Web Design - Website Creativity: Why It Matters Now More Than Ever

Website Creativity: Why It Matters Now More Than Ever

If one more business owner tells me their website sucks because they're just "too darn busy to deal with it", I'm gonna hurl. That's like saying, "I'm doing business in my dirty underwear because I'm too busy to get dressed." Realize it or not, your website (or lack thereof) is very often the first impression your prospect or peer will have of you. Now, it's no longer a matter of having a website -- it's a matter of having a great one.

Most websites are informative, but dull. Not surprising. The Internet today is not unlike TV in the early 50's when TV was the new media. Back then it was totally exciting to have a radio announcer in front of a camera. It was revolutionary to actually see the announcer holding the package of soap or toothpaste. What soon followed was "The Golden Age" of TV when things took a major creative leap forward.

There's a definite parallel today with the Internet.

Bill Bernbach, a great leader of that last creative evolution, stated;

"You can say the right thing about a product and nobody will listen. You've got to say it in such a way that people will feel it in their gut. Because if they don't feel it, nothing will happen. That's where the creativity comes in."

Applied to the Internet Bernbach's words resonate more than ever.

So, what makes a website effective and creatively exciting? That depends on who you talk to. A techie may say you need lots of flash animation. A designer may say it's about the right layout and color scheme. Someone else may argue it's all about blogs. When applied intelligently the latest design trend or technology is exciting. But have you ever clicked on a site you're eager to see only to have to sit through a self-indulgent 30-second flash intro? If the thinking behind the technology doesn't respectfully address the mindset of the person viewing it, it doesn't matter how cool it is.

An exciting, creative, effective website begins with a clear understanding of the target audience and the marketing objectives you're trying to reach. Only then does it take a fresh, simple, memorable creative approach that touches and moves that audience on an emotional level. Accomplishing that takes strategically smart, creative talent. So, if you don't have it, find it. The bottom line is that The Evolution has begun. Don't be left behind.

John Follis is one of the 12 "Best Advertising Minds of New York" as voted by The New York Ad Club. His campaigns are in 3 college textbooks, he has written for ADWEEK, and he has taught at 3 New York universities. Currently, John works on select projects, consults, and speaks. He may be reached at john@follisinc.com

For John's booklet: How to Attract and Excite Your Prospects: A Guide for Getting the Best Marketing Results, visit: http://www.follisinc.com/booklet.htm For consulting info, visit: Marketing Therapy: http://www.follisinc.com/therapy.htmFor speaking info, visit: Follis Speaking: http://www.follisinc.com/speaking.htm

Created & Maintained by Empower! CMS Web Sites

Host2Sell Web Hosting | Emarketing Workshops | Site SEO Review | FREE Newsletter

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |

Design Matters In Our Visual Culture

FIRST IMPRESSIONS.

First impressions often leave lasting impressions. Impressions also result in people's perceptions. There goes that age-old debate -- "Perception versus Reality." I say that perception is someone's impression of reality. And sometimes... no matter what is reality, you just can't change people's perception of a situation or thing.

Let's define these words...(im·pres·sion) noun: a characteristic, trait, or feature resulting from some influence; the act of ...(related: Web Design)

Every Website Is A Human Being?s Attempt At Achieving A Goal Or Obtaining Happiness
Have you ever thought about the real stories behind all the websites on the Internet? There are over 10 million sites out there and a human being with some hope or dream driving the process constructed each one. Too much of our modern world is presente...(related: Web Design)

Your Graphics- Are They Really Working For You?
(Making Your Graphics Work For You)It's no secret that a picture is worth a thousand words or that people really do judge a book by its cover. Effectively using graphic headers, e-covers and background graphics can send your profits soaring. Amateur looking graphics are worse than no graphics at all.The graphics you use on your website should intensify the screen's message. Correctly used graphics will activate the prospects emotions into a buying mode. This can be effectively accomplished by incorporating a few simple marketing strategies into your graphic designs.For example, when choosing the color of your graphics don't simply choose your favorite color. Identify your niche market and target the color scheme of your graphics to that market. Let's use a gardening site as an example. You wouldn't want...(related: Web Design)

Tableless Web Designs: Why I Switched
Since I made the switch 6 months ago to a tableless design on my main site, I've noticed some interestin...(related: Web Design)

Browser Compatibility
Internet Explorer, created by microsoft has been the most popular web browser for many years. But the gap is shrinking with the release of Mozilla Firefox, by an open source community.At the last count it is said that there are 64 million firefox users on the internet. Growing in massive numbers by the day.So, the iss...(related: Web Design)

Create Favorite Icon
Favorite icon appears to the left of your link in either address bar or in favorites menu of your browser. It gives your website more personality, better visibility in favorites menu and is easy to create.You'll need:

Image editor software
Icon Editor Software.

If you need icon editor, I recommend you PixelToolbox, which you can download for free. http://www.axiomx.com/PixelToolbox/Using your favorite image editor create 256 color, 16x16 pixels image and save it as a .gif, or if you are using PixelToolBox .png...(related: Web Design)

Usability Lessons From The Hospital
Usability isn't only for Web design. It's also applicable in the real world as things aren't always well-designed. Paying attention to real world design can help you think through usability for Web design. For instance, there is an elevator in New York where the numbers are in three columns. The numbers...(related: Web Design)

Are You A Bill Clinton Webmaster?
One of the most frequent questions I get asked about my ebook, Don't Get Banned BY The Search Engines, is whether I amended it to include post-Florida Google. "Florida" is the code name that search engine optimizer wizards gave to a November, 20...(related: Web Design)

To Hire Or Not To Hire A Website Designer
In the early years of the internet the actual design of a website was either very basic or had to be done using a software package that needed a specialist to use it. Not surprisingly, website designers were in short supply and could command huge fees for their services. All that has changed dramatically and website design is not such a complicated procedure as you might think.The actual look and feel of a website is more down to personal preferences than current design trends. Internet users want websites that are nice to look at, sure, but they are much more concerned with the ease of use of a website. If a visitor to your profes...(related: Web Design)

Design Your Site For Your Customers
The most important person that you need to please when you design your site is your potential customer. I can not stress that enough.I have clients who have told me "I don't like this design or that one or I like these colours", etc. I want to please my customers so I try to create a design for them that they will be happy with, of course. But my clients don't often think of their site visitors or their own potential customers when they ask me to design their site. Sadly most are thinking primarily of one thing - how to make money from their website. And because their focus is on making money rather than pleasing their customers, more often than not, the website won't sell. And as much as I try to advise them on how they can improve the quality of the site, they stick to their own ideas of what the site should look like. T...(related: Web Design)

Does Your Homepage Work?
All websites have a homepage. It is the most important page of your site. It acts as the main gateway to the entire site. Most of your prospective customers will enter through it. Its vital to get it right. You dont want them to j...(related: Web Design)