With literally hundreds of Web sites and interactive projects under our belt, Curran & Connors is uniquely positioned to share best practices that are tried and true.
Form driven by functionThe foundation of a well-designed Web site has little to do with the “design” itself. That would be like choosing the paint colors for your walls of your new house before figuring out where the walls are going. Function/usability must be at the core of any Web-site design. Keep the user’s skill sets and expectation in mind at all phases of design. For customers who are used to seeing the menu items set up a certain way, setting them up contrary to expectation would be counterintuitive and counterproductive. With the usability in place, great design can follow. Be consistent with other communications materialsThe Web site, like any other form of communication, must be consistent with the corporate brand and the messages being sent through other channels. A comfort level will be established when customers and visitors immediately recognize that they truly are on your Web site. At a glance, they should recognize and be comfortable with your logo, your color palette and how you present your company’s services and strengths. Work with a design firm that can do it allBecause functionality and design are so intertwined, your company will be best served by working with a firm, like Curran & Connors, that offers development, design, coding and project management all under one roof. Unlike the print world, where a designer transfers files and responsibility to a printer, interactive services require constant cooperation and teamwork from all departments and parties. Think Search Engine Optimization (SEO)One of the most important aspects of your Web site, and one too often forgotten, is integrating SEO so that the hard work you put into your site is rewarded with visitors who are looking for your services. Simple things can help increase your search ranking. Using specific key words and updating content is a good start. | Content analysis is keyIs a content audit part of your plan when redesigning your Web site? It should be. Without this valuable data, how do you know where you have redundancies or inconsistencies? The larger the site, the more valuable this tool. Know your audienceWho are you trying to reach with your Web site? Multiple audiences? OK, then you need to prioritize the importance of addressing each constituency’s need. Then prioritize the information for each specific audience. Keep bells and whistles to a minimumAsk yourself, “Does this feature enhance the ability of my audience to understand this message?” There should be a sound reason for using any given design element or feature: to reinforce the message you are trying to communicate. Client involvement is criticalA designer can do a lot of things, but without the client’s vision, buy-in at all levels and willingness to share details of their brand, the Web site can frequently stall. |