| |
| |
|
The Next Marketing Tool: Deisgn
Design sells. It's something that all of us know, but few of us consciously acknowledge. There is an age old adage that warns people not to "judge books by their cover." In other words, we shouldn't judge people or products by their appearance. But this isn't true in America. We do judge books by their cover - in fact we spend billions of dollars on products that have prettier "covers." Many people are aware how easy it is to create a web page and put your business online, but you have to ask yourself: is it going to be enough? Sure, you can get all the vitals of your business online and available for the whole world to see, but will your visitors remember your site? Will they trust it? More importantly, will your site cause them to contact you after leaving the web site? iPods, cargo pants and cell phones Oh my! What do these three items have in common you might ask? Design, of course. Back in 2001 Apple Computers unveiled their new offering to the tech world: the iPod. This smart looking little gadget was an MP3 player, one of thousands already on the market. Against all odds, the iPod has risen above its vast competition and become a common household term. What can we attribute to Apple's success? The iPod did not offer any features that other MP3 players were already offering, except a sleek design, stunning advertising and Apple's clever branding. Great design has obviously paid off for Apple. In the first quarter since releasing the iPod, Apple more than tripled its net profits and sold nearly 900,000 iPods! Some may even speculate to say that the iPod has taken Apple from a failing company to the leader in portable music. Old Navy started off as just another value clothing store spawned from the successful Gap Inc. While this company had the advantage of already having a multi-billion dollar brand backing it, it had no incentive for customers to actually buy the clothes. Old Navy has since become one of the leading clothing retailers in America becoming a multi-billion dollar brand on its own feet. Old Navy's president, Jenny Ming, attributes this success to design. Old Navy has taken a new approach to advertising and clothing style relying on fresh, new design. It seems to have worked, attracting millions of customers to their cargo pants, PJ bottoms and fleece jackets. Cell phones. They're everywhere: on the street, in cars, and even the hands of thirteen year old girls. No amount of numbers is needed to prove that cell phones have become an everyday accessory as common as a pair of sunglasses. Back in the early nineties, Nokia realized that cell phones might one day catch on and become something of an accessory. The idea was brought up that cell phones could be made in a variety of colors and in attractive shapes. Shortly after concept, Nokia's rounded cell phones with changeable plates were introduced into the market. They were an instant success. Since then Nokia has come to be the world leader in cell phones, owning nearly 40% of the world market. Cell phone design hasn't been the same since. Taking these ideas to the internet Okay, so it's understandable how design sells, but web sites aren't tangible products like iPods or cell phones. Design of web sites goes beyond designing something that "looks cool" or uses fancy fonts. The design of web sites goes into the realm of usability, information design and graphical appearance. All three of these aspects must come together to create a great web site design. First off, your web site must be usable. This means that the web site visitor must be able to read, navigate and use the different elements of your site. A web site is no good if visitors cannot find where your nearest office is located. Secondly, the information contained within the web site must be arranged in a way that visitors will naturally find the information they need in the least amount of effort possible. Lastly, your web site has to look great. It has to have a professional look and one that's both pleasing to the visitor and conveys the image you need your company to portray. Would you expect a criminal defense attorney's site to be composed of light blue and pink hues? Strong, vibrant colors project authority and power; qualities you would definitely want in a criminal defense lawyer. Wrapping it up Design is a major part of modern day business. Making sure your business has a well designed web site ensures you are giving your business the best possible chance. A poorly designed site can be a waste of money and effort. Don't take the chance; hire a professional to do the job. About The Author Kyle Neath is an experienced web developer, developing dozens of successful web sites across California. See more of his work at www.neathdesign.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Use Exclusive Content - When Reprint Articles Dont Do Enough There is no doubt that reprint articles can serve lots of search engine traffic to your site.. Why Long Web Pages are Better than Short Ones Many Internet sites that try to sell you something have very long pages. Why is that do you think? Well, it appears that long, scrolling, web pages lead to more sales than short pages. Small Business Website Design - How to Get Professional Results on a Shoestring Budget Just because you are a small business with an even smaller website design budget, does not mean that you cannot have a professional looking website and presence on the web. All it means is you will have to do some of the work yourself instead of paying some design firm to do it for you. Website Polls For You And Your Visitors Setting up a survey on your site is extremely simple and many times just as beneficial, for two main reasons. One, they let you create a more interactive website for your visitor. 