Before beginning the web design process, determine why you are doing a web design and what are your goals and objectives for your new web site. Do you want to move your site to the next level, make it a call to action? This can be done by allowing visitors to subscribe to a monthly newsletter or having an e-commerce section on your web site. Remember if you have people sign up for a newsletter, you will have to produce a newsletter. A simple HTML newsletter can be created as a part of many content management systems.

Is your site redesign being used as a way to bring visitors back to your site, if so you might consider switching to a content management-based web site. Content management systems allow you to easily update your web site yourself. No need to know HTML, if you can type you can update your web site. This will keep the site current and allow your visitors to see something new each time they visit your site.

Are you trying to make your site visually current? Design changes, and what is “hot” today, may look dated tomorrow. Specific colors and graphics can often date a web site. Animated gifs were very popular a few years back, today they look out-of-place. We always suggest a clean look that reflects the clients inner style. The site can be fun (take the Ribit web site for instance!) or elegant, the most important thing is that the site will appeal to the visitors, and give them an easy way to find what they were looking for (a purchase, information, etc.). Pages should be quick and easy to load.

You need to make sure that your site is easy to navigate. We try to live by the two click rule, it should not take more than two clicks to get to any given page on the web site. More and more we use drop down navigation to allow visitors to get to any page in the web site from any page in the web site. You never want a visitor to feel trapped on your site, they should be able to find what they want easily and quickly.

Don’t forget that marketing on the web is key. Branding on the web is just as important as in traditional media. You don’t want someone to visit your web site and be confused. Your web site should reflect the branding you use for your traditional marketing, i.e., visitors should still recognize your company. Don’t be confused, you should not just take your corporate brochure and recreate it on the web. You wouldn’t use your corporate brochure to make a radio or television commercial, so don’t make it the basis of your web site. Your web site should be interactive, allow visitors to find information that would not be in your brochure (perhaps a calculator, a current listing or projects completed, etc.) your web site should be a living example of who your company is and what you can provide to visitors.

Remember when redesigning your web site, it might be time to redesign your web site copy. People want to get succinct information, when you have a lot of information to impart consider drill downs to break up the text or a downloadable format (i.e., a word file of a .pdf file). If people are interested they will obtain the information. You don’t want to intimidate people with a page that scrolls forever, they will find another site to give them the information without what appears to them to be a herculean task.

Finally, remember that although you have hired a company to help you design your web site, while they are the experts on the internet, you are the experts on your customers. To design the best possible web site for you and your customers, one that will meet or exceed your goals and objectives, you and your web design company must be a team. No one knows your company better than you do and no one knows the web better than your web design company, working together you can create the ultimate web site!