Why do some websites sell better than others? Do you need a marketing degree to create a website? Does design have much impact on sales or is web copy the all important key to your websites success?
You may not realize this but many successful internet marketing businesses have found that design, or layout of a website should be a marketing decision based on research done by internet marketers, not designers. Some very basic websites actually sell much better than their "Flashy" counterparts.
This is in no way a negative reflection of the incredible talent that website designers have. You will clearly have a much more professional looking site when an expert applies his handiwork. However, it is very important to understand some of the key elements that smart marketers will make certain to appear (or NOT appear) on their highly profitable sites. If you are aware of these you may be able to select a designer who is knowledgeable in marketing as well as design.
Designers with a flair for color can make compelling choices that set a mood, but reading on a computer screen demands as much contrast as possible, otherwise the reader will have vision fatigue. You don't want to irritate your visitors in any way or they may leave, so be certain that the main body of your website copy is black writing on a white background, or as close to that ideal as possible.
Colors also look different on different monitors, so what looks cool and calm on one monitor may be bright and glaring on another. Make sure you check your color scheme on at least the most popular monitors. In most cases, simple works best.
Striking, bold graphics can be a real eye-catcher for visitors. Still, internet marketers are pretty much unanimous in stating that you should avoid flash graphics as much as possible. Again, they tend to tire visitors eyes, make the page load slowly, or create a distraction from the written copy. Even if they are initially impressed by the work it may subconsciously annoy them. Simplicity is again the best way to go.
The first 'fold' of your site is similar to opening a traditional paper letter. If you remove a letter from an envelope that is folded in three, you will obviously view the top 'fold' first.
This fold is what individuals will see without having to scroll down the page. It's extremely important that elements like descriptive headlines, your contact number, newsletter subscription form etc. all show in the first fold. Do NOT place banners here unless they are the main element of your business as you will be giving prime space to other websites and your customer (which you fought hard to get in the first place) will be gone just as quickly.
These are just some of the important elements you should be aware of when looking for someone to design your site.
About the Author
Robert Kleine is an author, copywriter and webmaster; Don't worry about designing your own websites. Check out his new site ResaleRightsTreasureChest.com http://www.resalerightstreasurechest.com where all the design and copy are done for you so all you have to do is sell.