Business Owner’s Dictionary of Web Design Terms

(and why you should know them)

Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. However, for the small business owner trying to create a website, ignorance could be damaging if not fatal to an online business. Even if you think you know what your website should have and how it should look, sooner or later your website designer will ask you if you want ‘such and such’, or tell you that ‘this and that’ will cost you more. Since ‘knowledge is power’, it’s good business sense to be familiar with the most frequently used website terms. Here’s a synopsis of website words and phrases and why they’re important to know:

Browser
Your browser is software you use to surf the web, like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera, etc. Why it’s important: Different browsers may display websites differently, so you’re site needs to look good in all of them.

Content Management System
Software that allows you to make changes to your website on your own, without hiring a web designer or web maintenance person. Why it’s important: Saves money but only if you have lots of content to maintain and update to justify the initial expense and learning curve.

Copywriting
Page text is sometimes referred to as ‘copy’, like in a newspaper. Copywriting is creating the text for your website. A person who does this for hire is called a ‘copywriter’. Why it’s important: Website text should communicate value to the customer and also be optimized for better search engine positioning.

Design (as in ‘web design’)
Responsible for the overall appearance and user friendliness of the website. This includes determining the number of pages and the layout of text, graphics, links, and color scheme. Why it’s important: The web design of successful sites all have the following in common - relevant content, consistent navigation, appealing layout and color scheme, are search engine friendly, and W3C compliant for functionality and reliability. (see W3C below)

Development (as in ‘web development’ or ‘web developer”)
Anything having to do with the programming side of a website as opposed to its design. Contact and registration forms, chat, and user password protected accounts are a few examples. Why it’s important: Development programming should conform to current standards for reliability and security. This is probably the most expensive component to website creation and should be carefully analyzed to see if it’s really needed.

Flash
A method for adding animation, interactivity and video to web pages. Why it’s important: Flash content can ‘spice up’ a website for a more pleasurable user experience. However, search engines ignore Flash content. So, if your website is predominantly composed of Flash content, search engines won’t index it properly, if at all.

Hosting (as in ‘website hosting’)
An internet service that allows your website to be accessible via the World Wide Web so people can view it. A company independent of your web designer or developer usually performs website hosting. Why it’s important: Hosting plans differ from provider to provider for expense as well as features. Research should be done before signing up with one.

HTML
Hyper Text Markup Language is the basic internet programming scheme used to create a web page. Why it’s important: Most websites are created using HTML. A website created with HTML should conform to current W3C standards for functionality and reliability. (see W3C below)

Java
A programming language for the internet. Java is used to provide interactive features to websites. Examples are rollover links, interactive menus and forms, to name a few. Why it’s important: Quite a number of Java based programs exist offering user interactivity features that can’t be accomplished with HTML. Compared to Flash, Java is cheaper and easier to implement. (see Flash)

Maintenance
Updating website content on a periodic basis. Why it’s important: Search engines notice fresh content. A website that frequently offers something new will position higher in ranking than a site with static content.

SEO
A method to improve positioning in search engine results. SEO analyses how search engines work and what people search for. Optimizing a website for search engines involves editing content and HTML to increase relevance to specific keywords and to remove barriers to search engine indexing. Why it’s important: Implementing SEO as a marketing method is a cost effective alternative to paid ads and ‘pay per click’ strategies. However, the method of SEO implementation should be routinely updated to address the changing ways search engines index websites.

Screen Resolution (of monitors)
Pixels per inch that a monitor can display. You can adjust your monitor’s screen resolution to different settings, for example, 1280 x 1024, 1024 x 768, etc. Why it’s important: First, each monitor functions best at a particular setting (check your owner’s manual). Second, a monitor set to a high screen resolution displays most web pages in their entirety. A web page viewed with a monitor set to a low screen resolution may require horizontal scrolling to see the whole page width. Good web design takes this into account in one of 2 ways: either by specifying a fixed page width at the setting most people currently use, or by having the web page expand or contract to accommodate higher or lower screen resolutions.

