One of the best ways to promote your business nowadays is to put up a website. Since the internet is spread all over the world, you can definitely get to reach more people, even those from other countries. And as it turns out, it is a very interesting work.

Probably the one thing that shy away many people from making their own websites is the belief that it is difficult. Hiring a web designer is also often out of the question since it’s definitely pricey, so it would be better to do it yourself. And you will find it actually is very easy once you know the basics.

The first thing that you need to think about when designing is what it is supposed to contain. This one will guide you in making choices during the actual design process. For instance, if you are selling or promoting stuff, then you will have to be more graphics oriented. If you are providing services, it is preferable to have more text describing you offerings in your site.

It’s at this part that you will also need to come up with the layout for your site. Decide on where your banners, navigation buttons, and images will go and put them down into paper. Remember that you need to have a consistent layout for the whole site to make it more organized. Also, remember that your site must be easy to view and read, so choose the position of the various site elements carefully.

Now here comes the challenging part, actually creating the whole site. You don’t really need to have any high end software to make your site, all you need is actually a text editor, like Notepad, and a basic grasp of writing HTML codes. Learning the codes is also easy since there are countless of free tutorials on the net which can read at leisure. Though you can make it easier by using point and click applications like Dreamweaver in building your site, it is still best that you know hand coding. This will give you a better grasp of how the thing works and where a problem might occur.

With that, it’s now time to check everything. Run your site and test everything to make sure that they all work properly. One rule of thumb here is that a dead link (one that doesn’t go anywhere or show anything) is bad for your site, even if it’s just a minor detail. Here, the above mentioned advantage of knowing hand coding becomes apparent. Also, to avoid such mishaps from happening, name your files and web pages in a simple descriptive manner to make it easier for you to remember them.

Once you have completed your site, don’t publish it yet. Show it to your friends and colleagues to get their opinions and suggestions. They will also probably spot errors that you yourself would have missed. These will definitely help you in further refining your site more.

Once you have everything done, you will surely take pride in your work. You will also find out that it is definitely easy. But don’t stop there yet. Try learning more about website design to improve on your own. You will find out that this one is definitely a good experience.

Mutual understanding is a very important factor in the effectiveness of the designer’s work and the satisfaction of a client. We, Splotch Designs, have always used a questionnaire to find out the client’s needs and avoid any misunderstanding in the design process. Our regular questionnaire would look like this:

• Ordered service:
• Detailed information:
• Name of the site:
• Url of current site:
• Company background:
• Tag line for website:
• Target audience:
• Main competitors:
• Colors you like:
• How many pages your site will need:
• Examples of the sites you like:
• Which style would you prefer? (for example: clean corporate/highly creative/urban/simple elegant/minimalistic)
• Do you need a new logo?:
• Do you need promotional banners?
• Additional info

A design brief should primarily focus on the results and outcomes of the design and the business objectives of the design project. It should not attempt to deal with the aesthetics of design… That is the responsibility of the designer.

The design brief also allows you (the client) to focus on exactly what you want to achieve before any work starts on the project. A good design brief will ensure that you get a high quality design that meets your needs, providing you have chosen the right designer.

What does your business do?
Tip: Never assume that the designer will know anything about your company. Be clear and concise and avoid jargon when replying.

• What does your company / organisation do?
• What is your company’s history?

What are the goals? Why?

• What is the overall goal of the new design project?
• What are you trying to communicate and why?
• Are you trying to sell more products or get awareness of your product / service?
• How do you differ from your competitors?
• Do you want to completely reinvent yourself or are you simply updating your promotional material?

Who is the target market?

• What are your target market’s demographics & phychographics? ie. the age, gender, income, tastes, views, attitudes, employment, geography, lifestyle of those you want to reach.

Tip: If you have multiple audiences, rank them in terms of importance.

What copy (text) and pictures are needed?
Tip: The copy and pictures used in a design are as crucial as the design itself and you should clearly state who is going to be providing the copy and pictures if needed. You may need to look into getting a professional copywriter / photographer - ask your designer for some recommendations.

• What copy needs to be included in the design? Who is providing the copy?
• What pictures / photographs / diagrams etc need to be used? Who is providing these?

What are the specifications?

• What size is the design going to be?
• Where is it going to be printed / used? The web, business cards, stationery, on your car?
• What other information should the designer know in regards to specifications?

Have you got a benchmark in mind?

• You should provide the designer with some examples of what you consider to be effective or relevant design even if it is from your main competitors. This will set a benchmark for your designer.
• Provide the designer with things not to do, and styles that you do not like or wish to see in your design. This will give the designer an idea of what to avoid and will avoid disappointment on your behalf.

What Is Your Budget?

• Providing a budget prevents designers wasting valuable time and resources when trying to maximise your budget.
• Providing the budget upfront also allows designers to know if the project is going to be worthwhile to complete. Make sure you are worth their time.

What is the time scale / deadline?

• Give the designer a detailed schedule of the project and set a realistic deadline for the completion of the work. You should take into account the various stages of the design project such as consultation, concept development, production and delivery.

Tip: Rushing design jobs helps no one and mistakes can be made if a complex job is pushed through without time to review, however, there are times when a rush job is needed, and in these cases you should be honest and upfront about it.