Monique N. Powell, Gleaner Online Writer

The popular YouTube website. Surfers are more likely to trust a site that appears professionally designed, according to a Stanford study. - File

If you have been thinking about building a website for your business, here are a few things you should consider before you start.

THE OBJECTIVE

Determine your exact reasons for building this website.

One business may use its website primarily as a product catalogue, while another may see a website as a means of generating 'buzz' or 'hype' around a single product or brand it plans to introduce.

Different websites serve different purposes and require different approaches to the web-development process. Having a clear idea of what you expect to achieve from the onset is important.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Determining the target audience for your website is also important.

You should try to be as specific as possible about the set of people you are trying to reach, since the target market will determine factors such as colours used, arrangement of site content, and accessibility considerations.

PROFESSIONAL HELP

Unless you are bound by severe financial constraints, resist the urge to try to save money by doing it yourself.

If you attempt to do this, and you have absolutely no experience in design or web development, it is going to show on the end product.

Participants in the Stanford Web Credibility Study said they were "more likely to believe websites that looked professionally designed."

It is important that your website reflect the type of image your business is trying to project.

Good web design is about much more than putting pictures and text together and putting it on the Internet.

It involves visually conveying messages using designs that will appeal to your intended target audience, while delivering ease of use and functionality. A seasoned professional can help you to accomplish this.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TALENT

A good place to start looking for good local web-design firms/professionals is under the 'Web Services' category on www.Top5Jamaica.com.

Go through the different portfolios listed and identify those professionals who seem able to create what you want.

Have a list of questions ready and contact each one directly.

Look for those willing to provide you with a custom-built solution, as opposed to those trying to sell you a 'boxed solution' without first determining what it is that your business needs.

You should also devote some time to gaining a general understanding of what makes a website successful.

You may start by reading related articles such as those in the E-Business section of www.entrepreneur.com.

Good luck with that new website!

monique.powell@gleanerjm.com