Spatial Resolution (of website images)
Describes how closely detail can be resolved in an image and depends on the properties of the system displaying the image. For example, the spatial resolution of monitors is generally 72 pixels per inch (ppi). Why it’s important: The more detail that an image has, the larger the image file size. Images must display quickly, so file sizes must be kept to a minimum. Web designers use image editing software to convert images to the appropriate resolution for online viewing.

W3C Compliant
World Wide Web Consortium is an international organization responsible for developing programming standards for the internet. Why it’s important: W3C standards ensure that a website functions properly with the current technology of the World Wide Web.

Still confused over all these website terms?
Submit your comments and I’ll do my best to answer your questions.

10 ways to drive customers away from your website

Studies and reports abound about what makes a usable and user-friendly e-commerce website. One would think business website owners would ‘get it’ by now. Although the numbers of un-usable and un-user-friendly websites are diminishing, many still exist. It’s hard to tell if these lack luster sites are a result of poor design and layout by the website designer or due to the personal likes and biases of the business owner. What’s interesting to note is that these websites have many design elements in common and behave similarly. Here are ten ways to make it difficult, if not impossible, for a customer to initiate and/or complete a purchase on your website.

Site design -

1. Barrier to site entry: Examples are lengthy flash intros or a home page that’s blank except for a ‘click here for site entry’ link.
2. The one page website: A credible business website has at least three pages – Home, Contact, and About. Anything less, just doesn’t look professional.
3. Hard to read text: White text on a black background is the most common culprit, but other stark color combos also exist. Text that’s too small doesn’t help either.
4. Hard to decipher photos: A customer can’t make an informed buying decision with an undersized photo lacking detail.
5. Site clutter: Not enough white space and no focus on the content makes it hard to figure out what the site is all about.

Site usability -

6. Hard to find contact/shipping/return info: The reason why this drives customers away should be obvious.
7. No phone number: If there’s a problem with an order, people usually prefer speaking to a live body.
8. No physical address: Can’t help but wonder if the business is legit if there’s no real street address.
9. No contact form: A form is a quick and easy way to send a message as opposed to providing a link to an e-mail address. Looks more professional too.
10. Can’t calculate cost of shipping until the bitter end of the purchase: This classic method of frustration still endures.

As online purchasers, we’ve encountered at least one if not more of these types of e-commerce website design bloopers. For further reading on what makes a usable business website refer to these previous posts:
http://www.allcustomwebdesign.com/2009/03/building-blocks-of-business-website.html
http://www.allcustomwebdesign.com/2009/01/how-to-optimize-product-photos-and.html
http://www.allcustomwebdesign.com/2009/02/what-makes-useable-shopping-cart-and.html

As website designers and business owners, we need to imagine ourselves as the customer and honestly ask ‘Would I buy from my own website?’

Do you need a website content management system?

Clients sometimes ask me if there’s a way to update website content on their own. Obviously,  they’re trying to eliminate the cost of hiring a web designer to make the updates for them. Most of my clients who make this request have little or no knowledge of website design and maintenance and are unfamiliar with how to upload files to their web server.

A website content management system, or Web CMS, is a software application that allows people without knowledge of website programming to make changes to their website and upload the files. When clients ask if they should get a Web CMS, the answer I give is ‘maybe'.

Whether or not a Web CMS will work for a business depends on it’s cost, the learning curve associated with getting it up and running, and how large and complex the website is. 

The cost of a Web CMS ranges from free at the low end, a couple of thousand dollars midrange, to hundreds of thousands of dollars at the high end. I’ve read reviews of free Web CMS programs that are very good although somewhat limited in functionality compared to their paid counterparts. Simple changes can also be made with a text editor like Notepad if one knows how to recognize html tags and upload files to the server.

Although designed for non-technical people, there’s a learning curve associated with using any Web CMS. This learning curve can last anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes or longer. If a client doesn’t have technical expertise, I usually suggest they hire a webmaster to help with setup.

Before you purchase a Web CMS, ask the following:

• Do you have a large website, 10 or more pages?
• Are you changing content frequently? Example: e-commerce 
• Are you updating the website in collaboration with others?
• Do you have confidence to setup the software on your own?

