Website Design

This question may sound simple, but having a clear answer makes every design decision much easier. Do you need a place to list your class times for new and existing clients? Do you want people to be able to schedule and pay for services online? Are you using your website like a resume for job applications? Are you building a following for your blog or newsletter?

Think about what you want the website to do for you or your business.

There are a LOT of options out there to build, host, and maintain your website. Increasingly, websites are integrated with content management systems, email marketing, e-commerce, and other tools. Before you invest in any of them, make sure that the platform and/or combination of tools will fit your budget, do what you want it to do, and be intuitive for you to use over time.

Think about what you want the website to do for your clients or community members.

Now we organize your content and establish an intuitive navigation structure so that visitors to your site can find what they’re looking for in 2 seconds or less. Everyone needs home, about, and contact pages. Beyond those, we organize your content based on what you are offering and what makes intuitive sense to your audience. This is called a Site Map. I think of it as the skeleton of the website.

Think about your client’s immediate needs or wants when they visit your website.

It might surprise you to see that the visual aspect of a website actually comes last, but once we have a map and know where we’re going, it makes a whole lot more sense to create a beautiful landscape for your site visitor.

How do you want your client to feel when they visit your site? What do you want them to know about you? If you don’t already have custom photography for your business, brand, or project, this is hands-down one of the most valuable investments you can make. If you don’t already have a custom logo, branding colors and typefaces, that is definitely a second powerful step.

It’s definitely possible to create a beautiful website without those things, too, by following screen design principles of balanced image and text ratios, restricted color palette, and a complimentary, readable font pairing.

Think about your client’s overall experience when they visit your website.

I learned to build websites in college in the 1990s, before web development degree programs existed. After four years of copy editing and formatting printed newsletters and student handbooks in the campus Communications Office, I interned for the tiny web design company and learned how to translate all of that into a web browser.

Whatever your budget, I can help you make the most of what you have.

While the tools have changed, the original principles of interactive screen design remain – organize information clearly and intuitively, calm the visual field, and provide visitors with what they are looking for within 2 seconds or less. Content is King. Or Queen, perhaps.

I have helped dozens of entrepreneurs, artists, and community leaders select personal and compelling images and write concise, personal copy for their audiences.  If you’re looking for smart, fast, and attentive help with a new website or redesign, please reach out for an estimate.

Hourly rate: $75
Promotional sites starting at: $1500
E-commerce sites starting at: $2500