real people. Feel free to interview the kinds of people who would actually visit the site.

3. Know your competitor.

Visit competitor sites. Pick what you like and don't like on those sites. What can you use? What can you improve on? Take those elements and decide what would make someone come to this site instead.

4. Research some Inspiration.

Inspiration can be about content or design, it can be cause by competitors or outside influences.

5. Plan Your Content

Its important to know your content before your design Layout pages, text, what you know you want. Have it written down in a flow sheet. Start a layout and plan as much as you can before you ever design anything.

6. Plan Your Features

After you know what you want on the pages and all the content you expect, try to decide what you want the site to do. (Again, looking at competitors might help here.) Do you want to connect to social media? Do you need a contact page? Interaction? Write all those down. Even brainstorm without the web (aka, "if your website could do anything, what would you have it do?")

7.Outline Your Needs

Once you've got your content and features decided on, start wireframing the site. Decide exactly where you want everything to go before you ever start with the art.

But we want to end up on the importance of "Why". Everything you do must go back to the goals, values and needs of the site itself. Make that your foundation and everything else will fall into place.

I'm going to be doing a Top Ways to Ruin Your Website series. We're going to go through some of the more common aspects of a webpage and point out the best ways to screw them up. Mainly so you can avoid them.

Today I want to deal with the most basic of pages: HOME. I'll discuss some over-arching themes too (like design). I'm going to deal with them here because your homepage is most likely to be your landing page--the one people see first. So things like over-all design matter more.

In no particular order:

1. Too much text:

Within two seconds my mind will be made up. I'll decide if I like your website, or if I hate it. I'm not the only one. That's the average time span for viewing a site. A decision must be made, and fast. If you bog me down with a page and half of text, I'm overwhelmed. There is an appropriate place for superfluous text: your blog. Your landing page is your elevator speech. Don't put more than two (short) paragraphs there. It should detail very simply, what you do, the purpose of your site and why I need to be on it.

2. Unclear navigation:

Think of your homepage as a gateway. It should read like the back cover synopsis of a good novel. Give just enough hints to get your reader hooked. Then let them read the book! They should never search for the next page. If someone likes your site make it easy, like my-ignuana-climbed-on-my-keyboard-and-I-ended-up-at-this-awesome-website easy to get to the rest of your site. Navigation needs to be easy to read, easy to use, easy to get to.

3. Clutter:

Clutter comes in so many forms: ads, text boxes, design elements, links... Be careful with all of them! The most important parts of your homepage: logo, navigation, welcome. That's pretty much it. Consider anything else "extra". Remember any extras need to remain secondary. Narrow your focus. Your homepage is the appetizer: tasty, pretty and short.

4. Screaming Colors:

Consider for a moment, the palette of colors: so many choices, so many variations. Why then do I regularly see all three primary colors in their purest brightest forms on websites? Is that painful for anyone besides me? Remember art class in fourth grade? Remember secondary colors? Use them. Test your color scheme on a varied audience if you have doubts. Also, what you see on paper and what you see on a screen are not always the same thing. Check the screen.

5. Forgetting the bottom line:

I must stress again, narrow your aim. Be a  marketing sniper. Your home page exists for one purpose, to snag the reader. Make sure you snag them for the right reasons! Make your purpose clear from beginning to end. Don't write a beautiful intro and forget the key points like, what your company sells.

6. No logo or branding:

Your website is an extension of your branding. It needs to tie in to your print material and other marketing material. If you distilled all your branding to its most essential form, it would be your logo. Make it the centerpiece of your home page, or at least draw attention to it.

7. Flash:

Don't do it. Don't put a flash intro on your home page. If anyone viewing your sight has less than high speed internet it will slow them down. Its also annoying. It will probably play unnecessary sound, and probably skip over heart of your information. I know it looks cool, but save it for another section. Put it on Youtube. Anywhere but auto-playing on your front page. I'm not even going to get into the SEO ramifications. Stay away from flash.

8. Too much scrolling:

This ties in with #1 too much text. Everything important on your home page should be visible without clicking. Other pages may require scrolling, your home page should not. If you need more room for text cut out designs or images that eat up screen space.

9. Ads taking up the top half of your site:

This is just tacky. Example: I read a certain blog but refuse visit their site. I get each post via RSS forward only. If ever click on a post I just see a wall of ads and have to scroll down to get to any content. I don't mean one pretty banner ad at the top, I mean a wall of advertisement preventing me from even seeing text. If I didn't already know a blog post hid down at the bottom I'd just click back thinking I found a fake site. Don't let that be you.

