Before starting a new web site or web business, consider these important money saving design tips to help your web designer do a better job and save you money.

Public service information brought to you by BGdesign and WebSuccess, divisions of Buyers Group, est. 1985.

1) First and foremost is to determine your knowledge, unique selling proposition, the amount of skilled labor time available, the level of competition and your budget. All the other decisions flow from these main factors. These tips are about both designing for web success and about saving money by helping your web designer help you have less maintenance and other costs over time. If you really intend to grow, this is an important matter. See Designing for Growth.

2) As for any project, gathering knowledge, checklists, standards and examples, then planning and setting out goals and tasks and requirements is done first.

3) First understand common design mistakes such as using a WYSIWYG web site generator (as appears) web site builders (like FrontPage, Dreamweaver) which create garbage code in the pages which impedes future maintenance and changes and fixes. If you never worked on computer projects, which a website is, then set your goals moderate to begin. There are issues you know nothing about.

4) Understand that "animation" and "flash" often is expensive to create, difficult to change or maintain (or impossible if you do not have the project files), can be very slow to load, and highly detracts from the main text of a website.

5) Understand that you have about 2 to 5 seconds to interest your visitor. Too many site designs fail to recognize that the audience / viewer is not sophisticated and does not (at first) care about your complex theories, but merely wants the basics of who, what, when where, how; that is are you relevant to their needs, what you do, why you are better, and why they should trust you over others.

6) Understand the basics of advertising, that simple, "not cutesy" and not sophisticated", is best; that you have 2 to 5 seconds to interest your viewer with their self-interest. This can be especially difficult for companies who sell a sophisticated comprehensive approach or type of service) Buyers (except engineer and technical types) care much less about hHOW you do it than IF you can do it consistently reliably, quickly, smoothly, inexpensively.

10) Unusual innovative layouts and navigation confuse average visitors rather than impress them.

11) Did you know it is your experience, references, skills, products, features, examples or case histories, testimonials and samples which mean more to buyers than any glitzy creativity, as to selling rather than looking. (Our telling you this truth costs us money short term, but we would rather your company survive long term).

12) Trying to be "different" visually often confuses web surfers accustomed to common standards, layouts and methods of informing and navigation, and distracts from the key simple text words which differentiate and sell the service/product (even unusual colors turn some people off). Avoid any confusing non-solid backgrounds or textures behind words.

13) Understand that websites are graphics art and printing-type project, advertising and PR campaign and technical computer project rolled into one, which requires much patience, creativity and sometimes major costs and revisions and much time to complete. You must have the time and patience and ability to do this right, and time away from regular work can be a major cost to your business. Don't start what you can't properly finish, or if you are not willing to invest a year or two to finally get smooth performance, high traffic and profitable results.

14) Understand that "functionality", "database", "interactivity" or "content" management and even security can be difficult, expensive and time-consuming, by several times regular simple HTML sites.

15) Understand that you can buy web design work which costs less (less time required) which may look OK but is not maintainable, transportable nor properly readable on all browsers nor hosting companies, and to fix it when you want changes or to move it will cost you two or three times than to just do it right the first time. You probably don't even know anything about multi-browser issues and code standards with which most sites don't comply. These issues are what good web developers handle for you behind the scenes in your best interests without bothering you or surprising you about it later.

16) Understand that traffic building can take long testing of promotions and many revisions of headings and content which is the "copy" of advertising which the search engine spiders use to index your page and may take months to "propagate" for a full test? (ie: great website "organic traffic" is years in the building, similar to and dependent upon a final business strategy.

17) It is critical to fully define the scope, nature, logos and colors of each web project and your design preferences before and early in the process, in writing with sketches and proofs of rough layouts.

18) If your web designer has successfully satisfied many clients and has many years of experience, weigh their suggestions heavily and allow this professional do their job in good faith with your periodic review and proofing of the project.

19) Your choices of type fonts is highly restricted by Browser standards availability. (Avoid getting creative special fonts and layouts requiring conversion to pictures, which then prevents search engine spiders from reading the words, and restricts ability to change text).

20) Pay special attention to graphics and images as to colors, sizes, densities and work files and graphic layers which are all critical to web design and must be in formats complete and available to your web designer. Tell your graphics and Flash people up front to plan for web publishing and to contact your web developer and that such sizes and complete work files are required.

21) If you have not had awards or been paid for creative art work or graphics and yet you expect to manage most of the artistic process for the site, tell your web developer so they can plan accordingly.

22) If you have not had great success with web sites in the past, explain that to your web designer and discuss why that happened and what was most difficult or disappointing.

23) Become familiar with "webmaster" functions and requirements for dealing with server problems, upgrades, compatibility and security and traffic stats issues, utilities and maintenance.

24) Be very careful to check that the web designer does not farm out the work to subcontractors in other countries. Better results come from web designers in your own country who have long experience and work directly, not merely middlemen. They work "in good faith" often by the hour, and should not have to relay communications, except with specialists. Sometimes difficult problems arise on functionality or scripts or server problems and this may not be fixed as quickly as everyone would like, but regardless, expect to promptly pay for all the time they work toward your work request. That is what comes with being an owner of complex programmed systems. If you aren't ready for that, don't request functionality or customized scripts. Luck and programming skills vary by the part of a project in which even an excellent programmer may have difficulty seeing some bugs. You are paying for their best efforts and you must stop the project when you see it exceeds your funds. Think of it like a big old house with contractors trying to fix plumbing leaks under the basement... you pay them for every hour regardless whether they can fix it. Don't choose something with great uncertainties if you can't afford it.

GOOD LUCK !!!