Interview for KT & Associates Open House

November 2000

Karon: Small business owners have to save every penny they can, especially in the beginning. But, having a professional Web design says so much about a business. What are some ways small businesses can get a well-designed site that doesn't break their budget? (I.e., have the site navigation already planned out; provide photos or graphics they want to use, etc.)

Viki: If you're on a tight budget, I would suggest starting out small, maybe 3 or 4 pages. As time goes on and your business grows, add more pages as needed.

Karon: Many of our Open House visitors either want to or need to design their own Web sites. Can you tell us, what are the most common mistakes amateurs make when designing sites?

Viki: One of the biggest mistakes that I see over and over again, is using a free software program that can be downloaded off the Internet, such as FrontPage. These freebie programs tend to write messy code and make a lot of mistakes that an amateur won't be able to fix unless they know html programming. They also don't always allow cross-browser compatibility. For example, FrontPage is made by Microsoft, so it is going to create Web sites that will probably look good in Microsoft's Internet Explorer, but not so good in Netscape or Opera. Another mistake is using graphics copied off "free graphics" sites. Most of these graphics are copyrighted and have been stolen from other people. Unless you have a statement that says, "I am the creator of this graphic and you have my permission to use it" you are probably violating copyright laws.

Karon: Which Web design software do you prefer?

Viki: I religiously use Dreamweaver by Macromedia

Karon: Why?

Viki: Dreamweaver writes clean html code and allows me to put a Web site together much faster than by hand coding. It has many features that make it a real timesaver for me, but it also allows me to work directly with the html code when I need or want to.

Karon: There are so many programs out there that are "graphics" oriented. If I'm designing my own site, do I *really* need to learn html?

Viki: It's a good idea to know html. Even Dreamweaver, which is considered to be the best "What You See Is What You Get" software on the market, sometimes leaves code behind if you make a lot of changes while working. The best way to fix this is to go in and make changes to the html code. If you leave it, it could cause browsers to display your Web site incorrectly. Also, even the best graphic oriented software is limited. You have so much more control over how your site looks and many more options if you are proficient in html.

Karon: How important is education and formal training when learning to design sites? In other words - honestly - can I learn to do a good job by working through the program's tutorial and participating in some Web design chat rooms?

Viki: This depends on the person. There are probably some people who have the talent to do it, but at the same time, learning all there is to know about Web design and keeping up with the ever-changing technology is a full-time job in itself. They might be able to do a good job, but they are not going to have the knowledge and expertise of someone who has formal education and experience.

Karon: I've often had people come to me who wanted new copy written for their Web site that met search engine criteria. It seems the original copywriter did not understand what was involved with that process. I'm sure you've had many clients who needed Web site re-designs for that same reason. Should thought be given to search engine placement *prior* to designing the Web site?

Viki: Yes. If at all possible, Web site design, search engine optimization and copywriting should all be done at the same time. It will save time and money in the long run.

Karon: Will it cost less in the long run to have the designer optimize the site for search engines in the beginning?

Viki: It's going to cost a lot less to have search engine optimization done at the same time as the design. Ideally the designer and engine positioner should work together during the design phase. There are times that an engine positioner might feel a design will make search engine placement difficult and he or she will suggest a redesign in order to optimize a Web site for the search engines. This can be avoided if the design and engine placement is done simultaneously, thus saving the money it would cost to have a site redesigned.

Karon: Here's your open forum of those who need a designer or those who want/need to do it themselves. Feel free to make comments, give us juicy inside tips or words of inspiration!

Viki: Here is a freebie - Check to see how your site ranks for clean html code, browser compatibility, download time, and check for spelling errors and broken links at the same time. Visit http://www.netmechanic.com/ and use their HTML Toolbox Free Sample. There is a space to enter your URL, click on go, and it will return a report to you. It uses a five-star rating system and it gives you all the details as to what is "wrong" and how you can fix them. Remember that this does not check your entire site, but only one page. You can check additional pages by typing in the exact URL to that page.

My word of advice to anyone who is thinking about building a presence on the Web is to come up with a solid plan. Decide on a business name, what your mission will be and how you are going to accomplish it. Then come up with an outline of what you want your Web site to do and how you want it to look. Good planning will give your Web business a solid foundation and increase your chances of success.