Having a website is vital in this digital age. But how important is the design of you site, what can you do to make you website more current. This presentation takes you through all the aspects of designing a website.

1. Is your website design current?
Some niggly but critical bits you may not have previously
considered…

2. What I hope to cover…
• On page SEO
– Alt tags, navigation, text etc
• Accessibility & Compliance
– Cross platform usability, how not to get sued,
simple bits you can do yourself
• Graphical elements of website design
– The integration of marketing into design

3. An Introduction…
• I’m John
– I work in the Web
Design team at
Generate UK
– I have previously built
newsletters, blogs, we
bsites, posters and
much more
– I understand the effect
of marketing on design

4. On-page SEO
Making pages search engine friendly
• Ensure all of you pages are linked!
– If the user cannot find it, neither will the search engines
– Navigation must be easy to use
– Drop down menus and Flash: BAD

5. On-page SEO
Making pages search engine friendly
• Alt-tags
– Images might mean 1000 words to you or I
– In image free browsers, slow Internet connections #-
images are of no use.
– Good for Search Engines
– Good for text readers
– Has further accessibility implications

6. On-page SEO
Making pages search engine friendly
• Web standards
– The W3C, for a universally accessible resource
– Site has not been updated recently?
you can be left behind
– Implications for SEO and accessibility
– Free W3C validator!

7. On-page SEO
Making pages search engine friendly
• Accessibility
– Website accessibility is a legal requirement.
• ramada.com, priceline.com and the Australian Olympic
committee were sued
– Up to 48% of your audience could be affected.
– Cater for Lynx, Screen readers, screen magnifiers,
differing resolutions, slow connections, flash, java,
alt-tags for images as well as including subtitles
where necessary

8. Graphics & Design
• Is it current?
– Does it look a little basic? Grainy? Boring?
– Visual representation of your business
– It needs to WOW the user
– No visible effort? Why should they go to the
trouble of buying it?

9. Graphics & Design
• How can I improve on this?
– Refresh your website, updated
– Interactivity -social media, blogs etc
– Includes videos, audio, animations
– Adds a dynamic feel

10. Designing a Structure
Create a list of key factors your site must achieve
For example:
1) Promote the brand
2) Highlight our biggest product
3) Capture details through enquiries
4) Promote secondary products
5) Encourage direct contact

11. Site Structure Example
1
4
2
5
3
6
7

12. Layout Options
What is this and what are the options?
• Fixed Width - restricted for larger screens
• Flexible Width - width expands to browser width
• Expanding Width - site increases in all dimensions
to allow growth of text

13. Branding
Best use of your Corporate Identity
• Is your corporate ID well represented?
• How much space does it require?
• Corporate colours are key to visual integration

14. Banner
Does your banner carry the right message?
• How big should your banner be?
• What will the content be?
• Should it be static or dynamic?
• Should it be minimal or more dramatic?

15. Teasers / Call To Action
• Retain / Interest
• Left / Right columns are the best locations
• Best incorporated on the home page
• Minimised throughout the site

16. Example 1

17. Example 2

18. Example 3

19. Example 4

20. Tying it all together
– Before building your pages,
consider the on-page SEO
– Ensure the design and multimedia is accessible
– Make sure you stand out