Your website can either be a goldmine or a death sentence for your business. The importance of a website's appearance cannot be overstated. Imagine choosing between two restaurants: one with a chaotic entrance, odd color scheme, and handwritten menu, and another with a well-dressed host, a coordinated color scheme, and a welcoming atmosphere. The first impression of your website can significantly influence how visitors perceive it, and if they are not impressed, they can easily exit with just a click. This article shares a personal journey of website creation and the lessons learned along the way.
About a year ago, I was filled with excitement to launch my first website. I started experimenting with FrontPage, and initially, the results seemed promising. However, as I began to explore other professional websites, I realized that my site looked amateurish in comparison. Despite countless hours spent tweaking various programs, my website still lacked a professional touch.
I initially chose a color scheme of black, red, and orange. However, a visitor pointed out that the orange body text was difficult to read, prompting me to rethink my design.
I decided to change the colors to red and grey, with dark grey body text. After spending hours laying out pages and formatting paragraphs, I was pleased with the results. However, when I viewed my site on Netscape's browser, the layout was disjointed and unappealing.
Around this time, I learned from an internet entrepreneur that Dreamweaver from Macromedia was the preferred design program for clean HTML code compatible with all browsers. This meant that I had wasted four months using FrontPage and now faced another steep learning curve.
At this point, I received an offer from Micah Cranman, owner of Sybren Design, who suggested a complete reorganization of my site. Despite my initial skepticism, I accepted his offer.
The new site, with its blue and grey color scheme, was professional and business-like. The menu system and categorization were well-structured, making navigation easy and encouraging visitors to explore further. The site now had a clear purpose and order.
Working closely with Micah, we fine-tuned the details. We replaced cheesy bullet graphics with professional list items, changed the body text color to black, added a small paragraph introduction to each category section, and fine-tuned the color and formatting of the hyperlinks and article boxes.
Do I miss my DIY website? Honestly, no. I now have a professional website that I am proud of and that aligns with my business goals. The tracking records show that visitors are now viewing an average of 4 pages per visit, compared to just 1 before.
DIY website design can be a good starting point. It can satisfy your curiosity and provide a basic understanding of website design. However, it can also lead to frustration and wasted time. It took me six months to learn this lesson, but you can learn it in just a few minutes by reading this article.
If you want a professional website that can boost your business, consider hiring a website designer. But remember, not all professionals deliver quality work. One reader shared her nightmare experience with a so-called professional designer whose work was subpar. So, if you decide to hire a professional, make sure to check their credentials and previous work first.
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