Orlando Website Design

When a business in Orlando or across the Nation, decides to go forward with building a Professional Website to represent their business by choosing an Orlando Website Design firm, it is important that they understand the latest trends and best practices.

Focus on Search Engines

More than a beautiful design goes into successful Websites online  - the website must get ranked by Google and other major Search Engines or it will just be a "Billboard in the Desert".  Having a great design and traffic is ideal - but businesses planning to have a Website designed need to understand the importance of SEO Friendly Website design.  A Website is more than a design - it must get ranked, drive traffic and make sales or your business will not succeed online.

Some of the latest online industry trends and best practices:

• A Website is nothing without visitors, ie. "traffic".  Make sure you choose a Web design firm that offers Search Engine Optimized Web design & development.
  
• Flash looks great, but it cannot be read by Search Engines like Google; avoid flash and focus on relevant content for your Websites homepage design.
  
• Make sure you choose a Web design firm which designs a Website with an easy to follow navigation structure for clients, with a clear call to action with phone number on every page.
  
• Your Website must have text links for Search Engines to follow and a detailed Sitemap of all pages; if you wish to have image navigation, then repeat the links on the footer.
  
• If building an Orlando E-Commerce Web Design; remember, THE WEBSITE MUST BE ABLE TO CONVERT. So pay attention to a clear navigation structure and remember - no more than 3 clicks to a sale.
• Have your Orlando Web Designer install a Wordpress or other popular blog platform on your Website during the build; Wordpress has a very user friendly administration panel, where you will be able to keep clients up to date on new products and company news

Make sure that you convey to your Web designer these practices, so that your Website does not end up as just another "Billboard in the Desert".  And, if you follow all of these tips, your new Website will be on its way to making sales and converting clients - which don't forget, SHOULD be the Websites main purpose.

Use Open Source Platforms

For those new to the Web, it is important to touch on this slightly technical - but important subject.  Currently your new Website can be built to be hosted on a Microsoft OR Linux Web server. It is STRONGLY Recommended to use the Linux server platform and have any dynamic features on your Website coded in PHP code. There are many benefits to using Linux.

• Most "Free" open source platforms like Wordpress are for Linux servers only
  
• The majority of Web developers work in PHP for Linux platforms nowadays
• Most dynamic features for a Website provided by 3rd party's are designed around a Linux Web server platform

In short - Microsoft servers are a bit antiquated, and the Web has voted Linux as the new superstar in this area. Yes this is a bit technical - but if you mention Linux and PHP in your Request for Proposal from your Orlando Website Design firm - you have covered it.

Conclusion

These are some tips to get you started which you can ask any Orlando Website Design firm first, before starting your important Corporate Website Design project in Orlando, Florida or across the nation.

For more in-depth information, please watch an excellent video by Seth Godin below and take advantage of some great Amazon books on Web design practices.