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Have you ever wondered why your website hardly pays for its own operating costs while your competitors' sites seem to be making them rich? I'm going to let you in on a little secret: there's much more to putting your business online than buying a domain name and six-dollar-per-month hosting. While inexpensive template website services are appealing, the reality is that they are no match for a thoughtfully-designed website. In this article I'll let you in on a few secrets that the most successful companies on the web have known about for years.

Keep it Simple
Internet users are a very impatient breed. Don't believe me? Just think about the last time you Googled something. How quickly did you click the "back" button after visiting a website because it didn't instantly grab your attention? Once you've won a click you need to keep that visitor on your website. In order to do this not only does your site's navigation have to be clean and simple, but the purpose of the page itself needs to be clear and obvious. When creating each page on your website you should ask yourself "what is this page about?" If you can't find the answer within the first few seconds of scanning the page then it's time to redesign!

Make Opting In Easy
Sure, we'd all love to collect as much information about our visitors as possible. But asking too much on an opt-in form is a great way to scare that customer away. When it comes to getting customers to 'pull the trigger' less is often more. Make sign-up and opt-in forms short and simple. Asking for name, email address, best time to call, and their question is all you need to generate a quality sales lead while not scaring your prospective customer away.

Direct the User
Focus attention where you want it through clever design. Riding the theme of "less is more", don't be afraid to have empty space on your pages. Strategically located and utilized empty space can do wonders in helping direct user activity to links or forms that you want them to interface with. Users easily get lost on cluttered pages. Think about the geometry of your page and how edges, shapes, and images cause the eye to move. Place important information, buttons, and links on the page then use design elements that will guide users to them.

Don't Be To Different
Many people want their website to be 'different'. While attractive web design is important, realize that standards exist for a reason. Most users have certain expectations when they visit a website based on other websites that they use. If your website differs too significantly from the majority of websites in terms of language or workflow then that learning curve will cause a click of the 'back' button all that much faster. Users expect to see certain things in predicable places. If you make them search for your navigation menu or if you choose some new clever language for your "Sign Up" button then your opt-in button may never get clicked. Unless your idea is really an innovation you might want to stick with what works.

Proof Read
I can't tell you how many times I've visited an aesthetically-pleasing web site only to find it riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. Few things can kill your online reputation faster than a website full these types of errors. The whole point of a website is to put your company's best foot forward. Would you place a newspaper ad without proofreading it? Then why would you dream of putting a website online without doing the same? Remember, even if you correct these mistakes later they will always be out there somewhere. Google gives people the option to view historical copies of your website, copies that will contain embarrassing errors. Proof read your copy over and over again!

Optimize Images and Eliminate Complex Backgrounds
Images used strategically can greatly enhance your website. Images used carelessly will make users leave your site before it even finishes loading. Never upload full-size images straight from your digital camera. When you resize images using your HTML editor you're only telling the web browser to scale it down, but the entire image is downloaded at its full size which can dramatically slow down your page's load time. Not only does a slow-loading page frustrate users, it will also cause Google and other search engines to penalize you in terms of search engine ranking.

Simple backgrounds and colors are effective ways of enhancing your website's appearance. Large or busy backgrounds or whimsically-selected colors could make a site hard on the eyes. If your text clashes against the background--no matter how beautiful a background it may be--you have just lost a customer. Simplicity is always the key. Classy elegance sells!

Design and Profit
How you choose to design your website will directly impact how much business the site will generate. The added effort that it takes to create a website that adheres to the best practices in design will pay for itself many times over when compared to a site that is simply thrown up using a wizard or website template. Your website is an investment that could turn into one of the powerful and effective marketing tools in your arsenal and deserves to be treated as such.

If you choose to hire a professional website design company, be sure that their approach incorporates the best practices discussed in this article. If you heed this advice you will be well ahead of the curve when it comes time to launch your new website.

You know that your business needs a website, but there's one problem: how do you find the right website design company? At the time of this article's publication, Google search for "website design companies" returned over 44 million results! That's a staggering amount of information to wade through just to find someone to build your business' website. The goal of this article is to help you zero in on a web design company that will be the right fit for your needs. Keep in mind that over 93% of customers now look online to find small businesses. The question is no longer IF you need a website but HOW TO BUILD one.

Do-it-Yourself or Full Service Web Design

The first question that a lot people ask is, "Do I really need to hire someone to build my website?" There are many companies out there advertising websites for under $100. While tempting, you need to know that these types of website design packages are usually automated cookie-cutter sites that aren't very effective as marketing tools. There's also usually no one to consult with when setting up a discount website and that means the whole process is generally a do-it-yourself venture. If you need to customize your website you're going to get hit with a lot of hidden fees after the fact or are going to have to learn lots of CSS, HTML, and JavaScript which you probably don't' have time or inclination for.

Full Service Web Design companies work with you in a one-on-one fashion to create a custom website solution that will fit your company's unique needs. The cost of custom web design services varies greatly depending on the goals of the website as well as the complexities of the business needs. Professional custom web design companies have designed all of the websites that you are probably familiar with. The reality is that while the inexpensive, do-it-yourself packages offered by companies such as GoDaddy and 1and1 are attractive, they are rarely effective marketing tools.

Does Company Location Matter?

Now that you've chosen to have your business' website custom designed there's still the issue of finding the right company. While the Internet has knocked down borders and allowed for business to be conducted in a virtual space, you may want to consider using a local web design company to create your website. Working with a local website design company will allow you to meet face-to-face with your design team. This face-to-face interaction is important in ensuring that the website you receive is the website that you want. Working with a local company also eliminates problems often associated with time zone differences and communication, allowing your website to be created more quickly and effectively.

How Much Will it Cost?

This question is a lot like asking the price of a car. While basic transportation can be had for as little as a few hundred dollars, a luxury or sports model could run up into the six figure range. It's important to let your web developer know why you want to create a website and what your goals are. A typical 5-page informational website can range in price depending on your specific needs, however a general ballpark range is somewhere between $1,200 and $2,500. If you're looking to sell products online, to offer secured areas for users to log in to, offer a document library, or any other additional features these will add to your costs. Whatever you do, be sure to get a written quote from your website designer before signing any contracts or offering any payment. Also, discuss your budgetary concerns before getting too far into the planning process so you don't waste your time unnecessarily.

Ask About Optimization and Promotion

An artistic masterpiece of a website will not attract any customers if they can't find it. On the other hand, a simple but effectively-designed website could attract more customers than you can imagine if it's optimized and promoted properly. All web design companies are not created equal. Be sure to ask your prospective developer about his/her /their Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing qualifications, and service offerings. Be sure to discuss such solutions as follow up and e-mail marketing, re-marketing, lost customer reactivation, auto responders, and request/order fulfillment automation. These services and their efficiency are critical in today's ultra-competitive Internet marketplace. Make sure your web designer understands how to make a website that will be attractive not only to human visitors but also to search engine robots like Google. Also consider ongoing Internet marketing services which could pay for themselves many times over if done properly.

Ask For Samples

Don't be afraid to ask for samples of past work or customer testimonials. Any good website design company will have a portfolio of past work that they will gladly share with you. Many will even allow you to contact past clients so that you can learn from the experiences of real customers.

Do I Really Need a Website?

Websites aren't just nice-to-haves anymore. A professionally-created website is essential for all businesses, especially in today's economic climate. A recent study showed that over 90% of all customers rely on the Internet to find local businesses. The Internet can be one of the most effective tools for growing your business and should be viewed as a real investment. If you work with a qualified website design company that understands your business' needs and follow the advice in this article you'll be one step closer to business success!