In the past 5 years, the graphic and website design industry have grown tremendously. For the consumer – this is great news.  A growing industry means more competition, which equals competitive pricing for those of you shopping around for web design companies.  There are many important things to consider  while shopping for a web designer or web developer that go much further than just a low price however.

Almost every facet of society has shifted to the web. As a result of this, our personal or business web sites are the way we show the world what we’re about and what we have to offer.  Not only that, but your website is your digital first impression (a first impression that is usually made in about 1 second). For this reason, it is essential to choose the right web designer to represent you on the web. But where and how do you start?

First you need to ask yourself: What is the purpose of my web site? If the answer is, to just throw something up and say you have a web site then I’d stop reading now and purchase an inexpensive template. While this is tempting, it is not recommended. This is one of the biggest mistakes a business owner can make, and as a marketer, I will always suggest creating a unique and professional looking web site for any business. With so much competition that exists on the web today, it’s important to stand out from your peers and competitors using a custom design that shows you put in the effort to create something new and refreshing for people to see.

Now, back to the original question – the purpose of your web site. If your web site is going to be a part of your marketing piece you want it to be the best it can be. Here are a few answers to important questions that should be asked when choosing the right web design company for your business (regardless of your budget):

1. How quickly did the agency respond to your inquiry or request for proposal? The sooner you start your web site, the better.  It’s important to take note of how quickly the company your looking into responds back. How much time did it take for a representative to respond to your e-mail or return your voice-mail message?  Quick turnaround time is important when it comes to web design. There is a lot that goes into creating quality work that can become time consuming.  Make sure you choose a company that displays good and quick use of time management as well.
   
2. Are the graphics truly custom designs? Always ask the companies your looking into if their work is custom. You want to make sure that you are going to get a custom design that is unique for your particular business model and brand.
3. Do they have the programming skills? Always ask if the company codes with table-less layouts. A lot of the time when you hire a cheaper company they will throw your web site into a table layout, which is the worst thing you can do for search engine optimization (when people search the internet for your company or services). What’s the point of putting up a site if you are going to limit yourself in search engines such as Google, Yahoo, or bing? A table is like a big brick wall around your house – no one can get in or see inside. A table-less layout with DIVS (HTML term) is like an electric dog fence, keeping everything inside using an invisible fence, allowing visitors to see or come in at their leisure. When it comes to search engine crawlers, you want your web site to have the invisible fence, not the brick wall.  This is probably the most important thing on this list!
4. Will they understand and meet our expectations? Find the BEST company out there and when they give you that ridiculous quote, tell them your budget and see if they are willing to work with you. Sometimes it’s best to get less with an experienced company then it is to go with a cheaper company and get a huge, poor quality website that can present more expensive problems down the line.
5. Do you like their work or portfolio? Look at the web design company’s portfolio. Make sure that you can look through their design work and see that they have a variety of experience and the company has designs that appeal to you.
6. Will this web site be worth the money? A successful business web site will bring you more business and leads. Ask your potential web site design company if they have marketing experience and to give examples of web sites that they have built and promoted. The reason this is important is because if a company JUST does web site design, the chances of them knowing how to design the page for optimized customer retention is unlikely.
7. What were other people’s experiences? Make sure that the company has plenty of testimonials from past clients and make sure that these clients are also in their portfolio. You don’t want to be fooled by illegitimate testimonials from people who don’t exist. If they list the company and a person’s full name, that is a good example of a legitimate testimonial.
8. Do you like them? Make sure you like the people your working with. You will basically be married to this company for the next couple weeks, if not longer. So you want to make sure you are dealing with a friendly and confident firm that communicates with you in a way that makes you feel comfortable and confident.

Remember, considering first impressions is important when it comes to web site development. Make sure to take more into consideration than a final price before choosing the professionals in charge of helping you establish the site that will be your digital first impression.

Lately, casually browsing through some websites, I have found some that caught my eye. It was because of their unique web design that seemed to inspire me to look further into it. There are definite web design trends that are exploding on the scene, which offer a visual appeal that draws you in, and perhaps makes you want to refresh your own site with a redesign. Of course trends are always changing at a rapid pace, but hopefully some of these current trends may be able to inspire you or give you a new idea.

Here we go:
1. The Retro Trend
Ad Packs

The Retro style seems to be a trend on the scene right now. I actually noticed quite a few of them while I was browsing. Perhaps this trend will be here to stay, but it definitely offers some inspiration for a creative edge.

2. The Ribbon
CJs Favorites

There has been a rise in the Ribbon trend used amongst web designers and developers recently. It is being used on both professional and personal websites. There is a debate whether or not the use of ribbons is becoming overkill, or if it adds a personal finesse. I personally like the Ribbon trend, I think it’s visually appealing.

3. Huge Headlines and Images
Second and Park

Lots of websites today are using huge headlines along with images to captivate you. By using such large words and pictures, it definitely grabs your attention and pulls you into the website. I think this is a great trend because sometimes you need something to jump out at you, and it definitely makes the experience more memorable. The headline and the images on your website set the tone for your visitors, so it doesn’t hurt if they are big and flashy.

4. Customized Typography
TapTapTap

This trend is one of my favorites. I always think different fonts add that extra “umph” that you otherwise might be missing. The typography (font, letters, style, print) trend has been exploding throughout the web design world, changing drab styles into fabulous custom fonts. It is now a possibility to create your own unique font, and I would highly suggest it.

