Page 115 - Duct Tape Marketing

Duct Tape Marketing

Learn as much as you can about the workings outlined in this
chapter, and then go to a qualified designer with some very specific
instructions. Make sure you are fully prepared to discuss your ideal tar-
get client, competitors, core message, identity elements, and any Web
sites that you like when you first visit with a prospective designer.

A Word about Design

Simple. That’s it. Keep your Web site design simple. You can create or
hire someone to create a very professional Web site that is focused on
getting your content found and read. Many designers have a tendency
to overdesign. You need to balance the need to look good with the
need for search engines to find your site and visitors to consume your
content. Don’t present them with distractions.

Simple also applies to images. Search engines can’t see images and
only view them by a couple of very simple attributes. Images can add
visual interest, but keep them simple and lightweight.

On the technical side, look for a designer who is very fluent in CSS
(Cascading Style Sheets) design. I don’t have the space to go into the full
technical nature of this, but a designer using CSS for Web site design
will be able to produce a site that more effectively takes advantage of the
power of search engines.

Page Layout
Start each page with a powerful headline. Follow each headline

with a highlighted introductory paragraph. Your intent is to grab
readers and quickly guide them into the rest of the page.

Simple Navigation
At one time it was common practice to create images for naviga-

tion bars. Again, these images don’t help in search terms and can bloat

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