10. Skimping in the design department:

Really consider the design of your homepage. It probably won't look the same as every other page. Hire a professional, or at least a consultant to give you feedback. Your design is much more than colors (which I mentioned above). It should invoke an emotion or at least a perception of what kind of company you are. Be sure the feeling your site creates matches your values. Also consider what your target market expects/likes to see in design as well. This is your first date with your perfect client, make the best impression.

Worried that your site may fall into one of the top ten? Veribatim offers free site reviews. Send an email and let us share our professional opinion of your site.

What other ways can someone ruin their homepage?

Cheating may be a little dramatic, but its true that not all web design companies are created equal. There are plenty of lies told by seductive salesmen to sweet naive companies to get them... into bed, so to speak. Here are the top 5 lies I hear most often from other companies, or second hand through clients who've been burnt. No particular order. (Note: I've cranked up the sleazy tone on these a bit, to make you laugh, especially the ladies, but the core concepts are very serious.) Watch for the absolutes, both cheating men and webmasters like to use them!

Tell-Tale Lies to Listen for

1. "This design is individual just for you." Is it really? Get samples of previous work from a designer. Does everything look the same? Same format all the time? Be careful, a design isn't individual just because you can customize your logo and drop in your own text.
2. "The most important thing is design." Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge believer that design makes or breaks a site. However, don't let someone convince you that a great design outweighs sound coding. The two elements should always work together.
3. "Everyone charges a monthly fee for upkeep." Errrrnt! Wrong. Simple websites rarely require upkeep. If you don't have any interactive features you probably only will need to update keywords, not edit your whole site. If a monthly fee accompanies a proposal, make sure you find out exactly what it covers. (The other explanation for monthly fees is "hosting". More on this here.)
4. "SEO costs extra. Its never part of the coding process." I'm not referring to extra money for keyword research or link building or even content creation, just SEO within your code. If you build a site from scratch, a lot of your keywords and meta data will be included in that process. Let's be blunt, anyone who creates a website then says "Oh, and its extra to optimize that code I just did" is cheating you.
5. "Your website or social media or email or whatever is the only marketing your company needs." This might be the biggest lie in advertising across the board. Every "specialist" is going to tell you their form of marketing is the best. Look, its just not. Your website might reach one target audience but may you also need newspaper ads to reach the others. Marketing should be a cohesive effort, and rarely does putting all your efforts in one medium result in success. If someone whispers this to you over candlelight dinner or even coffee, run away.

When you work with a web design company, listen for those absolutes, be on guard for lies. And if you ever hear: "Don't worry baby, I'll take care of everything." Drop 'em. Any company that doesn't at least offer to educate you, is taking advantage of you somewhere. I haven't plenty of clients who don't want the "details" but I still let them know why we do certain things and offer to explain everything. Ask questions. Do a little research. You are a strong, independent company in your own right; don't let a webmaster cheat on you!

Have you ever been lied to by a web design company? How did it make you feel? What did you do?

Image by WhatMegSaid

Secondary Note: I'd like to ask you your opinion about something that has been bugging me, in addition to the question above. Having been in the online marketing industry for a while now, I see these lies from companies all the time. However, sometimes I think companies just starting out don't know any better. They think they have to charge random fees to be competitive, or they don't completely understand organic SEO. My question is: What do I do? Do I say something to these baby companies, struggling to make things work or ignore them? And if I should say something.... what do I say? I really appreciate your thoughts and advice.

min·i·mal·ism: [Art] that emphasizes
extreme simplification of form, as by the use of basic shapes and
monochromatic palettes of primary colors, objectivity, and anonymity of
style. (American Heritage Dictionary)

Minimalism is an art form that has only been around the last 50 years or so. However its been embraced by web design artists across the world. As we continue to discuss design, I want to touch on minimalism as a direction to take the art on your site. I'm going to give you the quick pros and cons of minimalism as well as why I recommend it.

Pros:

• Not distracting: Your message is simplified and more powerful.
• Tailored to text: Minimalistic design will amplify any text on the page.
• Let the words shine through: Even though design can make or break your site; it should always compliment your text. The content of your site is what the customers are really there for. Minimalism makes sure your words take center stage.
• The Zen of simplicty: The last post I wrote goes right in-line with why minimalism can keep your clients happy.

