Web Design Philosophy 101 : Marketing

It’s been over twelve years since I’ve been in the web business : specifically the internet marketing portion of it.  I actually got into this business by shopping for a web site for the mortgage company I worked for: my task was daunting, find a company that could help bring this mortgage company to the next level: I was instantly intrigued.  The Orlando web design firm that we choose had and still has a stellar record of creating rich and relevant web sites with marketing built in.  They did an unreal job, the site was fresh, relevant, but most importantly, produced leads.  I was so enthralled with the potential that I went to work for that very web design firm. 

I’ve seen my share of poor web design, sites not producing and unfortunately, a share of customers that don’t get ‘it’.  This week I learned yet another tremendous lesson.  We had a web design client that we sold months ago, a referral, a great person, a talented artist who approached us for a web design.  Immediately, I stressed the importance of web design with marketing built in, we agreed, it was setup for success from the beginning.  During the last couple of months, we had designed three comps that incorporate the elements that she wanted, but also, the search engine marketing components we knew the site would need for the future.  Then something snapped: We had created and refined the site design that she wanted, but she had changed her mind.  The internet marketing components were no longer important, the two paragraphs of copy that we recommended were no longer desired: She choose to create the entire site in Flash: To get the glitz and glamour full flash look that so many of the big firms in town had.  She approached me this week and informed me that we had done a wonderful job taking her vision and creating it, BUT, she now had a new vision and both our firm and her firm were no longer a good fit.  After some introspection, I can only agree with her.  A philosophical difference indeed. We were pushing the internet marketing component, she desired a flashy online gallery.

I’ve said this before, I have nothing against flash design, I think that if done properly, it can only enhance your web site, BUT, the entire site created in Flash I do disagree with: again, total flash gives the search engine spiders NOTHING to cling on to, no rich content, no optimized copy, etc.   The goal to any corporate web site is to sell, inform, educate or all of the above.  Your site should convey your message rapidly, educate your prospects and consumers and have a clear strong purpose or call to action.  Without that call to action, your web site is simply sucking up bandwidth and waisting site visits.  When it comes down to web design, pick a firm with a strong marketing background, if they (web design firm) is not stressing the importance of your web site converting prospects to customers, there is a huge fundamental issue. 

If you are seeking the perfect blend of both remarkable web design and converting site visitors into customers, call On Target Web Solutions in Orlando, Florida.  We are the logical choice for your web marketing and web design needs.  Call 407.830.4550 today for a free 30 minute consultation.