If the answers to these questions are all ‘yes’, a Web CMS would be a good idea. If the answer to any one question is ‘no’, you might want to rethink the idea of a Web CMS. Paying a webmaster to make limited and infrequent updates may be more economical and time saving in the end. 

Advertise a business website with search engines and free directories

Sources for free advertising exist on the internet and they’re not hard to find. The key to generate good leads from free advertising is to carefully select search engines and directories which are most likely to benefit your website.

First, let’s look at search engines. Ads abound from companies that will submit your website to ‘hundreds of search engines’ for a fee. Years ago, many search engines had their own database of websites, so it was beneficial to get listed on as many search engines as possible for maximum exposure.

Today, although numerous search sites still exist, the majority get their information from just a few of the ‘top’ search sites. Submitting your website to hundreds of search engines is no longer necessary. Simply submit your website for free to these core search sites: Google, Yahoo, Msn, and Ask. Make sure that you also submit a site map. A site map tells the search engine what pages are on your website and where they are within your site for proper indexing. Your webmaster or website designer knows how to do this.

Now, let’s consider web directories. Again, numerous directories exist that will list your website for a fee. Some of these directories are useful and worth the money. However, many are not. The largest difference between paid and free directories is that the free ones require a reciprocal link from your website to theirs. This is only fair considering that there’s no charge for the listing. A free directory has the potential of increasing website traffic if carefully selected for key features. Here are things to look for when submitting your website to a directory:

• The directory should be targeted to your business niche or have a category directly relating to it.
• Ideally, should also be categorized by location, i.e., state and city.
• The directory site should have a high Google page rank.
• Listing includes a direct link to your website.
• Allows at least a 200 character description of your website and/or links to a dedicated page.
• Listings are ordered alphabetically (not that important, but great if you’re name is at the top of the abc’s).

Before submitting your site to a directory, check out the number, type, and quality of the websites already listed. A directory with only a few listings (unless the directory is a start-up), poor quality websites or websites that don’t appear credible, rife with spelling and grammar errors, may indicate that the directory merely gathers e-mail addresses and phone numbers for spammers and telemarketers. Do some research; check out the websites already listed. There’s no sure thing in advertising, but with careful planning and wise selection, good use can be made of the free options that are already available.

Writing for your website - tips and techniques

Whether or not you choose to hire a professional copywriter to create content for your website, be aware that writing for the internet is a bit different than writing for printed collateral.

Writing for print captures reader interest with introductory phrases, sentences, and sometimes whole paragraphs before arriving at an article’s main point. Readers find it relatively easy to flip a magazine page or brochure panel to look for additional information.

In contrast, website visitors are impatient. If important information is not readily available, they will move on quickly. Most website visitors are lazy. Scrolling through long articles or clicking on links, hopping from page to page, isn’t fun. Therefore, website text must be concise and to the point.

You’ve got a lot of information to present to your website visitors. How do you coax them to remain at your site, look for more information, and ultimately make a purchase? Here are some website writing tips that (hopefully) will keep visitors at your website:

1. Select a readable font size - 10 points minimum, preferably 12 to 14 points.
2. Font color – Black text on a white background is easiest to read for most people. Except for small areas of emphasis, avoid very light text on a very dark background, i.e., white text on a black background.
3. Locate important information at the top of the page – Grab your reader’s attention with a descriptive, but brief, tag line followed by a summary of the major points.
4. Keep paragraphs short – Feed content to your visitors bit by bit. Information can be scanned quickly, and is more easily understood and retained.
5. Eliminate fluff – Useless text clutters the page. Descriptive words and phrases work well only when used to convey additional information about the product or service.
6. Stay on topic – Except for the home page which summarizes your products and services, each web page should address one topic and all content should be relevant to that topic.
7. Get feedback – This is very important. After you write your website copy, solicit the opinion of relatives, friends, and colleagues before your site goes live. Is it readable? Is it understandable? Is it interesting? If your acquaintances don’t know what you’re talking about, neither will your customers.

