The Web is constantly evolving as technology improves and web site design is evolving right along with it.

Online businesses are slowly realizing that the saying “If you build it, they will come” doesn’t always apply to their web sites.

A successful, high-traffic web site requires a lot of work in the areas of design, content and search engine optimization.

Web design has grown by leaps and bounds from the days of blue text on black backgrounds, type that goes all the way to the edge of your screen and beyond and sites that are packed with graphics.

Now, both web designers and online business owners are paying much more attention to how their web sites look and function. The following are 7 of the hottest trends currently in web design:

1. Design for Function

While the overall look of your web site is important, good looks will only go so far with visitors. Your design should be used to enhance your content as opposed to competing with it. The message you have for your visitors is what brings in sales, not how pretty your web pages are.

Most site owners and designers now recognize that the functionality of a web site is more important than how it looks because, if people can’t find their way around and purchases can’t be easily made, then the site has failed to do its job.

2. Colors

Back in the “old days” of the web it seemed as if the color palette people drew from consisted of eye-burning neons or black. Today the shift is more toward soft, neutral colors. Many designers are using gradients and reflections to make the site feel warmer and more inviting. Color palettes are leaning more towards earth tones, which don’t stand out or cause people to lose focus on your content.

3. Simplicity

While graphics and Flash animations continue to grow in complexity, the best web designs go for a simple approach. If you look at sites like Apple, Ebay and Amazon, you”ll see simple, easy to navigate designs that draw customers in and make their shopping experience as easy as possible.

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the remaining 4 design trends for web sites.

Practically nobody would build a store at the mall or downtown making the place uninviting and difficult. So it’s surprising that so many people skimp on their web sites with their online business.

Your web site is the first impression people get about your business and the products or services you provide. And regardless of how awesome those products and services are, people will pass you by if your web site isn’t professional looking and easy to navigate.

I understand how expensive it can be to start up any kind of business and the temptation to cut corners is great, but if you don’t know anything about web design, you might consider hiring a professional designer to put your site together.

So how do you find a competent web designer?

Word of mouth
The first thing to do is to ask for referrals. Just like asking around to find a good plumber, find some businesses with successful web sites and ask who their designer is. Compile a list of several top names, because web designers all have different areas of expertise. Some are great at making clean sites, some specialize in fancy graphics and animations while others only focus on the programming part.

A great designer should have a combination of design skills, technical skills and marketing skills as the web site needs to be clean, easy to use as well as promote your business.

And remember that, while it’s always best to meet someone face to face when doing business, don’t let the fact that someone who works out of town discourage you if they’re good. Many successful web sites have been created without the parties ever having met in person. That’s the beauty of the net.

Interview
Once you have a list of likely candidates, contact them and ask for a portfolio of web sites they’ve created. This is the best way to get a feel for how a designer works and to see if they’d be a good match for creating the site you have in mind.

Also, when looking through these web sites, there are several points you need to ask yourself:
- Is it easy to find your way around the site?
- Is the navigation system clear and easy to use?
- Can you easily access all of the pages and are there any broken links?
- Is the contact information easy to find?
- What about the content? Is there enough information about the company including location, what they provide and policies?
- How about the text? Is it easy to read? Are they using ‘artsy’ fonts or something more business appropriate?
- How fast do the pages load? This is especially crucial for your business. Even though many people are now using broadband connections, most don’t want to wait more than a few seconds for pages to come up.
- Pay attention to the colors the designer uses. Too many colors and too many different fonts are confusing, unprofessional and usually are the mark of an amateur.

Answering these questions, as well as taking some time to thoroughly investigate a web designer’s portfolio can help you narrow down your search. Also, when looking through a designer’s portfolio, pay attention to see if the sites all look the same. There’s no reason to hire someone if you’re simply going to get a web site that looks like someone else’s.

