hobbit666 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Where do people get there ideas from when design a hosting company website. I admit i'm not a designer and have a very limited design type mind. I've been hosting for friends and family and the odd business for over 3 years now and have taken the steps to becoming a "Real" host, i.e. got a server, bought WHMCS, got a company logo etc etc. But i have no idea where to start on getting a website together. Any ideas on where to get some ideas? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 The best place to start is by looking at some of the most successful companies in whatever industry you are looking to get into. See what their processes are, what their designs are like, what they are doing different than other companies. You will want to also want to think about what is going to set your site apart from everyone else. Why should someone sign up with you instead of site5, hostgator, theplanet, liquidweb, bluehost etc. Make sure that you have a project plan that you can follow, and a great idea. Only then will your site become successful. I hope this helps. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gears Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Do what Brett wrote and draw something out on paper to visualize it. Get your creative juices flowing. But if you're not good with designing/making websites, then you might just want to purchase a premade template. I could even make you your website at a discounted price. Message me if you're interested, or message me if you simply want advice making/finding a website. Good luck 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickendippers Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Just don't get a website design with random pictures of smiley people http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=stock_photos 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbhosting Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 in my personal opinion, sites that are easy to navigate, straight forward, simple to understand, and links that a CLEAR about what they are, is what works for me. one thing that irks me to no end, is a very cluttered website, 1 and 1 is a perfect example. just my 2 cents. James 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lib-Design Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 My main points are: - The time for overkill/flashy (not the program, the showing off) has gone, tho it may come back they are quite unpopular are can lead to a host of browser related issuse. - You want everyone to see the same thing and to enjoy it, whether they are using IE7 Firebird saffarii etc And whatever screen resoltion (i normal design for between 800x600 and 1024x768) as a rough guide. - What is the savy level of the people you are targeting, if you clients are well luddities etc you should have a clear, simple and almost no frills navigation, whereas if they can find the on switch to the PC you may want something a little more brazen. Which brings me to one of the biggest mistakes designers/non designers and all manner of random people make which is: - What is the actual core message you want you site to give, This should be clear and make people sit up and take notice, if you selling .com domains for 99p then make it a center point dont like you key focuses get detracted from by "eye candy" and stock photos. Sorry if that seems like crap or repeats what some of the others say but its how i work with design both for the online world and offline systems. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbit666 Posted March 6, 2008 Author Share Posted March 6, 2008 thanks everyone, i kind of know what i want as a design it's just getting it coeded. some points there i need to take on board and think about, and yes i'm going to target the people that are not tech savy. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baja Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Hey if you have a good idea plus a good concept and you feel you can portray that in words to someone then by all means hire a professional to do it for you. Nothing wrong with that IMHO. I am a designer but there are plenty of people in this world who frankly put me to shame. I find a lot of times people want to do everything themselves because they have all ready put so much time and effort into whatever it is they are doing that they take an emotional stand on it and forget what the true goal is. On the other hand if you really want to get better and or maybe do not have the extra funds then pm for more direction if you want. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lib-Design Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 thanks everyone, i kind of know what i want as a design it's just getting it coeded. some points there i need to take on board and think about, and yes i'm going to target the people that are not tech savy. If the people as you say arent savy or dont want to be bothered with that side of things i would suggest bold icons and clear promotions. Also dont try to be too clever/confusing when naming things it puts some people off if they dont fully understand it. Give me a shout if you need any more advice or so. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorro67 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Actually the first place you should start is with your customers. Who are they, what do they want to achieve, what functionality do they want, what language do they use? the answer to these question (plus a few others) should determine what your site looks like, the tone of your language, the text you use, even the colours and fonts. For example, if I'm selling to the corporate market, am I going to use flash animations, fluoro text, and MS comic font? I think not! Alternatively, if my market is the your average tech-savvy teen in the gaming industry, staid solid blues just won't work. in short, work out who is your customer, and then everything should flow from there. Remember, without a customer, you don't have a business, you have a hobby. Then get a template until you can afford to re-design. And get a professional logo designed, preferably by a one man band. They'll be surprisingly cheap, and will look much more professional than one you can "knock up" yourself. just my 2.2c (including GST) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.