Good Web Design Goes a Long Way
By Lisa Wehr, founder/CEO, Oneupweb

Your Web site is the window into your business’s soul. It’s your brand’s identity, so if the design isn’t measuring up, it’s going to drive people away rather than invite them inside.

Regardless of whether you employ the most talented staff in today’s working world, if your Web site or social media profiles don't employ good marketing design, you’re losing business.

How can you ensure that your site's design is making the cut? Follow these important guidelines to find out:

Style and tone must match brand personality.
You need to establish a personality that is unique to your brand. If you’re a flower delivery business, you probably wouldn’t want a black-and-brown Website that uses a cryptic font.

Why? Because unless you’re a rare exception to the rule, it doesn’t match the brand personality that’s commonly associated with floral gift arrangements.

But that’s not to say that all flower shops should be pink, green and bubbly. Use your brand personality to establish a style and tone, and use this as a core for designing your Website and social media profiles. This will ensure that your business maintains a credible, professional appearance and as a result, will typically result in a greater number of sales.
 
Be organized.
Your site must be organized so that people can easily navigate through it. Be sure that your main navigation links and sub-navigation links are straightforward. If you own a clothing store, your main navigation links may be “men's” and “women's,” and sub-navigation may include age, styles, seasons, etc. If you’re not sure whether your site is organized well, conduct a trial run with a focus group.

Be functional.
Nothing screams unprofessional like a site with links or other features that don’t work. Be sure that both internal and external links function properly and direct the user to where they say they’ll be directed. If they don’t, you’ll undoubtedly lose customers and business.

Ease of purchase.
People should not have to jump through hoops to buy something from your site. The fewer the clicks it takes to get to check-out, the better.
 
On the same note, be sure that your checkout process is secure. People are giving you their credit card information in good faith that it will be kept private and protected..

---Source: I-Merchant Nov. 2, 2009 newsletter (www.multichannelmerchant.com). Lisa Wehr is founder/CEO of digital marketing agency Oneupweb. Send her a Tweet at http://twitter.com/LisaWehr