“Would you take 3 these steps before you start your web design?”

You’ve heard what Dawud Miracle, of Healthy Webdesign, has had to say in his article Give Your Website A Chance to Help Grow Your Business . Great advice I’m sure you’ll agree.

Remembering his comment about considering “Your Peers & Competition”, now is the time to take a brief look at what other people have to say about website design and creating a webpage. (Please remember that the following is not an endorsement of services or recommendation of any products provided)

As luck would have it the first article I happened to read, even before reading Dawud’s post, was titled “3 Steps Before You Start Your Web design”, written by Jenna McCartney of www.greenhouse-design.co.uk .

Naturally, I wondered what she might advise for someone considering beginning a website and found, as you would expect, that I found that I shared some of the thoughts she had raised. Perhaps, even more interestingly I found that we seemed to give the 3 factors a different priorities.

As an independent minded person I prefer to make my own provisions for website design (If this is you, take a look at the link Great Value Domain Names! Click Here Now! ).
Whereas, Jenna McCartney and Dawud Miracle obviously promote their own professional web design facilities. Once you are sure about what you want you might prefer a professionally produced website.

So, what was the Greenhouse Design first step?

Step 1 states “Forget the look (but just for now)”…

This is where I would fully agree with Jenna McCartney. As I have suggested before, take time finding out what it is you want to say before rushing into website design. You must know this beforehand. Also, you really must have some idea how you want to present yourself (as a friend who will be asked questions or as an authority who people seek out as an expert)

It is your choice and a bad choice could result in your web pages being seen by your visitors as junk that no one wants to read, let alone return to and take a long term interest in.

Step 2 Identify your objectives

Once again, this is common sense. Target your website directly to what your visitors want and design it with only your customer in mind and your success is far more guaranteed than if you are designing the website to purely cater for your own interests.

I guess the only issue I have with the article at this point was that it almost seemed to presume that you, the reader had definitely decided upon seeking professional web design assistance… not necessarily the case.

However, this can’t be held against Jenna, in her role as a representative for a web design consultancy… she is offering good advice and is trying to advertise her professional services.

Step 3 Know your customers

“By now you know who your primary customers are and have also identified any other potential markets”

This step is where I agree most with what has been said. Yet, I wonder if it really hits home as hard as it should.

Surely, if you do know exactly what your customers are thinking and looking for you cannot fail by making your website cater for them.

What should strike home is the far more serious question “Do I really know what my customers want?”

The time to think about what your customers actually want is now, before you’ve spent huge amounts of time and money. Could your customers help you understand exactly what they want you and your website to provide?

It doesn’t matter what you have to say and it doesn’t matter how you say it… if, your visitor/customer doesn’t want to know then you are wasting your time.

“So, isn’t this the time to ask you customer?”

I’d certainly have spent a whole lot less time if I had asked questions… but then I am not as clever as you are, am I?

Whether or not you choose to create your own website or have it professionally produced, I totally agree that “Know your customers” is the most important step of all…"

For more information from Jenna McCartney and to learn from professional web designers at Greenhouse Design why not take a look at www.greenhouse-design.co.uk