5. Mobile Compatibility
H&M

Smartphones are EVERYWHERE nowadays, so it is important to cater to the mobile compatibility trend. This is especially if you are a business that is in constant need of marketing any product. I for one know that this function is very helpful, and I use it all the time. Since more smartphones have been enabled with CSS and JavaScript, this trend is definitely pushing web designers to be ‘mobile ready’.

6. Single Page Layout
Creative People

Sometimes it is necessary for your website to be straight and to the point. This is where the single page layout trend comes in. More and more sites are being designed to purposefully give visitors a little amount of information in a quick way. Having a one page layout allows web designers to focus on an effective strategy to appeal to visitors and users.

7. Minimalist & Creative
Get Finch

Like the one page layout trend, the minimalist and creative trend keeps things simplistic and clean cut. Instead of getting lost in a complex website, this trend allows you to engage the website in an easy manner. As opposed to busy layouts in the past years, this new white space concept is becoming ever more popular, as it is distinguishable and creative.

8. Social Media
Old Loft

There is no surprise that the social media trend is and has been growing at a rapid rate, it is almost never ending. Everyone you know uses or will most likely begin to use social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc. So it is very important that web designers include the aspect of social media links on the sites they create. It will allow your visitors an easier, more accessible way to keep in touch with your site on a daily basis.

9. Introduction
Kyle Standing

Introduction boxes and headlines are an expanding web design trend. You only have a few seconds to catch a visitor’s attention when they look at your site. Having a quick, upfront way of introducing yourself and what you or your company is about is why the introduction trend works so well. It’s very catchy, and I like it because it is straight and to the point.

10. Modal/Light Box
Digg

Modal/Light boxes are kind of like pop-up windows, except they are less annoying. These boxes offer web designers a different way of displaying pictures, text and videos. Its focus is to concentrate on the information presented that is relevant to the user. I like this feature, and I use it on various websites. For example, when I do online shopping sometimes a light box will appear when I click on a certain image that I am interested in, providing me with more information. This user-friendly modal/light box trend is upcoming.

Web design trends are changing at a constant rate. Hopefully some of these trends and examples can inspire you to create or redesign your own sites. You never know, maybe it will even lead you to creating a new trend that can be introduced to the web design world. Good luck with your future creations.

Source(s):

http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/design/web-design-trends-2010/

http://d-lists.co.uk/2010/11/02/web-design-trends-retro/

http://d-lists.co.uk/2010/08/24/web-design-trends-the-ribbon/

It feels like people from my generation are the last of a dying breed – those who still use or make use of print.  Those of us who can still find “ink on our fingers,” so to speak. From news and advertising to everyday communication and commerce, it’s no secret that we have become a digitalized world of bloggers, e-vendors, and online media socialites.  For those of us that started out that way and who were born into the World Wide Web, well, the issue of what to do with all that paper that adds up over the years doesn’t even come about. So what about those people, whose livelihoods relied upon and were surrounded by the world of print?  How are they fairing in a world that runs along the digital highway and waits for no one?

The sad but true reality of the state of the print world is dismal. We’ve all read about the folding of major newspapers, magazines, and the demise of various other facets of the print world that have existed for almost a century. While many companies and technical savvy individuals have been able to keep up with the times and adopt the ways of the digital world or make that transition to the web, a small, yet important demographic still lags behind – that of the small business.

Small businesses, particularly successful, small businesses that have been around for years seem to have the most trouble with transitioning from print or pen and paper to the web.

Having worked with a number of clients that are small businesses looking to make this important transition, the following are just a few suggestions on how to properly make the leap from print to the web:

1. Setup a blog, a website or both. Whether you’re selling shoes are publicizing your latest book – creating a blog or website is key. For blogs, we suggest using Word Press. It’s much more flexible, you won’t have to advertise (like you have to advertise with blogger). With Word Press, you also have the option of setting up a content management system, which allows you to create multiple pages and an actual website with other pages. Making a website for your company allows for an endless amount of possibilities. You can start with a simple, 5 page web  site just to get your name out there, what you do and communicate with your target market faster and easier. Eventually, you can put more work into your site’s SEO and SEM for web advertising or setup e-commerce to start selling your products or services via the web.
2. Plan your Design. If you plan to use current publications or text there are a couple of things to consider when it comes to typography and images. When it comes to designing your website or blog, these two aspects of your web publication are the most important things to be aware of. The way something looks on paper will appear different on the computer screen. For this reason, you should familiarize yourself with how font type and size differentiate from print to digital. Also take into consideration various font colors and how they will appear best on whichever background you are looking to use on the web. Print best practices normally use a 10 or 11 point font. This size font is not legible on the web and should be increased to either 12 or 14 when using text on the web. Also consider using a sans-serif font as opposed to serif fonts – they are known to have a much higher readability level for most people viewing the text on a screen.It is also important to consider color and contrast of the text and its background when publishing on the web. For example – it is important to be careful to steer away from grey or light colored fonts that will be hard to read on a white background.Common problems with design transitions from print to web also include image size and dimension after compression. Things to consider are your images dpi (dots per inch), the document/image format – we recommend using either a JPEG or PNG.
3. Educate yourself on the best ways to market and advertise your website or blog. Things to consider are SEO, email marketing, RSS feeds or visitor/user subscriptions to any publications you might be offering the public.

The above are just a few of the significant things you should take into consideration when transitioning from print to web. While there is a great deal of information and things to watch out for during this process it has proven to be one that is well worth it. The best suggestion we can offer those of you looking to take the leap is to make use of the internet and all of the other information out there regarding this process.