A Revealing Interview
with A Design & Marketing
Expert
By: Cris Anderson
This week we asked one of
Worldprofit.com's senior
designers,
Cris Anderson, to comment on
some of the key elements of
effective design. Here is
the interview in it's
entirety.
Q: Why should a business
hire a professional designer
and marketer?
A: A professional designer
and marketer will be able to
evaluate
your needs and give you a
site that is effective. Here
are a few
things that we consider that
an amateur will not.
It is crucial that you have
a complimentary layout to
the content
of your site. There is no
point in having a long
extended full
screen web page when you
only have one image and a
single
paragraph of copy.
The appropriate images must
be used and placement is a
main
factor. Using improper
images can actually confuse
visitors
and that is the last thing
that we want to do.
The file sizes must be
minimized. If it takes too
long for
your pages to load, then
people will leave.
Marketing is of the utmost
importance. An effective
marketer
will know how to keep people
at your site and help you
make sales.
We look at sites and think
they are properly designed,
but when
they are compared to ones
that have been created by a
professional,
we realize that they have
not considered all of the
factors above.
Don't take chances with your
company's reputation. Get a
professional
designer and marketer to
work with you and create
that effective
site that you need.
Q: What should businesses
look for in hiring a web
site designer?
A: Look at their portfolio.
When you see quality from a
designer,
then quality is what you
will get. Often I see design
companies
that have portfolios that
look like they just started
last week.
You do not have to like the
colors or even the layout,
but consider
if the site is effective. If
I complete a dog grooming
site, then
look at the site and ask
yourself, "Is this site
effective? What
are the benefits for me?
What do I get? Why should I
stick around?"
If you go to a site that you
wouldn't even want to stay
at, then
why would you want that same
designer to make a site for
you?
Q: Cris, tell me what you
think is the biggest mistake
people make
in their web sites?
A: I believe that people are
overly concerned with
inundating their
site with dynamic elements.
Let me explain. Dynamic
means: "Of or
relating to energy or to
objects in motion." Static
means that nothing
is moving. We often think
dynamic is better that
static. This is not
always the case. Yes, a
flash presentation or banner
is a vital element
to success of your site, but
if it is designed
improperly, then it is
just an eyesore. In the same
regard, having a static site
with no flash
or javascripts or any type
of motion can be so
beautifully laid out
and effectively marketed. We
don't need scripts or
animated gifs all
over our sites to make them
effective. People do indeed
enjoy motion,
so my suggestion is this:
limit the energy on your
site to focus on
one thing. This thing should
make you money or bring
visitors back.
Add flash to your site and
loose the annoying animated
gifs.
Flash can market your site,
whereas animated gifs are
often a
distraction.
Q: What factors do you
consider when it comes to
use of color in a site?
A: As a professional
designer for many years, it
is my job to know the
--ins and outs-- of color. I
do not choose color based
on, "Red is pretty."
In certain cultures, color
can represent very negative
connotations then
in other cultures. You must
determine who the majority
of your audience
is. Also, there are many
color studies that play a
part in choosing color.
Did you know that when
subjects were placed in
different rooms painted
with certain colors, that
yellow made people visibly
agitated within
minutes! Color is taken very
seriously and chosen to
compliment the
theme and product of a site.
If I do a site for a hiking
company,
then I will undoubtedly use
earth tones, whereas a
cruise site will
get "sunny and warm" colors.
I think most of us can agree
that grays
are not a good choice for a
cruise site!
Q: What factors do you
consider when it comes to
use of fonts in a site?
A: A font is defined as, "A
complete set of type of one
size and face."
Font shapes and sizes can
portray many different
emotions. If you use
a font that does not fit
with the theme of your site,
then it can
appear disjointed. Just
think...what font would you
pick for a site
called, "Giraffes-R-us?" A
font can compliment graphics
and copy or
direct the eye. If you want
one thing to stand out, then
you can
imply change the font.
Imagine the entire page was
in a certain font
and then the title was in
another. It would draw your
eye to it as it
is isolated and different
from the other fonts.
Q: What in your opinion
makes the difference for a
site design that
is effective vs. not
effective.
A: Do I want to stay? I can
look back at sites I have
completed years
ago and say that was a great
design! Sure...I've learned
more effects,
more gold and silver
textures and all that fun
stuff that everybody loves,
but when I look back at some
of my old designs, I think
wow. It's clean,
it's solid, and I want to
stay! I look at some sites
that are cheap and
I think "Wow, Somebody
learned how to use Kai's
power tools or Eye Candy!"
You see, your parents and
friends and co-workers may
think that having
everything beveled on your
site is cool, but it just
ends up looking cheap.
We often confuse great
graphics and effects with
effective design. A site
can have the most wonderful
graphics you've ever seen,
but that does not
mean that it is an effective
design. Marketing, graphics,
fonts, and
colors must all work in
co-relation with each other
to produce a site
that effectively gets you
sales and visitors.
Q: Once the design is done
what is the critical factor
that online
businesses must consider and
plan for.
A: Realize that it takes
hard work to make money
online. We have very
active site owners making
sales daily, whereas some do
not make any sales
at all. Some people realize
that they have to put an
effort into e-commerce
and then yes, there is a
huge payoff! Online
marketing and e-commerce
does
work! Understand though,
that people are not going to
visit your site and
buy without any interaction
from you. You must use all
the tools and know
inside and out the product
that you are selling.
A system for success is
critical. Most businesses
new to the web try
to reinvent the wheel. You
don't have to do this! Over
six years ago
at Worldprofit we developed
dozens of sure-fire ways
to build a business online.
How do we know what works?
We only
recommend to you, the
software, tools and
resources we use ourselves
every single day to build
our own business. Ready to
get started?
Want the insider secrets
before you make costly
mistakes?
Email,
mailto:customerservice@worldprofit.com
About the Author
Cris Anderson, PhotoShop
Guru, is a member
of the Worldprofit Design
Team.
Let our expert design
marketers work for you!
Contact
mailto:customerservice@worldprofit.com
