As we mentioned earlier on, it is crucial to think about your webshop before you think about the rest of your website, as it is the selling of your goods via your website that is most important. Another often-neglected feature of website design and construction, is the issue of how the website is going to be found by the public via search engines,. We touched on this earlier on; this issue is so crucial that we will consider it in depth later on. However, a few general tips about how to go about building and updating your website first.
When it comes to the actual design and construction of your website, Dreamweaver is widely regarded as the "industry standard" programme for doing so. However, bear in mind that Dreamweaver is expensive, it takes time to learn to use properly, you will need to have a good eye for web design, and it requires considerable experience to build a good website. A poorly designed and badly constructed website could give your company an unprofessional image. Therefore, for a small mail order business it is often better to use a professional web design company.
It is also often better that they "hand-code" their sites rather than use a design tool such as Dreamweaver. A hand-coded site may cost more to begin with, but usually they are superior because a web designer who knows how to hand code is far more likely to be someone with an in-depth knowledge of how websites work rather than someone who only knows how to use a design tool such as Dreamweaver, and a hand-coded site (if hand coded well) may well do rather better in search engines.
Selecting a designer can be done in one of two ways apart of course from the obvious of asking your business acquaintances for their recommendations. If you use your local Yellow Pages look up your local designers. Look at their own websites and they will tell you whose websites they have designed - look through these carefully and eventually you will find the style of websites you prefer then you can tell the designer which style you liked best.
Don't just go by looks - follow the navigation and see whether you find it easy to do on that website whatever it is supposed to do - e.g. like making a purchase. You should provide your web designer with your vision in straightforward documents, with an idea of what sections and colours you want it broken up into. Some designers are keen to show how very clever they are by using 'Flash' etc - this is neither search engine friendly or customer-friendly either so use only selectively and with caution! Some designers do not build 'enabled' websites - that means they do not work with shopping carts - so again ensure that this is something that yours does do! You may also need to consider issues such as accessibility for people whose eyesight is not very good - if this is important for your website, ask your web designer to make a site which complies with at least the current minimum accessibility requirements.
It is also absolutely essential that your web designer has a good understanding of how search engines work, unless you are not intending your website to be found by search engine users. The extensive section on marketing and promoting your website covers this issue in depth. It is vital that we do, because, sadly, there are many first class web designers who build sites that are search engine phobic!
A first website of simple construction should leave you some change out of £1000 in this day and age - again this is a competitive field. However, your relationship with your web designer can be crucial therefore as a primary objective find someone who is friendly and helpful. It is well worth paying the extra for good service.