Website Design Conundrum
Eye Candy vs. Placements

Usually at this stage of high anxiety and distress they seek advice from a search engine friendly website designer. They are not very happy hearing that the snappy new design is one of the primary reasons the site has been hurt so badly with regard to search engine placements. How can this be?...Their design team has developed the entire site as ONE Flash movie.
Simply put, even if the site "appears" to have multiple pages and various sections the search engines like Google in most cases only see one page of content.

It is important to note with websites that utilize Flash can rank well; it is only when the designer has solely used Flash and has not embedded elements of Flash within an HTML page.

If you are thinking of revamping your website or having a new one created be sure to ask your design team some simple questions about the technology they plan to use. This is especially important if you wish to have a search friendly high end graphical website. Next week's article will address some of these all important questions to ask your designer.

SEARCH ENGINE TIP

If you are utilizing a great deal of Flash currently on your website you may want to view the "text only" cache that Google creates when it visits your website. The information this reveals is priceless as it outlines some of the information Google recognizes and what can ignore.

To view a cached version of your website simply type in your domain into the Google search box and choose the option to " Show Google's cache".
"Once the cache appears select "Click here for the cached text only". If the displayed results produce very little actual text then this could be one of the major reasons your website might not be ranking well.

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The following issues should be raised with prospective web designers prior to initiating the proposal and quote phase of the relationship.

WILL THE TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGY USED AFFECT THE WEBSITE’S USABILITY?

The above article Website Design Conundrum outlined possible problems a website might face if a design team implements certain design methods during the creation of your website. Be sure to inquire whether or not your website designer is aware of the numerous pitfalls that can possibility take place.
After all the goal is to have your message seen and understood by visitors to your website and you cannot afford to have technology come in the way of usability.

If you are not that savvy when it comes to the language used kindly ask the designer to provide you with the solutions they offer in layman’s terms.
Make sure you are totally comfortable knowing you are in the right hands.

WHAT WILL YOU PROVIDE ME? WHAT TASKS DO I NEED TO DO?

Although this question seems to be a fairly obvious one it might be a good idea to find out in detail what the company will offer you. For example:

* If you do not have a logo or a company identity, can the web design
company develop one for you in addition to the website’s development?
* Do I have to hire a copywriter to take on all of the written
content?
* Can I utilize existing marketing materials such as brochures or
magazine ads to help with the content?
* Do I have to acquire my own hosting and domain name?

CAN I BE FOUND?

You may have found the perfect design team to develop your website. They may come with a massive list of testimonials and credentials outlining their abilities. The end result might even consist of all the elements that you need to have a successful web solution. However, can people even find you on the Major Search Engines?

Most people even in the design industry do not know that the actual design of the layout and structure of a website can have significant results on how your website is ranked.

Ask your designers if they have the knowledge to implement a “search engine friendly approach” to the development of your project.

Be wary of companies that say they will “submit your website to all the search engines”. It is vital that they have the knowledge to implement a “hands-on” approach when it comes to designing your website. Better yet, can they offer you a Search Engine Placement Campaign that will focus on a long-term strategy for your rankings?

WILL YOU CUT ME LOOSE?

All too often I hear from frustrated website owners commenting about not having the ability to update their own site. It is prudent to come up with a clear long-term plan for updating content, adding more sections, or other design elements you may want to change after the design contract has expired. Ask the design firm if they offer a cost effective solution for on-going maintenance.

Usually there will be three options that you will hear from designers:

* Monthly Update Plan
This usually consists of a monthly fee that will have parameters attached to it, for example the amount of updates allowed and how often the can be submitted.
* Retainer
This is similar to an Update Plan however it is a “bank” of hours that is prepaid based on an hourly rate.
* Hourly Rate
An hourly rate for updates is a common solution proposed by design firms. Ask if you will be charged a minimum amount of time per update such as a full hour of service even if the task takes them a lesser amount of time.

DO I OWN IT?

This question does sound odd considering you have laid out good money for a high quality design. It is important to note that some design firms will actually retain ownership of the website created and even the domain itself.
This could potentially make things very difficult if you wanted to move the website over to a different hosting company or if you wanted a different team to take over. Be sure that you have the right to do what you want with your website.