Website Design Guide

Finding a Domain
It seems there are billions of websites out there, and all of the great website addresses have been taken, right? Maybe, but there are still lots of options available. Here are the guidelines we recommend to choose a new website domain name.

First, stick with the .com extension. It's what everybody knows. Second, try to get yourcompanyname.com, without spaces, hyphens, dashes or abbreviations. Say it, spell it and type it, to see if it might be confusing to someone who's trying to remember what you said. Sometimes, this step comes before you even name your company.

Start your domain name search by clicking here.

Once you find the right name, register your domain with us as soon as possible. It's amazing how quickly they can dissappear!

Order your Domain Today!
Click here to access a completely secure, online ordering page for all domain registrations.

Once you've selected your domain name, we always recommend browsing the web for sites that appeal to you. Try to look at all kinds of websites, not just sites that offer comparable products or services. This will help give us a feel of the style of site we need to create. Here are some things to look for:

Color Scheme
There are a limited number of colors available that are "safe" to use on the web. That means they won't change colors depending on the users' browser and computer settings. Wikipedia has compiled a color pallete, which you can use to help determine the colors for your site. These color choices should represent your logo, background, site navigation links, page headings and the main content of your site. You may also want to choose colors for site effects such as drop-down menus and color changes when the mouse moves over a link.

Site Navigation
Next, there are a number of ways to let visitors browse your website. This piece is key to development of the site since it determines the ease with which customers can find the information they need. It is also an important step because changes to it mid-stream can affect your entire site, which means more development costs. Your choices are virtually limitless, and deciding which you prefer is sometimes daunting. Try to determine how many links you want to make available at all times on your site and how these links can be grouped.

Site navigation really boils down to 3 choices. First is location of the main navigational links, typically across the top or down the left so that all visitors can see it as soon as the website is loaded. Second, is the shape of the links. Ovals, rectangles, stars, whatever you find appealing. Or, no shape at all, just simple links to the pages. Last, is the action of the link. Colors can change when the mouse is hovering over the link, or a menu pops up to show more choices in the category.

Graphics and Logos
If you already have a company logo, it may drive the color scheme for your website. The logo is typically placed in the upper left-hand corner of the website. It also links back to the home page on nearly every professionally designed website.

Graphics are the pictures that tell the story of your website. The home page should have a strong visual graphic that tells the customer something about your business. Sometimes it's picture of your product, but often it's a visualization of your ideals, which incorporates your products or services.

Graphics are also important throughout your website. Most users respond to either the graphics or the words on a page to navigate the site and it's best to offer both formats to accomodate everyone. Graphics also add appeal and balance to every page. We have an abundant supply of images to work with, as well as access to reasonably-priced, professional photography. In rare cases, clipart can be used as a graphic on a website, but we usually recommend against it.

Site Content
The final building block for your website is the pages it will contain. The number of pages will directly affect the cost of site development. The pages which are common to most sites include the home page, a contact page, a page describing the company and a policy page. Of course the product or service description pages are the key to your website and the number of these pages is highly dependent on the level of online services being offered. This can range from general product descriptions and prices to a full-scale online shopping experience for your customers.