Future Web Design for SMB

Posted by Aaron Bloxsome on 22 October 2010 | 0 Comments

Tags: Web Design, Web Development, Usability, SEO, Online Marketing, Social Media

The web is getting bigger
With the widespread increase in the popularity of the internet, the importance of businesses to have an effective online presence has never been greater. Online competition is rapidly growing, with thousands of new websites being added to the internet every day.

Now it is not only vital just to have a website, standing out is a must.

Compared to a few years ago, more people now turn to the internet first to search for business services offline as well as online. As businesses online are successfully selling to new customers at their first port of call, traditional advertising formats like the Yellow Pages are being used less. Many businesses without websites are now rushing to quickly establish their online presence, as they realise that if they don't have one, to a lot of potential clients, they don't exist. Even for existing customers, a business website can provide direct information that saves them and the business time and money.

Web design - what to consider
Whichever web designer you choose, a good design package should always provide:

SEO (search engine optimisation)
Unfortunately most web users only see 10 results per search engine page, and if a business website isn't listed in at least the top 50 results, it probably won't be found in the majority of relevant web searches.

The process of SEO, getting a website to rank highly in search engine results under relevant keywords, is critical and should be an integral part of any quality web design package. At the end of the day, even if a web design is attractive, if it won't to be seen, it's not going to matter.

Some web designers may not have the ability or facilities to ensure that their websites can be quickly indexed by Google, or achieve a high search engine ranking. Others designers may outsource or charge considerably extra for this service.

Usability
Easy navigation is critical and any website should be clearly laid out to allow users to quickly find the information they want within a couple of clicks. A cluttered and confused layout and missing or incorrect links will detract from the browsing experience and any disorganisation like this can reflect on a company's credibility and integrity.

Appealing aesthetics
Preferences in design can occasionally be subjective; however a website with coherent and balanced aesthetics will always appeal to all users and convey a professional business image rather than a shoddy one. A skilled web designer will also be able to maintain aesthetic continuity with a company's brand image.

Content and the option of content management
In the case of SEO, the expression 'content is king' is heard everywhere on the internet. However, more importantly, the quality of content is 'king'. Information should be easy to access, easy to read, up-to-date and relevant. A good copywriter can assist you with writing your content and if you work in a changing business environment, a CMS (content management system) website will be the best option if you wish to be able to quickly and cheaply update your online information.

The option of e-commerce functionality
A lot of businesses may want to consider expanding their customer base by offering an online transaction facility. If the possibility of e-commerce is on the horizon, it may be worth having a website that can easily be modified to accommodate a safe and secure e-commerce function, rather than look at a costly redesign at a later date.

Which designer?
There are a host of different web companies and freelance designers tochoose from. The web is flooded with web design services that range from good to bad, to just downright ugly. Some may be incredibly expensive while others are questionably cheap.

Cheap designers or do it yourself websites
A small business with a tight budget may be tempted to find the cheapest web design possible. With this option you will often get what you pay for or less. Budget designers may be able to create a token appearance on the internet, but may not have the intention or ability to provide their clients with a quality website that reflects the appropriate professionalism of the business, or ranks
properly on Google.

Self design may also be considered, using a user friendly web design program. However even with the friendliest programs there is often a steep and time consuming learning curve. Furthermore, most of these packages have clear limitations and it is usually very easy to spot a website that has been produced with a beginner's software package.

Expensive design companies vs. determined freelance designers
Larger design companies don't always provide clients with a comprehensive personal service or good value for money; however a lot of businesses with a high budget may be swayed by the apparent integrity of a large company. In the end, their results may appear 'off the shelf' and lack originality. As opposed to most freelancers, many large web design companies have high overhead costs and because of this, have to work to a tighter budget and hurried time frames in order to generate a reasonable profit. This means less focus on the perfection of the actual web design and the client's individual
needs.

Freelancers consult directly with their clients and are not bound by the politics and pressures that may be present in a large company. What this means for the customer is a one-to-one relationship with the manufacturer of your finished product. A freelancer will take their directions only from you, not their boss, or colleagues who may miscommunicate or filter information. A talented freelance web designer will always be excited to show you their portfolio, as they have a genuine love and passion for what they do. Good freelancers will always push the boundaries of design and find new ways of
developing and expressing their talents, to create the best websites possible.

So what does the future of web design have in store?
In the future there will be more websites and far more internet users, using different devices to access to internet.

With the advent of mobile phones and other devices with internet browsing capabilities, people are now finding websites which cannot work properly with the new technology.

As different browsing platforms become available, many websites will have to become easier to find and more intuitive to navigate. To succeed in the future, web designers will need to keep up with the latest development standards in order to accommodate these changes in internet use.