During the Internet boom of the late 90's a good website design elicited an admiring "wow!" But an impressive design without good content, good search engine placement, and a good conversion ratio, is form without substance--like an empty box attractively wrapped.

Website design serves three functions.

First, it communicates a non-verbal message about your company. It communicates the nature of your company, its values and its self-image.

Second, your website design packages the website content. The design of the web page makes it easier, or more difficult, to read the text on the page. It also makes it easier, or more difficult, for a search engine to "read" your website. If having a high ranking in search engines is important to your business, your website design must be "spider-friendly."

Third, the design provides the structural navigation that can guide the visitor toward achieving the objective you've established for your website. Your website design is a critical factor in achieving a high conversion ratio. (The conversion ratio is the ratio of total unique website visitors to the number of visitors who achieve the objective of your website.)

These functions, however, are often in conflict with each other. A website with animation, sound, and extraordinary graphics may reflect the image you want to present of your company, but unless you take some additional and costly steps, your website will not have a high ranking in the search engines. A novel navigation scheme may delight some visitors, but confound others who are looking only to order a product.

In addition, websites commonly have more than one objective. Navigation that leads your website visitor toward the "order button" (for example) is likely not to be the optimal navigation in leading your visitor to the "sign-up" section of your website, or to the "contact us " page.

Choosing a good design begins with a clear understanding of the objectives you've set for your website and the order of priority you've assigned to each of your objectives. We can design your website or revamp your current design, to balance your competing objectives and improve your conversion ratio.