4 Things That Make A Web Site Great First you need original content. Content is the heart beat of any exceptional Web site. Got Web Traffic but Still Low Sales? Ten Ways to Selling Success - Part 1 Have you put a lot of effort, time, and money into your site and are frustrated with lackluster sales? Are you planning to put a new Web site and don't know where to start? If you are like many business professionals out there, you know your subject, you are an expert speaker or coach in your field, and you are even passionate about it. You have great products and services to sell. Learn the Truth about Your Web Design Company by Its Portfolio When you start building your online business and search for a web design company that will implement all your needs for the web site you must understand that it is a very serious step because you are entrusting your business along with its reputation and future.That's why it's very important to make the right choice. Has Your Design Firm Run Amuck With Your Web Site? What's happening to good web site design? Somehow we creative types at interactive and traditional ad agencies have run amuck - we're building web sites that may dazzle the senses, but don't really communicate much about our client's business or products and services!1. Somehow I don't think anyone has a burning desire to spend 30-60 seconds on the Index page of a web site while another fancy Flash animation loads, complete with snazzy graphics, audio, and way cool cutting edge graphics - not!! People want to get real information, not razzle-dazzle graphics showing how great a developer is using the latest whiz bang technology!2. Leave Those Links Blue! Don't mess with those links! When you're designing your site, you should leave your text links in their natural state--blue and underlined. We all want to be creative and not do the bland, expected, normal thing. Your Website Visitors - Will They Stay? I'm sure you've all heard the saying 'Build it and they will come'. Although that may have been true a few years ago, now we must work, and work hard, to get visitors to our websites. Will You Site be a BIG SUCCESS. 7 Reasons Why It Might Not! With so many new websites going up, it is hard sometimes to tell if your site will be a BIG SUCCESS or an unexpected flop? If you are unsure of whether or not your site will fly with visitors or crash and burn, this article is definitely for you. Now we all know the importance of great service, but if your website doesn't communicate this, then you could be headed for failure. Top Ten Website Design Secrets for Internet Marketing Success When it comes to marketing your website, you should really work on the design of your site and optimize it so it makes you the maximum amount of money per visitor as possible. The design of your website is very important and plays a huge role in your website's success or failure. Why You Want to Include an FAQ In Your Site Congratulations! You've got a brand new site and it's doing pretty well. You check your statistics every day and the hits and page views keep climbing, your links are all in order and everything looks very good. How Do We Know When Its Time To Redesign Our Web Site? A question we frequently get asked is, "how do we know when it is time to redesign our Web site?" The answer undoubtedly varies.The first thing to analyze is your existing Web presence. The Seven Deadly Sins of Web Business Design Before you take a road trip it is usually a good idea to know where you are going. It is the same when you are building a business, creating a marketing plan or building your web site. What Happened to My Website when I Deleted the Home Page by Mistake? There is a widespread confusion among lots of new website designer concerning the home page.If you get any book, any course, or ask most web page designer how to build a website, they will advise you to build your home page first. Low Cost Web Design In Birmingham There are many companies who build websites, all of which who want your business. This puts you in a very strong position when trying to obtain a good deal, a professional looking website at a low affordable price. Wording Up Your Website Back to basics. Forget funky design, good copywriting is the key to a clear and intuitive website. Creating Personal Web Sites (Part 2) This is the second part of a two-part article about creating a web site on the Internet and the tools that you will need to do it.Some basic terminology that you should take a look at before proceeding further:Web Page: A document that contains information created with the help of HTML. Web Advertising: 10 Little Known Tricks To Help Convert Your Traffics To Buying Customers You may not believe it, but people still judge thingsby their appearances.How does your website look?The appearance of your web site text can actuallyincrease or decrease your sales.
|
| home | site map |
| Webdesign-box © 2006 |
