It’s been a couple of months since I have given you a glimpse to a few of the web design projects we have going on at Five, so here you go.  It’s easy to say we have a lot going on around here right now.  We’re hoping to have a few posts very soon covering websites going LIVE later this week or early next week, so stayed tuned for some project reviews.

Here is a snapshot of just some of the web design projects so far in October:

The same way that a hot vacation spot or an amazing restaurant brings people in from a variety of sources and places, a great website should do the same. Create something of value, entertainment and enjoyment and you’ll get a faithful following, a great reputation, referral business, buzz and profits.

Your website can be this same type of destination on the Internet. A solid website builds repeat users and conversions. The site’s goal or conversion can vary greatly from being an online purchase or simply filling out a short contact form. Website owners are always interested in what they can do to first generate more users/visitors to their website and secondly increase the conversion percentage.

So what can you do to make your website a destination?

1. Become a resource. Being the website that has the best answers, examples or links to where users can find that information is a great value. Having stronger and deeper information than your competition will strengthen your resource value.

Example: If you were a plumber, you could link to a number of do-it-yourself websites for common problems and fixes. While you may lose a few small jobs, you ultimately will earn trust, brand recognition and referral business.

2. Show them the difference. When value is visible it puts you ahead. If your website offers better photos, videos or graphics, the user will better identify with your offering. Put to use all of the forms of media today to crush your competition for visual value. Seeing is believing to a consumer.

Example: A car dealerships main product is it’s vehicles. In putting together numerous high quality photos and even a video on each vehicle a dealership can attract more Internet shoppers to their lot. Don’t let other industry websites like Autos.com or CarSoup.com have better info than your own dealership. If a consumer wants a 2005 Honda Accord and your site has more photos and a video on that car, their trust will be much higher to visit you then having to guess on the condition or features from another website.

3. Build a relationship. Generate and execute ideas to not just get a user to your website once but to continue a relationship. Having an e-letter to sign-up for can help with this, or a weekly blog post to bring them back to your site. Set goals for repeat traffic and conversions and build content or functions that encourage this.

Example: An e-commerce website would be smart to do a weekly “hot product” that they review, write a blog post on it and offer a discount on it for the next week. You could take it a step further by having sent out 3 samples to good customers and get them to review it as well. This not only engages your customers but offers new users a few other opinions than your own. Not an e-commerce website? No problem, use a monthly or quarterly e-letter with tips that relate to your service or industry.

So start thinking of your website as a Ski Resort or a Beach Front Hotel. Think about what will attract users, what will turn them into repeat visitors and what will get them raving to their friends about you. A great side benefit to strengthening your content or media is that it will benefit your SEO and link building when done the right way.

With some simple processes and additions to your website you can become a destination on the web.

Over the last 2 years I have become more of a supporter of layout then design.  Yes, layout is an element of design, but in the web design process they have their own areas and purposes.  This post takes a peak at the use of wireframes to help determine a websites layout and also the factors we consider in a web design layout.  It’s a great step for the web designer, production team and the client.

Web Design Layout
Simply put, layout is where things go.  When I start looking at layout needs and options I consider the following in this order:

1. The user.  What do they need to see, read and do.  Usability is a big factor in good layout for me.

2. The target market as a whole.  There are certain expectations a user might have of a small business website compared to a social media website.  These differences determine the navigation, placement and number of “areas” or aspects in the layout.

3. The website owner/company.  In building CMS integrated websites for 8 years, we consider the types of information, the amount of information and the placement of that information.  The areas of the layout will offer up some static areas of content or functions and others will be dynamic or manageable with the CMS. You must give your client the right tools to offer up their message, communication or features.

Wireframes: The blueprint of the layout
Instead of just jumping to a full blown web design, taking the time to create a wireframe to plan the sites layout, usability and features is a great starting point to your visual design process.  It also allows you to worth with your client on these aspects and start understanding the users possible experience.  Q & A about CMS features, user needs and structure all can be determined with a wireframe.

In writing this post and doing a bit of research I also ran across these helpful posts on wireframes:

• The What & Why of Wireframes
• Improving Your Process With Wireframes

The wireframe serves as a great plan, where the design elements are the polish and can include colors, graphics, gradients, photos, buttons, icons and more.  As a designer, it also provides a great in between step for getting your design approved and embraced. You have outlined and provide some foundation to the client, so the first design concept is less of a surprise and of a continuation and enhancement of the wireframe.

A Wireframe Example
Here is a project we are starting work on and shows our wireframe concept and then the first design mock version of the website.  Many web designers will just start adding their design elements right over the exact grid and wireframe once that has been approved.  Some prefer to start on paper sketching as well.  There is no right or wrong way.

As you can see we also provided some notation on the areas.  This is up to you to provide this detail or just keep it to content blocks and usability features.

Next is the web design concept.  Keep in mind that this is a rough version one, the finished product will take on more polish and elements.  But it serves the purpose for a visual example.

I hope this helps you understand the web design process a bit better and the value of wireframes in the layout and design steps.  Feel free to either comment as a client or web designer on how a wireframe has helped your process or maybe you realize it’s time to start using one.