Pretty much everything in the web design business is a series of balances. You have to find a balance between creativity and business. You have to find a balance between site management, and site design. Another area where balance is a key issue, is the wide world of imaging.

When building your site, one of the top priorities is making it appealing for return visits. Images is the most important component of making your site stand out. The problem with images, is while you’re going for the best quality you have to keep an eye on file size. The reason being is that you want your site to be able to load as fast as possible. People are probably at their least patient when they are browsing the internet. So if your site isn’t loading at a clip of 4-5 seconds (atleast) there is a good possibility they are moving on.

There are couple tricks to keep those file sizes down while keeping the overall image quality up. The first is to learn the different image formats that are compatible with internet browsers. The three most common, and ones that you should be using are JPEGs, GIFs, and PNGs.

The first format is the JPEG image, which is the most common format when dealing with photos. JPEGs tend to be difficult to work with when you’re needing to resize, as your ratio of height x width needs to stay the same for your picture to look right. Here is a good site if you’re looking to lower your JPEG image size.

GIFs are used more when dealing with images you have created yourself. So if you’re making a logo from scratch, and it’s mostly been created in Illustrator or other drawing applications, you’ll want to use the GIF format. Something else when using GIFs is that unlike JPEG files, they can have transparency and also be animated.

PNG files encompass everything that is great about both formats. PNGs can be used for photos, and also can have transparency. They conserve quality well when they are decreased in size. A couple of problems with PNGs is that they tend to be very large and you will have to make them smaller to get your file size right. Also there are compatibility issues with older versions of Internet Explorer, which won’t read transparency of PNG files.

Another useful tip, is when you are putting your images on your web page, be sure to include heigh and width tags. This will help the loading times of your pages, as if the browser knows the height and width will know where the image should be placed.

When using images, learn when to be image heavy and when to go lighter. It’s a good idea to have the least amount of images on your page as needed to make it stand out.

Who would think that something as small as a word could have so much effect on the World Wide Web. Having a good layout, and good content are great ways to keep people coming to your site. But it’s the magic of the “keyword” that will help you bring them there in the first place.

Very few people are going to think of your exact URL and type it in to their search bars. In fact I’d go so far as to say less than 1% of your traffic will be from exact URL usage. This is where the use of keywords comes into play. Pretty much everyone these days uses a search engine to navigate through the internet to find their destination. Of course you want your site to be up at the top of these lists, and keywords are the way to do it.

Search engines rank sites by the keywords that users type in, compared with the relevancy of the keywords of the site. So if someone types in “shoes, stinky, store” and you just happen to have keywords relating to your Stinky Shoe Store, then you’ll probably be at the top of the list. The Stinky Shoe Store was intended to make you chuckle, but also brings up another important factor in the use of keywords. It is important that you try and be as original as possible. If you’re using the same keywords as everyone else in your business venture, than rank will be lower on the search engine list. On the flip side though, if you’re using keywords that no one in their right mind would type in than you’re going to see lower traffic (like Stinky Shoe Store). So of course finding the middle ground between originality and common sense is the name of the game, and like anything else dealing with web design it isn’t going to be easy.

Google has released a tool that you might find useful in your keyword search. The site is Google AdWords and can be found here

There is an old saying, “A craftsman is only as good as his tools”. This saying translates over for designers as well, finding the right software for your design needs is a very important step towards being successful.

Finding the right software isn’t about going out and buying the most expensive program on the market, it’s about forging your decision around the needs of the project you’re working on. For example, if you are creating a site that has very low image use, and is mainly text a simple text editor or HTML editor would suffice.

Next, it is important not to invest into a product too early. Many programs that are out right now provide customers with trial periods, so you can shop around for different products without investing thousands into it. The reason for this is so you can find software you are comfortable with and what you find easiest to use. To give another example, I use Photoshop when it comes to image manipulation, but when it comes to illustration I prefer to use Corel Draw. It’s these different styles that make it important to be totally confident in the software you are using.

Here are a few companies to look around at when shopping for software:

Adobe
Corel
Laughing Bird

So your site is finished, now take a deep breath and a drink of water. I wish I could say that the hard part is over, but this is just the beginning. The next few steps that you should take is getting your website out there.

The first step in publishing your site is deciding on a domain name. Sometimes your domain won’t be able to exactly reflect www.your-site-name.com. The reason for this is someone may have already obtained the domain. Now dont panic, there are some ways around this problem. The first solution is to buy the domain from the person, this option is mostly reserved for larger companies with larger budgets. A more cost-saving solution would be to change the suffix of the domain. So instead of calling your site www.your-site-name.com, you would call it www.your-site-name.org, or www.your-site-name.net.

So you’ve decided on the official URL, now it’s time to find somewhere to host the site. Deciding on a web hosting service is like trying to buy a car (minus the polyester suits). One of the things to looks out for is “How much space, for how much money?”. Finding the best deal isn’t necessarily about what host costs the less, because they might not be providing enough space and features. The next thing to do would be to find customer reviews of the host, asking questions like “Are their servers stable?” or “How is their customer service”.

Alright, your site is finally on the internet. If someone types in your site’s url, it will appear on their browser. The final step is making sure that more people are viewing your page. Advertising is the obvious solution to the problem, and there are a few creative ways to get started. The first step is to make sure your site’s keywords are common and will help generate views on a search engine. If you can move up in page ranking at places like Google, and Yahoo then alot of times that’s all the “advertising” you’ll need. Another tactic you might take is to actually advertise on other sites. This solution can be tricky in that you’re paying for it, and you’re trying to find a site that generates enough traffic for your ad to be seen.

