You aren't the one who needs to be impressed by your web site. You're trying to sell your products to people you don't even know. When working on your web site, put the customer first. Here's six rules to follow.
Rule #1: Do not build a slow site. In the modern world, people are used to getting what they want and getting it quickly. If your site takes too long to load, then chances are they are going to navigate away ... then over to your competitor's place.
Rule #2: Don't make users download anything. Sure, ActiveX and other technologies can do amazing things but they're a pain to install, and open up users to viruses or other bad things. HTML is powerful enough to do whatever you need it to.
Rule #3: Don't be tacky. Customers trust a salesman who exemplifies class, so make sure your web site does this, too. Cut out the blinking text, animated GIFs, and music that plays uncontrollably when a page loads. They make the page load slowly, too.
Rule #4: Hire a custom web designer. Let's face it, HTML can be fun to learn, but there are people out there who do it for a LIVING. If you want a website that really impressive customers, you need to hire a professional to get the job done. Custom web design for your website can convince customers you're trustworthy and that means they'll give you their money.
Rule #5: Know who you're selling to. Everyone's product appeals to a different demographic. Learn what yours is, then tailor your web image to those people. Grandmothers are interested in different imagery than kids, obviously, and middle-aged hunters something else entirely.
Rule #6: Hire a talented webmaster. By this, we mean someone who is a good fit for your product and your web presence. Make sure whomever you hire knows how every aspect of your site works, and how to fix it. Your website WILL go down, at some point, and multiple times most likely.
Custom web design comes down to, once and for all, good design principles. Play by the rules, and you'll have an inexpensive but customizable site within your budget and appealing to your core audience. Plan ahead, and you'll have great results.
