katty b's websites that work

I am no graphic designer, and it shows. Mine are not the prettiest sites on the web. That's not to say I don't think getting a look appropriate for your business isn't important, but my look reflects the style of my own work - functional, efficient, and maybe just a bit quirky.

The look of your own site should reflect your business. What is fine for a hobby homepage is not necessarily appropriate for a commercial site. Cute little animated gifs and pictures of your dog are out, OK? On the other hand, if you're a small business with a strong personal connection to your clients, you don't really want it to look like some mega-corporate e-commerce site, either.

Your website will be the most public face of your business, and so make sure that it creates the first impression that you're after. If you're an architecture firm, for example, your audience will expect a much slicker look than if you sell hardware. I design a lot of sites for bands, and of course I can get away from the corporate white-background look there. You have to decide what's appropriate.

If your business already has a corporate style, say on your printed material, you will want to carry this look through onto your site. If you're starting from scratch, it might be an idea to look at your competitors websites to help you formulate a clear opinion about how you want your customers to see you. Spend some serious time surfing the web, keeping note of URLs you particularly like. There's no point reinventing the wheel, and what's appealed to you is likely to appeal to others.

The function of the site will also be a major factor in the design. Is your intention just to communicate information about your business, or is it to advertise particular products for sale? Again, the key is to find other sites that are successfully achieving what you want to do, and copy their formula.

The web is a visual medium. Relevant photos and graphics will really add interest to your site. Choose fonts appropriate to your overall corporate look. Decide whether you want a 3D look, a drop-shadow look (like this), or a flat look, and carry that throughout the site. Consistency within a site is very important.