So you want to be a webmaster?
Occasionally, acquaintances of mine will request my assistance with the creation of their company/club/organizational website. I generally decline on account of a packed schedule, and every time I regret the decision—inevitably, they find somebody else that finds a few pixilated images, throws some white text on a dark-blue background and calls it good. While the goal of a website might be accomplished, this creation has very low potential to create new business or spread the message of their organization.
There is a downside to the rapid growth and popularity of the increase that the dot-com burst provided. Unlike other advertising mediums, which developed slowly and methodically over a period of decades or, in some cases, centuries, the Internet grew much faster. It went from a little-known educational information exchange system (believe it or not, the Internet existed long before Al Gore "created" it in the late 1970's) to a high-powered, international entity in less than five years. There was no opportunity for controlled growth or certification—it is amazing that such an uncoordinated, decentralized system ever managed to entwine itself so deeply into our society.
Without an organization to oversee those creating, expanding and contributing to this new cyber-existence, the Internet became saturated by unskilled, amateur webmasters. The very aspect—freedom, lack of control and authority—that made the Internet so popular is the very same thing that has kept its potential at bay. For every qualified, trained professional out there, hundreds more are teaching themselves bad habits, perpetually increasing the availability of solid, pure crap.
There is a parallel between television and radio commercials and "professional" websites. There is a high percentage of low-quality ads on both mediums, and there is an even high proportion of low-quality (or no-quality) websites on the Internet. The bulk of these are the direct result of businesses trying to save a few bucks, but there is a key difference between poorly-designed websites and their counterpart on television and radio: the general public appears to be entirely deficient at differentiating between a good and bad website.
As a professional web developer—simply put, I'm the guy that writes code and makes websites do what they do—I have a fair understanding of how to create a visually pleasing, effective website. That said, there is nothing more irritating than running into a student who took "Introduction to HTML" and learning that she considers herself a "web designer." It takes more than the knowledge of chords on a guitar to be a guitarist, and it takes more than the building blocks to create a "professional website."
Alright, let's get down to brass tacks. There are three basic elements to an effective website: First and foremost, the site needs to look professional. Solid background colors (other than white or shades of white) provide the first reason for potential visitors to leave immediately. There is no clear-cut rule on what "professional" means, but I can provide several clues: organized, clean, simple and visually appealing. Most of the philosophy of print design is carried over to the Internet, so starting with your organizational letterhead or logo might be a viable option.
Second, it is vitally important that your website remain consistent from page to page. Just as an unattractive website will drive visitors away, so will a website which strives to appear differently every time the visitor navigates to a new page. Take the template approach: The only element that should change from page to page is the content; the header, footer, and other design elements should otherwise remain the same.
Finally, and of course most importantly, your website must have a clear purpose. Without a common goal linking the visual design, content and organization, your website cannot serve the needs of your visitors and clients; and, without serving their needs, there is no need for an online identity at all, now is there?
There we have it. Three basic elements that, when applied correctly, will drastically improve the success of your online presence. I cannot cover the essentials in one column—but Barnes and Noble is sure to have an exquisite selection on the topic. Keep in mind the importance of quality work, and—if you happen to be behind the creation process yourself—remember one important detail: Practice makes perfect.
As I did previously, I will close today's lesson by taking advantage of the situation and advertise the company I work for—aijalon is a web design company centered on the idea that the client needs to control their identity online as well as in print. We provide a web-based solution for maintaining and editing the content and structure of your site—our staff is devoted to creating the best website we can provide. You can find us online at aijalon.net, or call us locally at (402) 475-4343.