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Fifteen years ago, when I was a senior in college, I remember feeling like I was on the cutting edge of technology because I could log into Gopher and have "conversations" with people around the country. There were no bells and whistles, just text on the screen, but I knew I was hooking into something amazing.
 And in it's day Gopher, developed at the University of Minnesota and named for the school's mascot, the "Golden Gophers," really was amazing. But today's savvy web users demand more: clean, user-friendly, well organized, and visually impressive web design.
Good web design is a balancing act. Too many bells & whistles can bog down the system and frustrate the users; too few may send them sailing on to one that looks a little more interesting. Most successful companies hire professionals to design & maintain their websites, but given that any mommy blogger or enterprising high schooler can create their own personal site, a lot of what's out there is developed by untrained, or minimally trained, internet enthusiasts. Considering a web presence for yourself? Here are some elements to keep in mind:
- Consider your audience. Chances are if you're building and designing your own personal site - whether a family blog, a hobbyists information site, or a small storefront to advertise & sell merchandise - you are your target audience. Think about what you'd like to see, how you'd like it arranged, etc. You want to be interesting and inviting, but you don't want to be so busy that the user on the other end can't find anything. Start with the idea that less is more; it will be easier to add a little more than to start making drastic cuts.
- Consider your skill level. I don't know about you, but I'm not a programming expert. A static page - one that looks the same to all users every time they access your site - is easy to set up and, if your site isn't too complex, can be easy to maintain. In fact plugging "static web site" into Google will get you lots of hits to help generate simple, static sites.
- Consider maintenance. Remember, this isn't your day job. You want an interesting site but not necessarily one that requires daily maintenance. On the other hand, if you want to not only attract but also keep an audience you will have to put in some effort to keep your site up-to-date and relevant.
- Consider your options. If you're a blogger, you don't need to do much at all to get a basic site set up. Sites like Blogger, Squarespace and Typepad do most of the work for you (and some are even free to use). If you're setting up something more unique there are programs available like Windows Liver Writer, Adobe Dreamweaver, and CoffeeCup Visual Site Designer that can help. Do a little research first, though; some are more user friendly for beginners than others.
Don't be afraid to try your hand at web design for your own project. With a little research and effort you'll find it can be a great way to get your message out there.For Indianapolis web design professional services, contact us for free consultation.
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