A little bit off my usual topic, but still related to this blog I would like to address this issue of web site design. In the late-1990s the issue of the times was “Do you have a web site?” A well-designed site was a fun and new self-promoting medium that companies and individuals alike saw as a wonderful and useful tool. Now, ten years later the “nice-to-have” web site has given way to an absolute requirement, and the issue of a web presence has given way to questions of web purpose.

A web site is a business’s face to the world; and as such, it must reflect the tone and style of the business in a professional and polished demeanor. So why, after ten years, are there still so many badly designed business Web Sites? Easy: Because they’re simple to build.

With all of the commercial and freeware WYSIWYG Web tools on the market – and the relative ease with which they may be used – everyone who knows how to turn on a computer considers themselves a Web designer. But websites are a lot more than the total of the bytes and bits that makes up its design.

Representing your business online needs preparation and a well thought out system. You shouldn’t adopt a quick-and-dirty solution simply because the advertisement for a specific Web tool boasts that it can get you successfully running in 20 minutes. The best web sites don’t come in a box – they need to be created, not uncovered.

Settling for a cheap and usually pathetic site will devalue your business and can do more harm to your professional image and reputation than not having a site at all. Remember: Building a web site might be easy, but building a good web site is not.

The site must be aesthetically pleasing, easy to navigate and also entertaining, in order to catch and keep the visitor’s attention. Your web site must convey a message about your business to possible clients. Unfortunately, many people place too much importance on the flash and not enough on the substance. The purpose of your web site’s design is to counterpoint its message, not overshadow it. Folks rarely go to a website solely to ooh and aah the design – and if they do, they’re not likely to return because non-functional design gimmicks can get old extremely fast.

When planning your site, it’s important to remember that what you can technically do with your site should never take precedence over what you must logically do with your web site. Try and observe a three-to-one proportion of functional content and design elements to non-functional, solely esthetic elements. People can be easily blinded by their enthusiasm for design because that is always the best part. Content and functionality appear too much like work in comparison. But a well-rounded web site must be equal quantities form and function; otherwise, it’ll appear a bit lopsided.

Anyways, that is my rant for today.  I just have seen so much junky web sites out there today, and the people or businesses just don not seem to know.
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