After much brainstorming and anticipation you feel you’re ready to order a website that will move your business forward or make your organization stand out from the rest. Great! You start to look for web design firms that have the style and vibe you are looking for but you also want the best possible Quality Price Ratio (QPR). The end result has to meet your expectations without destroying your budget!

Be prepared

The first thing most people do is send out some inquiries by email or through the developer’s website. The more details you can provide in your inquiry the more accurate the quote will be. We often get website development inquiries that read as follows: “Hi, how much for a website?” or “I want a site just like Facebook, deadline is next week…”

This is not the way to go. We can always give a ballpark price or provide some sample pricing setups but it will never be specified to your personal needs. It’s hard to compare design firms without providing the project details and you might miss out on your perfect match because of this.

Checklist

Here are some pointers that will help you to get an accurate quote for your project:

• Tell a little bit about your business and your industry, just a few lines will do.
• The estimated amount of pages or titles for the pages you have in mind (about, contact etc.).
• Do you have a finished logo or do you need one designed.
• What social media platforms are you on and do you want them integrated into the website.
• Do you want to update the website yourself (CMS) or leave it in the hands of the developer.
• List any other special features you would like to see in your website.

Now you are ready!

Send out those inquiries to the shortlist of design firms you had in mind and let’s see what they come up with. Remember that you get what you pay for but the highest quote does not guarantee the best quality. Look for the company that guarantees a fixed price from start to finish, is flexible and able to provide good SEO (Search Engine Optimization) into an original design.

Good luck with your project!

This article is provided by Vince Peek founder of Wild Peek Design. Providing service everywhere from the middle of nowhere.

Author: Vince Peek
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Tissot virtual reality

Most people don’t think too much about the usability factor of web design. With so many various technical details that need tending to, the usability features of most websites get put on the back burner.

This is a shame because usability really can play a major role in the success of any online business. When customers aren’t able to find what they’re looking for and need, it frustrates them, and so they move on. Surfers today are very impatient. They won’t stick around if they can’t locate their information quickly. This makes it a critical point for businesses to make their sites as easy to navigate as possible.

Treasure Map

It’s surprising how many users go straight to your sitemap to locate what they need. Sitemaps list each page of your site, and in a way that is hierarchical. You can also have XML sitemaps that are made for helping search engines locate everything on the site. But make sure you include the HTML sitemap for users to easily locate any information they want.

Most web design features, in regard to usability, are very easy to implement. This also makes them easy to overlook. But if you start out your designing with these features in mind, you can save yourself lots of time over the long haul, and give your users a much better experience as well.

Seven Plus Two, Then Take Away Two

Research studies have shown a way of determining just how many specific ‘things’ any one person is able to remember. This is the formula that they arrived at – seven, give or take two. Basically, this means that around five to nine items is what any given person can retain.

How does this affect you? It means that if you’re going to create a navigational menu on your site, then you need to keep your item options between five to nine in any given area. If you have too many options, you’ll end up confusing your users and many won’t stay long enough to make a choice.

Of course, this doesn’t mean limiting your items to only seven on your menu. It just means you should break them up. Some could be below the banner, others on a side menu, and some in the footer. This way you can have more items, but they don’t remember them all in one area. This will help you to handle any confusion and sense of being overwhelmed by too much information.

Is It A Link Or Not?

Another thing to watch is consistency with your web standards. You can use them in such a way that they make your visitors comfortable. Links are one example. If you keep your links the same throughout, all blue, or all underlined, it’s much easier for your users to recognize and stay familiar with. Some people will notice an underline with a different color, and still know you have a link there. But most people isn’t all people. So why confuse anyone unnecessarily. Be sure that links already visited will change colors. This helps users to know they’ve already been there, and they won’t get frustrated by going back to a page they’ve already visited.

If you are interested in finding the best website designers in Australia, check topwebdesigners.com.au

Author: Carson Smith
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
iPhone/iPad apps

Have you ever wondered why some companies doing business online are able to quickly attract customers and gain profits? It’s mainly because they consider what their users will want and then include it into their web design. If you want a profitable website, then create a design that will cater to the preferences of your users.

Here are some tips for getting this done:

1 – Make The Site Browser Compatible – Not all of your users will be using the same browser, and you need to be prepared for this fact. If you aren’t dealing with this issue, you can instantly turn your users off. Make your site readily accessible to anyone and everyone, then more people are going to hear about your products/services. Have a consultation with and IT expert and check out your sites compatibility. You don’t want to lose potential sales and clients over this issue.

2 – Provide Relevant and Unique Information – One critical aspect users want from the sites they visit is good content. When they’re unable to find what they need, they simply leave to check out another site. The quickly lose interest what you’re selling. That’s why always providing them with high quality original content keeps them hooked. When they’re satisfied with what they read, they’ll buy from you, and even pass it on to their friends.

3 – Keep The Graphic Effects Low – When you see a website full of blinking and flashing graphics, it’s never appealing. Always keep it simple, so your users won’t be distracted and can easily navigate around. Using flash animations and inputting JavaScript codes needs to be avoided. They take a lot of time to load, and this will cost you many visitors. The more you keep your site looking professional and have it organized well, you’ll have clients that are impressed and satisfied.

4 – Be Consistent and Proper – For people to be serious about you, stay focused on a web design that will make your company appear very professional. Select fonts and colors that match up with your logo. Put in a light background, use dark text, and ensure your posts are all well organized. Be consistent in your design and follow your same format on all your pages.

Always remember, simplicity is the key. A lot of your layout will act like road signs, guiding your visitor the their destination. So keep it neat, clean, and simple. JavaScript codes needs to be avoided. They take a lot of time to load, and this will cost you many visitors. The more you keep your site looking professional and have it organized well, you’ll have clients that are impressed and satisfied.

If you are interested in finding the best website designers in Australia, check topwebdesigners.com.au

Author: Carson Smith
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Panasonic Lumix G2