I know that all of these steps seem like a monstrous endeavor, but through dedication people will be flocking to your site.

Creating a website can be a daunting task to undertake. Trying to think of an original idea can be frustrating enough, and if you’re unsure of the tools and language that you need to use it just adds fuel to the fire.

So once you have you’re idea, it’s time to start building. The more I build sites, the more I find that using CSS style sheets is probably the most universally sound style to use. The options are nearly limitless with what you can do. The greatest thing about CSS is it has the “easy to learn, difficult to master” feel behind it.

How CSS works is it acts as a reference point for your web page. You will undoubtedly be using all kinds of different properties for different parts of your website. How the CSS style sheet helps you is by being able to categorize the different sections, and applying the specific properties you want.

Here are a couple of places to get you started on learning how to code CSS-
http://www.w3schools.com
http://www.csstutorial.net/

What could Snapple, Nike, and Sony all have in common? No, they aren’t all endorsed by Michael Jordan, but if you’re looking for a fruit beverage, a pair of shoes, and a HDTV then these three businesses have some pretty cool sites for you to visit. The next question you should be asking yourself is what makes these sites so amazing.

Flash animation is the short response, but it’s how effective they use the animation that’s the key . Flash can be one of the hardest programs to learn for web design. But once you’ve mastered the intricacies of Flash then you’ve taken one of the final steps to being a great webmaster.

Here are a few tips to remember when you dive into the Flash experience.

-First, more isn’t always necessarily better. The content of your site should dictate the amount of flash you should use, not vice versa. If your client is wanting a professional site with not alot of “flash” (pun somewhat intended), then maybe just a few simple flash menus would suffice.

- Second, you aren’t going for the academy awards. Leave the epic and long movies to Peter Jackson. Your flash animations, especially your intros should be kept as short as possible while still being effective (no one said it was going to be easy).

- Lastly, don’t be afraid to draw inspiration from others. If you come across an idea while surfing around that looks cool, dont be afraid to use it in your design. I’m not saying to right-click your mouse and save the entire thing as your own. Sometimes though an idea has already been used that fits with what you’re wanting, than to create something totally original.

So have fun tweening and actionscripting out there. Just be sure to hang in there as you’re learning Flash, because the object of web design is to put yourself out there. Then once you’ve mastered it, you’d have put yourself one step ahead of the competition.

Yin and Yang comes to mind when thinking of what it takes to make a successful website. Most people in the world are either left brained or right brained, meaning creative vs. intellect (or in this case a business sense) . Unfortunately for free lance web designers , it takes both sides of the spectrum to be successful.

The trick is finding the great medium between a creative look and the simplicity that will bring users back once they visit your site. Publicis-MK.com is a great example of when the creative flow of the website gets in the way of practical use. The site uses a wonderfully color rich background and a couple of cool Flash menus. For the average person that surfs the internet, their concentration usually lasts around 1-3 seconds. So when visiting Publicis-MK.com, if they can’t find what they want in 1-3 seconds they are moving on.

Simple Website Creations.com is a site that has the exact opposite problem of Publicis-MK.com. Here they are advertising website creation, and yet there just seems to be nothing to make the site stand out. Granted they advertise simple website design; there is still nothing that really that makes their site stand above other design sites.

Five Cent Stand.com is a prime example of the coming together of the Yin and the Yang. Five Cent Stand has an older, grungy look that fits well with the content they are advertising. The site is simplistic in the sense that everything is out there for the user to see. There are no hidden menus and no having to scroll over images to get where they need to go.

Like any other business venture, a successful commercial website needs careful planning, including a sound business plan with a comprehensive strategy to insure that the site is profitable and successful. Provide a full design and marketing plan resulting in a complete web solution.  From the onset of your project identify your internet objectives, and then outline a clear path to not only meet, but exceed those goals.

A successful website has three parts, a great design, rich content, and extensive search engine optimization. These three key ingredients will insure that the site not only reaches it’s intended audience, but that it also converts into increased revenue and sustainable growth from it’s inception. To that end, each site that we craft is built on these three pillars.

GREAT DESIGN

Find the style that fits your business. Present several design concepts until you find the design that matches your taste. The end should be a polished, professional website that will make your site stick out from the rest.

RICH CONTENT

Every site needs to have relevant information. Depending on the nature of the site, the site’s text needs to either effectively sell your product, inform your readers, catch their eye, make them curious to learn more about your company, or all of the above. Take the time to learn about your individual business, who your target audience is, and the best way to reach them.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a term to describe a wide variety of techniques that are used to help increase your rankings in Google and other search engines. Since most internet users will find your site using a search engine, it is imperative that you not only rank high in the search engines, but that you rank high for the right keywords that will drive targeted traffic to your website.Incorporate expert SEO into each website that you design from its inception, insuring that your site will be a success.

One of the most critical aspects of a well designed website is how well the site matches what your target audience is trying to find. The goal is to present a site that exceeds their expectations and guides the prospect to reach the intended goals of the site, whether it’s customer service or sales. These factors will naturally be different depending on the nature of your business; after all, an excellent Jewelry site will have a different set of goals than a real estate agency, and in result each site should be tailored to the specific industry needs and client expectations appropriate for your demographics.

You should understand that correctly designing your site starts by accurately identifying your company’s target audience, which every business should already know. In order to have the highest conversion rates possible, conduct extensive keyword analysis and market research into your field. In this manner you can isolate the correct search terms that yield the highest volumes of traffic targeted towards your niche, resulting in a site which meets and exceeds traffic and revenue goals.