There are a few things to think about when you design a new website:
Logo
Is it modern and does it reflect the business? Many companies’ logos date back to when the business was started and were often done cheaply because money was tight. As the company has grown the logo has remained the same. A new website is an opportunity to revisit the image the logo gives of the business.
Colours
Preferences change over time and your corporate colours may no longer convey the right message. Various websites give an explanation of what colours are supposed to mean, here’s a link to a good article on the subject: http://bit.ly/PasCWi
Images
Quality is key with website images. People will only be spending a short time on each page and while they may not read every word you write they will look at your images. Clear, well lit product shots, photos of the office taken on a sunny day, pictures of staff that look happy! If you have no employees with a photographic flair it is sometimes necessary to hire a photography for this. Good ones don’t come cheap but the quality is well worth the expense.
Words
Sales messages that are short and to the point work best. Focusing on benefits of what your products and services can offer to clients rather than getting too bogged down in details. For most companies the website is just a first point of contact with a potential client and the real selling will be done face to face. Therefore it makes sense to hold back on the details until you are talking to a customer and can gauge what they are interested in.
Calls to Action
A good website will lead the visitor through the key pages with a series of steps. This may start with a home page that gives a brief overview of your company and what you do. From their they could move to a page containing some high level information on your range of products and then onto more detailed pages. At the end of this process a call to action is important. Contact pages are fine but it is far more effective to place a call to action in the form of a short form on the page with product details. This is the point when a potential client is most likely to get in touch so you don’t want to make it as easy as possible to do so.