Good luck. After you launch your website, it’s a good idea to perform a monthly check of your text to make sure it’s still relevant and makes sense.

About All Custom Web Design writing services for the internet:
Web Page Text Writing and SEO Copywriting

The building blocks of a business website

Many people starting an internet business are overwhelmed by the number of choices that exist regarding what their website should look like and how it should function. Advances in web programming and the proliferation of reliable web authoring software make it possible to do almost anything with today’s website. In a previous post on business website design , we considered the pros and cons of template vs. custom design and described the fundamentals of a business website, ie, Home, About, and Contact pages. We’ll now discuss the basic building blocks which every website needs to satisfy visitors and encourage return visits.

Block One. Website content must be clearly focused on the ‘value proposition’. This means that, at a quick glance, your website must address what kinds of products and services are offered, how these products and services will be of benefit, and what is the promise for reliability and customer support.

Block Two. Information on the site must be relevant to the business. Limit web page text optimization to a few keywords and keyphrases. In this way, the website remains focused on the product and will rate higher in search engines.

Block Three. Provide information appropriate for the intended audience. It’s not a good idea to make your website everything to everyone. Direct your website copy to those people who will most likely be interested in your product or service.

Block Four. The website must be user-friendly. This means simple, reliable interface and navigation, easy link identification, and accessibility for people with disabilities.

Block Five - Website design layout, text and graphics should support efficient and easy search engine indexing.

I haven’t told you anything you couldn’t have figured out on your own. The point is not to get inundated by the numerous options that exist for website design layout and not to make poor decisions when faced with inherently bad design, even though it may look cool. Stay focused on the task at hand – building a usable, profitable website.

Should I use Flash effects in my business website?

Most everyone agrees that Flash effects offer a lot of eye candy. However, is eye candy necessary or beneficial for a business website? It depends on what type of business you have. The consequence of using Flash can be anywhere from extremely productive to absolutely harmful. After a brief discussion of what Flash is, we’ll look at the benefits and disadvantages of using Flash content for a business website.

What is Flash? Currently developed by Adobe, Flash is a way to add animation and interactivity to a website. Examples include advertisements, mouse rollover effects, and picture slide shows. Flash also enables video to be integrated into web pages. The Adobe Flash Player, available for free, enables a web browser to display Flash content.

What are the benefits of using Flash? Flash design saves space on a web page making layout easier and adds to the overall visual appeal of the website. For example, a long list of items can be displayed using one collapsible drop down menu. Clicking on a link can activate a pop up window containing a video or photo slide show. Link identification is clearer with mouse rollover effects. Flash can also simplify the process of filling out online forms.

What are the disadvantages of using Flash? The two primary issues associated with the extensive use of Flash website design is accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO).

Despite the ease with which Flash displays multimedia, Flash design may actually detract from website usability because text selection, scrollbar usage, and mouse right-clicking may act differently than with a non-Flash web page. Disabled visitors may not be able to benefit from Flash effects, and website accessibility may be limited. For example, people who are visually impaired, or who need large text fonts and/or high contrast color schemes, may find Flash sites unusable. Also, people who do not have the Flash Player installed and active on their computers cannot view a Flash website at all. Those who do, may have Flash or pop up blockers installed and won’t see the Flash effects anyway.

As for SEO, don’t expect natural search methods to yield great results with a Flash website. Flash content is invisible to search engines. Websites that are based on Flash design must resort to more expensive paid advertising techniques to get search engine visibility. If your website relies on SEO for traffic, a Flash site is not for you.

What kind of websites should utilize Flash? Multimedia and entertainment websites that require a heavy use of sound and video can benefit a lot from Flash design. Medium to large e-commerce websites can use Flash to more efficiently display products and streamline the ordering process.

The bottom line is to look closely at your requirements and see if you really need a Flash website. If possible, try to minimize Flash design. Your website will cost less to build and promoting it will be easier.

View samples of flash ad and banner design:
Interactive Websites With Multimedia Flash Effects