It is not the best idea to get a website designed by a graphic designer unless they have a web design department which has a proven track record. Web design is highly specialised, and you will do better with a web design company. Even then, you need to keep charge of your project because the site for a bricks-and-mortar business needs to be different from other websites.

The basics of making it easy for customers to buy, whether you have e-commerce on the site or they need to phone to place their order, is a fundamental essential of a good business website design. Here is some detail you should make sure your designer follows: A) The navigation structure should take the searcher from every page to the main pages, and to the next page in the sales process. B) There should be hyperlinks to the next page in the sales process.

Remember, this is not just a corporate brochure design }modifed for the web|converted to code for the internet}. C) The prospect should enter the order page when you know he or she is ready.

Many people try to make their sites too busy, with too much stuff on it. You must keep the prospect in the sales loop, which might include the ‘About Us’ page to show you are an established trader.

Finally, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that a website should be based on a brochure; you need to think about it differently.

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