Magnetic Websites - Attract Customers Like a Magnet

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Design Tips for Small Business Websites

By Krystal Folino
Krystal Klear Technologies, Inc.

Light Background vs. Dark Background Color

Company logos, colors, branding and photos all display very nicely on a white or very light background. With a dark background, the company will be forced to use light colors for text and graphics. However, in some cases photos may look better on a dark background that helps bring out the colors in photos. The most common background color for business websites is white, and dark colored backgrounds are used for a more artsy or hi-tech websites.

Dress Up Your Home Page With Photos

Whether your home page has one photo or a few, photos are a great way to add pizzazz to your business's website. The photos on the home page should be artistically edited and not just placed on your home page. At least give the photo a drop shadow and any color correction/enhancement that may be desirable. Rounding of the edges of the photo's corners or feathering (gradual fading out) of the edges are small photo effects that make a big difference. Many tasteful websites use photos in the header bar or as a collage on the home page. You can choose from stock photos that represent your industry or use photos from your own company's collection. You don't need to only use product or portfolio photos on your home page. In fact, other than sparingly used, product photos belong in your online product catalog and portfolio photos belong in your online portfolio. You can use photos of people, employees, your office building, or anything else you think represents the image of your company that you want to project to your prospects and customers .

Detailed Product/Service Information

A recent survey by Media Metrix found that the presence of detailed product or service information significantly increased a business's website usage. Use your website as a magnet for information on your business's offerings, not just to provide basic information. Explain how your product or service is used to benefit your customers, and how a customer can optimize those benefits.

Quick and Easy Site Navigation

Make the information on your website easily accessible to your prospects and customers by organizing product/service information into categories that will be meaningful to your prospects and customers. People won't spend endless amounts of time on your business's website trying to find the information they want. You only have three or four clicks to get their interest before they consider clicking to your competitors. Be careful not to bury information deep within your website that could help your business's sales.

Design vs. Development

Understanding the difference between design and development can greatly increase the successfulness of your website project. Design usually refers to the graphics, layout and formatting of the website or webpage. Development of a website often includes design, but goes beyond aesthetics to develop a website that helps your business grow. Basic development for a small business usually starts with a simple categorized catalog or portfolio. The next step for small business website development is often a way to interact more profitably with customers such as implementing a shopping cart or using your website to manage projects or documents.