Cons:

• Too bland: Too much minimalism can make a site seem boring.
• Minimizing the wrong aspects: Like any art, minimalism is subjective; but downplaying the important features can hurt your overall goal.
• Art is art: Hey, not every kind of art style will make your clients happy. Its art. Everyone likes something different. Minimalism is "modern" and therefore might turn some people off.
• Trying too hard: Going over-the-top with any design can make it look like you're just trying to be fashionable instead of really matching your design and message.

Why I suggest it:

Not only do I think minimalism is beautiful for its own sake, but it makes a statement. In the end, we want our website to make an impression. The art and text should be complimentary and leave your readers with a sense of knowing---knowing you and your company better. Minimalism is all about the final impact.

Here are some more examples of Minimalism. What do you think? Do you like it?

Image by Delcio G. P. Filho

We've all been there, you need something, you need it fast, you're already stressed out--and then, the dreaded website frustration. You can't find what you're looking for, the site is impossible to navigate and there's no contact information to be found. Right about then you actually consider smashing your laptop against someone's head.

Usability = User Friendly

Usability in web design is a term that equates to User Friendly. I decided to write this post after a suggestion from Cynthia in an earlier entry. Also, it blends nicely with my last post about design because design and usability should go hand-in-hand.

Imagine a world full of balance and peace. Its not going to happen anytime soon but if your website could instill a little bit of zen think of how grateful your clients would be! So, let's evaluate the key components of your website for usability and even, a bit of tranquility.

The Zen of Simplicity

The key to a user friendly website is simplicity. A few places on your site can cause your clients to pull their hair out if they can't find them. So create a bit of zen for your clients in these spaces, since we all know happy clients means a happy business:

Contact Information: It sounds obvious, but difficult to find contact info remains the number one complaint I hear about business websites. Make it obnoxiously easy to contact you. Note: Sometime companies purposefully hide phone numbers because they don't want to take personal calls. If that's the case you have a customer service problem as well as a usability one.

Purpose: I don't mean your mission statement; I mean the goal of your website. Do you sell car parts? It should be obvious on your landing page. Do you have an online store? Tell me upfront. The worst thing you can do is waste your client's time. Make this information readily available to them.

Navigation Bar: Navigation on a website should be intuitive. Let's define intuitive as logical and balanced. The navigation bar must be easy to find and easy to use. Consider your most visited pages: put those first. For example, if you have an online store, more people will want to visit your shop before reading your biography.

The anti-zen: Clutter: Clutter gets its own special category. Its something you DON'T want to have on your website. It's also the arch enemy of peaceful zen-ness. Some examples of clutter on your landing page can be excessive use of

• ads
• blogroll
• links
• announcements
• pictures
• calendar/events
• multiple text boxes

Don't distract people from the message of your site with secondary information, let them explore to find it. If your site has accumulated some clutter, consider some online spring cleaning.

You don't need a bunch of scented candles to create some balance for your clients. Start with something simple, like making your website a stress-free zone. A little zen goes a long way.Want to get a little more in-depth with your search for simplicity? Kalena Jordan has a great guide to a User-friendly website, for further reading.

What frustrates you the most when you look at a website?

Text will always remain the dominant form of communication on the web. But a website can send a message to your client beyond the words on their screen. The color, layout and overall design of a website can create a much more impactful impression than your sales pitch. Even so, how pretty your website is rarely ranks as one of the top features businesses consider.

Now, when I refer to a beautiful website, I do not mean that the front page should belong in art gallery (though, it can't hurt). Beauty is the place where sight and message coincide. Beauty should be the tangible presence of your message.

I don't want to go off into the philosophical aspect of web design, nor do I mean to argue over the definition of beautiful, instead I want to pose a challenge. I'm going to list a bunch of my favorite design blogs. Each post I've recommended has images of beautiful websites. I encourage you to browse through them and find one that speaks to you. Don't bother reading text, just look at them. What kind of messages and impressions do you get just from the art? Then, consider what kind of message your website would send if it had no words.

Examples of beautiful:

DZINE: Websites with Beautiful Backgrounds

Crazy Leaf Design: Inspirational Designs of 2008

Blogsessive: 10 Beautiful Wordpress Websites

Web Designer Wall: 50 Minimal Sites

Vandelay Design: Artistic Websites

Let me know what kind of impression you got from looking at these designs. Which sites spoke to you? Did you learn something about your own website? Is there a specific site that you think is beautiful just to look at?

