Some Recent Website Designs

Designing a website that works means two things:

Designing for the user
Designing for the client

... in that order. That may seem surprising—after all, it's the client who's paying for the site—but getting people to buy your wares means making it easy for them to do so. You, the website owner, may want a lot of bells and whistles, but don't let frills get in the way of a sale.

Site design is much, much more than just "looking good." It's about usability. I put myself in the position of someone totally ignorant of the client's business (and often, it's not acting!). Can I find what I need to know quickly, without getting lost in the site, or being forced to click the 'Back' button to get where I need to go?

It's been shown by dozens of usability studies that the average website has about eight seconds of a visitor's attention. If she doesn't find what she wants by then, it's "bye-bye."

Is there a reason to use your services rather than someone else's? What is your "USP" (Unique Selling Proposition) that makes a visitor want to buy, or at least stay and visit the site a while? You can't convert every visitor into a customer, but you can improve the odds with smart design and useful content.

An interior design and remodeling firm needed something splashy to showcase their work. An interactive portfolio and video clips from a televison show did the trick.	A hypnotherapist wanted a theme using elements from her brochure, and announce her upcoming speaking engagements.
A children's play space needed something that says "fun" yet provides useful information. An animated opening page and activity schedule accomplished both.	A professional harpist needed links to video and audio clips so clients could both hear and see her playing.
An insurance adjusting firm had to make their current site work within a limited budget and time frame. I made the site more user and search-engine friendly.	A dentist wanted a simple "brochure" site, but wanted to build a client base by offering online specials.
A local Unitarian Church needed a way to both communicate with members about upcoming events and tell the larger community about them.	A licensed arborist needed a website to showcase his work, provide resources and have a way for clients tdo contact him (via an online form) rather than by phone.
A hair stylist and beauty consultant needed to graduate from her home-made site to something more professional.	An artist looking to expand his audience needed a website to serve as both portfolio and marketing tool.
A local realtor needed a websie to advertise his firm and make his listings available to his clients.	A law practice wanted a website to reflect their broad reach and specialized clientele.