3 things to make your website pop

I thought for this article I'd take a jump over to my web design roots and share some of my experience in what can make the difference between an okay website and one that will blow your clients (and not-yet clients) away.

The 3 areas below I think are crucial to the initial 'pop' of your website, as well as the positive experience of your viewers. If you're going to spend decent money on your site, you'll want to make sure these areas are covered.

1. A professional WEB designer / not a print designer

Unfortunately for those that don't know, not all designers have skills that can span all kinds of media, in fact, of the dozens of designers I know personally, very few are great at both print and web design. Each is a very specialized art, requiring finesse and refinement in order to produce something appealing and more importantly appropriate.

The biggest difference a web designer needs is a solid understanding of UID, or User Interface Design (or the understanding Usability). It's key when designing anything to understand how it will be used, and by who. Web-specific designers will generally have a better understanding of the flow, placement and prominentcy of elements to gain a desired result. Where a print designer needs to think of a single static page and how to draw the user to a single action, a web designer needs to usually draw the user to the many options available, without letting the visitor feel that they are in unfamiliar territory.

We have all been to websites where we have no idea what we're expected to click on, or find ourselves clicking the back button to get us out of an area we didn't intend to visit. This is an example of poor UID.

Although print designers can often produce very eye-catching designs, they often don't take into consideration the way elements will interact, speed of browsing and guiding the user through an experience.

The other significant difference is in load time. I learned my web design skills in an era of dial-up internet, so every byte was crucial. Things like short naming conventions which may seem trivial now, saved kilobytes (and seconds) throughout the site. The heaviest piece on loading any website will be the graphics & flash (and audio). Understanding how to utilize graphics to get a great visual with minimal file size is a skill which takes years to learn.

Although the prevalence of broadband would assume to negate the load time, the difference between a site that loads in 3 seconds as opposed to 6 may be the difference between a user browsing what you have to offer or having time to open a competitors website.

Added Note: Web developers (or coders) are generally not very good at designing great websites. They tend to think in terms of development time and not visual aesthetics or usability. Most great web designers work in partnership with a developer to allow each to do what they do best.

2. A professional logo

Unfortunately too many companies (large and small) still pay little or no regard to their logo. They feel as long as they do the 'business' side of things right it will all work out, and while this strategy may have been a hit 30 years ago - the younger generations are a LOT more visually oriented, so you may be missing out on a whole sector of the market.

A logo says a lot about a company without you having to even know anything about them. Take the examples to the right, one has a cheap logo and one has invested in a professional. Now if you can't tell which one is which, then you definitely shouldn't be making any branding decisions for your company (thanks to Penflare for allowing me to use his great Juiced logo as a sample).

Not only does a professional logo set your business into your desired market, but it automatically gives a potential customer a frame of reference for your level of quality and attention to detail. It also helps to define your 'brand' to your existing customers.

Note: A professional logo should NEVER be obtained through an online competition. These competitions are generally for design novices, who know little about branding and about market perception of a brand. The few hundred dollars you spend on a competition may 'improve' what you have, but chances are, that it will fall far short of a brand that you will want to base your company on.

3. Professional photography

One of the places a lot of small and medium sized businesses seldom want to invest money is on professional photography. In the modern era of point and shoot digital cameras, business owners feel that they are more than capable of taking photos that will be 'fine' - and at best, that's about the best it ever is - fine.

If you are in any kind of retail business, I would say pro photography is essential in properly showcasing your wares. Have you ever been to one of those take-away noodle or hamburger stores with really old and crappy looking photos? Doesn't look very appealing does it?

Compare the product photography on these sites:
1. Noodles & Company or Applebees
2. Buckhorn Grill or The Y Steakhouse

Even a mediocre product can be made to look a million bucks with some sweet photography.

I tried to find places of equivalent dining cost, to keep the playing field fair, but understand that the good sites I chose obviously have a far greater budget than the other 2. Finding a pro photographer doesn't need to cost a fortune, and you should be able to find a decent photographer for less than $500 for a shoot.

The conclusion

With these 3 aspects covered, you're almost guaranteed to get a great looking website that your customers will love and will win over your not-yet customers.

Please feel free to add any additional hints in the comments.