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The Importance of Design

Let's get this out of the way- How important is design to a website?

Answer - (And designers are going to hate this) Not at all

Ask yourselves this - is the Tesco site pretty? Is the BBC site looking as good as it could?

Is the eBay site stunning in its looks?

No

Of course they aren't. And yet they are amongst the most successful online entities to exist.

Why?

Good designers? -Nope

Good Graphic artists? Nope

Good site planning? - Yep

The spirit of the internet is about the here and now, the offer of immediacy and the acceptance that people who come to the site want it now and more importantly, can get it.

So, really, how important is design?

Well, there are two camps - there is the need to fill users with confidence and let them belive that a well designed site costs a lot of money, so the punter will say 'Yes this is trustworthy' or the site where price is king and really it doesn't matter what it looks like as long as there are safeguards.

Which one do you think will be the most popular? - Yep, price most of the time.

Be absolutely assured I am not saying that design does not have a part to play in a website. Far from it, a site that gives the visitors confidence and is easy on the eye will win over the psychedelic every time.

The most important factor though in every site is functionality.

The ability to find what you are looking for easily and without pain.

Though it has to be said a lot of website design is down to choice. I have known many, many site owners become so pre-occupied with how a site looks that they miss the obvious - what does your site say to potential customers?

 

 
Beware of Fasthosts - bad hosting still exists

I find it upsetting that hosting providers still exist that hide charges, make it difficult to leave and have hidden cancellation procedures that if not followed correctly will result in additonal fees and in some cases transfer of debts to debt collection agencies.

Sadly a big name like Fasthosts - you would not expect to fall in this category. But they do, as I have experienced myself.

Before reading on - let me say to all my clients, do not use Fasthosts before checking with me. I cannot and will not recommend them and would advise anyone currently with hosting packages or domains with Fasthosts to try and get out as quickly as possible.

The procedure for cancellation is to email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  including your account and pin number in every correspondence. If you fail to include the numbers then the correspondence WILL be ignored.

THERE IS NO GUARANTEE that the information you provide will be full enough for them to act and the only way that you will know that you have been successful is if they do not charge you at the end of the term.

DO NOT cancel cards or refuse payment as they will only transfer your debt onto a debt collection agency which will result in threats, constant phone calls and harrassment..

 
Making an impact
If your are holding a fete for your church or your school, you can advertise it by word of mouth or leaflets to parents and parishioners. However, if you want a really successful event you need to advertise it further afield.
Advertising in the local press may attract a few customers but not everyone reads the local paper and those who do may miss your advertisement anyway.  You need to attract the attention of people who pass by if you are going to make the impact you need to make the event a real success.  
 
Ignorance isnt bliss

Back in 1945 a Naval Officer and mathematician Grace Murray Hopper discovered the first computer ‘bug’. In this particular case the non-functioning equipment was traced to the discovery of a moth that had become caught within the inner workings of the computer.

 

 
Make your website work

Article printed Jan 2006
New Years Resolutions – Make my website work


There are two types of site, those that work and those that exist.

Those that exist are just there. They hang around on the internet all day long doing little more than - well, just existing.

Where as other sites work. They advertise themselves, get noticed, interact with clients new and old and make their owners money.

Which site have you got? 

There is a campaign to encourage people to make a single resolution this year and stick to it, rather than making many resolutions and achieving none.

Make your website your one business resolution this year.

 
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