A website is used for communicating information to a large number of viewers. It is important that everything functions properly – buttons, links, etc. As long as it works, that’s all that matters, right? Well, what about how it looks?

Most of us have heard the old saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Wouldn’t that be nice if everyone practiced that on the job? We could all just roll out of bed in the morning and go to that business meeting – pajamas and all – and nobody would think anything of it! Well, we know it doesn’t really work that way. People spend hundreds of dollars on suits, hours in front of the mirror doing their hair and makeup, an so on. Why? Because there’s another saying that says “Perception is reality.” If you look sloppy and disorganized, you are going to be perceived as doing sloppy, disorganized work, which probably won’t attract many clients. As business people, we should take the time and effort to make ourselves look presentable out of respect for the people we do business with.

So, what about the appearance of your website? Does the site attract clients or does it turn them away?

Design elements such as colors, shapes, images, words, and layout all convey certain moods and emotions. It’s important that these elements work for your business and not against it. Clashing color choices, fuzzy pictures, tiny text, to name a few examples, can be frustrating for that potential client viewing the site. Which could result in a loss of business.

Think of the home page of your website as the lobby – or reception area – of your business. Would you want the pictures on the wall to be crooked or glaring overhead lights? How about ugly carpeting? If you work for the funhouse maybe you answered yes, but if you want to ensure your clients that you run a professional business, you need to show them.

It is difficult, sometimes, to define what looks good and what does not look good because everyone has different tastes. Here are some basic guidelines to follow that I believe applies to just about everyone:

1. Legibility – Text should be legible. Make sure words aren’t so small that people have to strain to read it. Also see that the color of the text contrasts enough with the background. For example, black on white stands out, but light grey on white might be difficult to see.

2. Resolution – Make sure pictures are not pixilated. Pixilated means the picture looks like it is made up of dots – or even worse – rectangles. Fuzzy, blurry pictures are not fun to look at. When a picture is pixilated it is usually referred to as being “bad quality”. You definitely wouldn’t want viewers to associate “bad quality” with your business.

3. Alignment – Make sure the layout of the page looks intentional and neatly organized so that the viewer can locate information with ease. If words and pictures are carelessly scattered and out of place it could have a negative impact on how people view the business.
Your website represents your business. Make sure your clients feel comfortable and confident when they visit.

For questions or for more information about how we can help you or someone you know with a website or any of our services, please visit our business on the web at http://CharlesWorks.net or give us a call at 603-924-9867.