Finding The Perfect Website Design

I just got done writing an email to a potential customer and realized it was about 3 pages long. Chances are, he may never even read all of it.

The worst part is, if he does, he may not want to use our system anymore.

Sometime people do not want to hear the truth, so they go to a host that tells them what they want to hear. We just can't do that, it does not seem right.

Well, I had to give him the cold hard truth

So I figured it was time to write another article about it as well.

This is about the "PERFECT DESIGN SEEKERS".

Those are the people spending all of their time looking for the perfect designer, the perfect website, the right graphics and the perfect look for their website.

They are a lot like the people that are looking for those get rich quick scams online.

"I don't want to start my business until it is just perfect".

Well, I got news for you. It will never be perfect.

When it comes to websites, they change daily. At least if you are successful.

This is not like designing a logo or a business card. Websites are dynamic, they are flexible and require new content, features and elements that were not there yesterday.

When these "Perfect Website Design Seekers" hire a webmaster to build a design, they have no idea what they are doing.

The designer/webmaster makes a really cool design, with 5 links to pages across the top and some killer graphics on the intro page. The customer is blown away! pays $10,000.00 for the work and then goes off to run their business.

A week later, the customer calls the designer and says, I need a page for "Specials" added to the design.

The designer tell them, that is not possible because there is only enough room for the 5 links that are added. The design does not work with 6. That would have to be a new design and we start all over again.

OK, so the customer, just eats it and stays with what they have.

A week later, the customer needs to add information to the home page because people don't understand how to find the products.

Well, now you need to change the design. It was never set up to be changed. You will have to pull out some of the graphics to make room for your message.

But then it does not look as good.

Over time, and usually quickly, the website becomes a bunch of fixes and patches to get all the things the business owner needs. And the $10,000 design is now a $10,000 pile of crap.

I always tell people, don't put the cart before the horse.

They get in, start adding buttons. I want this, that and the other thing.

What they forget is that those buttons and links all over their page to make it look good, need to link to something.

To build a website you always need to work backwards. First you need all of the pages and content.

Then you organize that into a cohesive design.

It is impossible to build the design before you have the exact elements that will go into that design.

It is like trying to build a house without the windows and doors. Are you going to go back later and cut holes and add them in?

No, because they are a critical part of the design of the house.

A webmaster will take all of your elements and build a design that works. But since you have not built the website they have no clue what you need not to mention what you might need next week or next month.

Sure they can guess, add in a few pages and links that might be important.

But I promise you, as you start hearing from the website's users you will want to make changes.

Because after all the work you have done on the design, what is the most important element of your website?

The users.

And if the user experience is not what it needs to be, you have to make changes.

Website design is not like drawing a picture or making a work of art.

It is a process, that takes time, lots of time. You get feedback, you lean, you grow just like every element of your business.

If you have been in business for several years you have made changes. Well, you have if you want to keep up.

Things change, technology changes, laws change and trends change. You constantly need to bend and flex with those changes.

If you are after the perfect website design, you will never have the flexibility to make changes, to evolve as a business and reflect that in your website.

We all want the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect car, but we settle for what makes sense.

You know what I mean. "I was going to buy the Ferrari for $1.5 million but since they did not have it in blue, I bought the Ford Fiesta".

You can have the perfect design, if you want a full time webmaster on a full salary making those changes for you. That costs money and is completely unnecessary.

If you can't afford that, then don't waste your money on a design that wont be part of your website 6 months from now.

Now I am not giving you this advice as an Internet expert with 15 years experience. I am giving you this advice as a 30+ year experienced business owner that knows there is much more to running a business than the sign on the front door.

So set up a simple design. Something that is flexible, easy to change and expand. Something with your logo or brand but still allows for the content that people are coming to the website to find.

Get over your design phobia, or rethink this whole business idea. Maybe you don't have what it takes to run a business if one element, that you don't understand, is consuming you.

If that is the case, it will be a long haul running your business.