Are all web designers created equal?
One thing to watch out for is people whose primary design skills lie in print media and graphic design. Many of these folks, while talented, don’t understand what it takes to make a good web site. There’s a lot more involved than just knowing how to use programs like Dreamweaver, Front Page or Go Live. A good web designer will be able to assist you with every element of the creation of your web site. They should know the ins and outs of good web design, web hosting, creating optimized graphics for the web, database creation, Internet marketing and promotion and maintenance of your site.

Never be afraid to ask as many questions as you want and don’t ever be satisfied until you get the answers. Good designers are always willing to help a client get the best web site for the money spent and most are experienced in dealing with people who aren’t web experts. Also, ask about a guarantee. Professionals are concerned with their client’s satisfaction.

What about communication?
Another thing to consider when choosing a web designer is their response time. Get someone who is readily available and can be counted on to get back to you in a timely manner if there are questions or problems.

Once you’ve narrowed down your list to a few good candidates, ask each one for some references that you can contact. Ask these references about their experience working with the designer. This is probably the best way to gauge how well the designer will work for you.

I know this seems like an awful lot of work, but when you’re spending thousands of dollars to get your site up and running, you must make sure your money is being well spent. Follow these guidelines and there’s little room for failure in finding a competent, professional web designer who is easy to work with and will do a professional job.

For many struggling website owners, the big question of the hour is how they can improve their website to increase sales. The answer really depends on what the goal of your site is and what your target audience is. Here are 10 things you can do to improve your website immediately.

1. A good page title: It may seem like a no-brainer, but when people use a site like Google to find things, they only scan the results for a moment. Make sure your web page title is short, catchy and memorable. You want people to not only visit but also bookmark your site and come back on a regular basis.

2. A strong headline: Okay, you’ve got people on your site, now, how do you make them stay? Depending on how good your overall design is the next thing people are going to notice is the text. Introduce your text with a bold headline. This is your opportunity to tell them the reason why they need to keep reading your copy. Make it strong, confident, easy to understand and to the point. “How To” headlines and headlines that pose an interesting question work especially well, as do problem based headlines.

3. Improve the text above the fold: This is an old newspaper term that referred to making the story that was above the fold of the front page as strong as possible to sell more papers. People aren’t going to scroll down your site and read the rest of it if what you have in the top half of the screen isn’t compelling.

4. Make the benefits of your website clear: This is usually done in the first bit of text on the page or even with the headline. Tell people why your site will meet their needs and how you can solve their problem.

5. Include testimonials: Testimonials from your clients are great to establish trust. Visitors will trust you because others tell you how wonderful you are, instead of you blowing your own horn. Testimonials with “before” and “after” stories are effective. Use a name on the testimonial so it is authentic. Include a picture of the person, if possible. It helps to add legitimacy.

6. Use contrast: Is there a strong contrast between the background colour and text color on your web page? Contrast is what draws your visitor’s eyes to the content. Black text on a white background is best for optimal readability.

7. Make your website more focused: If your site looks like a sprawling mess of content, you can sharpen it up by giving it focus. Does your website state clearly who you are, what you do and what you can offer your visitors? Get rid of any content that doesn’t speak directly to your target audience and delete any extra bells and whistles that your page doesn’t really need. Let content drive your site.

8. Have easily accessible contact info: Nothing can be more frustrating for a customer who is visiting your website for the first time than hunting around for several minutes trying to find an email or phone number to call so they can reach you. Make sure the contact information on your website is easily accessible.

9. Make it easy for your visitor to scan: Use subheads in your copy so it’s easier for your visitor to scan and know what your web page is about at a glance. Besides subheads, use bold text and bullet points and short paragraphs. If visitors cannot scan your web pages quickly, they will leave.

10. A call to action: Remember, when a visitor lands on your website, you want them to take action. Tell them what to do. If it is to order a particular product or to click further into the site, you need to involve the reader in your site. Always have a call to action at the end of every page.

By following the above tips, you can make the most out of your little home on the web.