Website Design

Your website is like your storefront window for online shoppers; unlike your physical location, it has the potential to reach an infinite customer base, so its presentation is vital to the global perception of your company. For small business owners, the prospect of developing a presence in an internationally competitive market can be intimidating, but we take intellectual, cultural and social factors into account when planning and developing website designs that will be uniquely tailored for you, and directed to your target audience.

For example, I was approached by a talented jeweler who primarily sold his products at local craft fairs and tradeshows. I designed a website for him, which showcases his custom design capability, and allows his work to be visible to a far more expansive audience. He is currently taking orders from enthusiastic clients around the world, and has been invited to a much wider circuit of tradeshows because scouts for those shows found and admired the work that he was showcasing online.

We use two categories of design principles based on aesthetics (unity, rhythm, space, color, symmetry, and balance) and on accessibility and functionality. By working closely with you, we develop your website to meet your expectations and to attract the interest of the specific users searching for your service or product.

In the case of Coyote Tales, we broke down the idea of his target audience into two groups: the individual clients who wished to purchase jewelry, and the organizers of major artistic events.

The hierarchy principle allowed us to make the site user-friendly for these groups by foregrounding simple headings. Jewelry lovers can browse categories of his work under the “Shop” heading, and easily purchase individual pieces through the “My Accounts” page. Most jewelry sites are structured around the type of jewelry (bracelet, necklace, pendant, rings, etc.), but because symbolism and narrative are so important to this client, his jewelry is grouped according to its symbolic function, and each symbol is tied to a brief narrative explaining the spiritual significance of the artwork. On a more practical note, event planners can also access the “Home” and “About” pages to both appreciate the jeweler’s philosophy and to find a more detailed list of his qualifications.

The complementary aesthetic principles ensure that the whole site is designed to complement the logo: the color scheme is varied, but directs the eye primarily to the logo and to the headers, the artwork is original and reflects the customer’s aesthetic values, and the fonts are approachable, so that they don’t distract from the customer’s appreciation of the jewelry itself.

If you are thrilled by the structure of the basic design package, we can also guarantee constant maintenance and technological upgrades, which will provide you with security and confidence, so that even when software companies update their programming, your information will be up to the minute, and you’ll never have to worry about delays or errors in your programming. We all know how frustrating it is to encounter missing links or out-of-date information, but your loyal clients will be able to trust your website as much as they trust your services because we will be here for you every day, making your business look as professional and approachable on the web as it is in its physical location.

Most small business owners work from a basic template because customers find it familiar, approachable, and easy to use. However, we want you to stand out, so we adapt that comfortingly familiar form to emphasize the unique assets of your business. Because the needs of different clients are so variable, we can add pages that will:

• Allow you to post and update a “current events” calendar for your clients
• Allow your clients to buy products and services online directly
• Set up an encrypted “employee access” corner of the page that can include timesheets, or information that only employees need to see.
• Set up a “member access” page that allows only your clients to see more detailed information, or access special services.
• Help you to track your website usage so that you can maximize your marketability and improve your search engine optimization (SEO).
• Ensure that your site is fully searchable and accessible from both computers and mobile devices.

If you have a unique need, we can find a way to program your site to accommodate it. We have the core skills to manifest your vision, whatever form that may take.