View full image here.

I know many, many people have felt like this, as both a customer and a service provider. And I think with websites in particular, there is a problem. What the client wants and what the client gets are not always the same thing. It feels like many websites are just lost in translations. The buyer is unhappy with the result which in turn, makes the seller unhappy. Unfortunately, the situation is often lose-lose.

I want to discuss some of the general issues with web design; the reasons a good website gets lost. Then I want to cover ways to simplify this process for both the buyer and seller and hopefully safe both sides hassle.

Issues:

• Terminology - Programmers and other "tech" people use a specific kind of language, just like lawyers, doctors and other professionals. The average person might not know what CSS or RSS is.

• Design - Many web designers are amazing artists. The consumer sees a design and knows if they like it or not, but that doesn't mean they can always describe what they want.

• Function - Ever done your own business taxes? Sucks, doesn't it? You never really know how much you need an expert until you've tried it yourself. Clients often don't understand how much coding goes into a project. To them, it looks like clicking a button, when it really may take an hour to create one action.

• Time & Money - Both parties, the buyer and the seller, know their time is valuable. They both want the best deal for the money. However, these two sides may not sync up all the time. Who qualifies the worth of the service?

Solutions:

Terminology

• Buyer: Know, up front, the seller is not purposefully trying to confuse. He isn't using tech jargon to make you feel inadequate. Don't get defensive. Relax, ask questions. The seller should be happy to share what he knows. Use that to your advantage!

• Seller: Be patient. Pay attention to the buyer, if he looks confused; stop. Try to explain in simpler terms. Make sure to explain abbreviations. Also, once you've explained, go back over it. Ask questions to gauge the buyer's level of understanding. (As an aside: most people have some tech knowledge. When trying to simplify don't go too far in the other direction. Don't ever treat your client like they are stupid.)

Design

• Buyer: Even if you are unsure about what you want, try to give as much information as possible. It can be very frustrating when you don't offer any guidelines but find fault with all the draft examples. Think of websites you like, and try to figure out why. Give examples. Think about layout, colors and design elements. If you can't think of anything, say what you DON'T want! Most design companies have a limit on the changes you can make, so be as clear as you can upfront.

• Seller: Ask lots of questions. I've learned the hard way that if the buyer doesn't give you any leads, create some. Use your own samples with yes or no questions: "Do you like this?" "Do you like the color?" "Do you like the font?" "Do you like where the text is?" Trust me, the less unknowns you are dealing with, the less redesigns you'll do. Never, ever accept: "Whatever you think will look best."

Function

• Buyer: Examples, examples, examples. I can't say this enough. If you aren't a tech person, show-and-tell is the best way to get across your meaning. Keep in mind: if you can only find one or two examples of what you want, the programming is probably more extensive; be prepared to pay the difference. Remember technology is like a good magic trick: easier than it looks.

• Seller: Be very upfront about what you can and can't do, along with the associated prices. A client may think your job is easy. Its okay to gently explain the amount of time and effort you put in. In fact, knowing how much work you do could make them more appreciative. Don't be afraid to say no, either. In fact, find other companies or individuals you can refer to. Great mutual business relationships have been built on this.

Time & Money

• Buyer: Web design is a service. We're in business to make money. So please don't ask for free things. We have rent and families, too. Also, our time is valuable. If he takes time out of his schedule to meet with you, be considerate. DO NOT take his ideas and give them to someone who will do it cheaper. (I know these two points are common sense, but it happens... a lot.) If you have questions/changes/concerns, give them to the seller in a reasonable amount of time. Communication is key.

• Seller: Same principles, communication is key. I used to get emails that had questions or problems. I would deal with them immediately. But sometimes the results would take a while, maybe days. Then the customer would be frustrated with me, even though I went out of my way to solve the problem. So I learned to answer phone calls and emails immediately. I would tell them my plan of action and let them know it was being worked on, even though it might take time. The results were fabulous. I was now the hero! The lesson here is: its okay to tell your client how great you are and what awesome things you do for them, its not bragging, its selling. Explain why you make your prices what they are, make sure your client understands how you and your service are valuable. Suddenly they feel their time was well spent and the money is a bargain

Obviously, I have more experience as a seller than a buyer, and I'm still learning. But I think communication and using examples are key to a successful relationship. I'm sure some sales people have things they would add and I love the feedback!