InnConcierge

  

Search site: GO

Website Design Mistakes

You have spent lots of time and energy on designing the space of your inn. The same kind of energy is required to design a website! The visuals, structure and flow all must work in harmony to keep users on the site and engaged long enough to convert them into a reservation. For this to happen effectively, several angles must be considered carefully. This topic could take days to cover but for now here are a few design mistakes to avoid to help you with your process:

 

1. Skip the big flash intro! Yes, you love the cascading fountain and the chocolates on the pillow, and so will your guests, but don't make them sit through a non-opt in flash movie. Instead, keep  your homepage simple to load with clean images and instead go for an optional user friendly video on your home page that really tells a story. Users will wait for something they ask for.

2. Keep your navigation simple and straightforward and avoid animated (flash!) menus at all costs. The navigation is the most important tool users have for moving around your site. Don't defeat the purpose by "hiding" it in a fancy flash animation that is more "cool" than useful. Help them move easily through the site and they will thank you for it with reservations.

3. Invest in high quality images. Nothing kills great web design faster than mediocre images with terrible lighting and no thought of composition. Your photos should never be enhanced to the point where they no longer truly represent you, but they will be more effective if a viewer can picture herself there, and feels like it would be a great place to spend some time.

4. Make sure that your web designer has a firm handle on search engine optimization and follows best practices for accessibility. Your designer can make or break you with SEO. Take it seriously and get a second opinion on what they offer to do for you.

5. If you need a content management system (if you want to do your own edits on your site) avoid products that clutter your code like Frontpage. These products make your life a little easier so you can change your text, etc. but they add so much junk code into the back of the site, the trade off is lost SEO. Not worth it. Invest in a designer who knows the difference and provides you with a better alternative!

Good luck with your website! If I can help, let me know. www.dobaydesign.com

-Sherri Dobay