Web Design

Website design is more than just a few graphics and text. We prefer to think of it as a process; where before we even start creating graphics or coding web pages, we work together with you to determine what your goals are. The first question we usually ask is; what do you want your site to do for you?

This may be a simple question, but in reality, you want to take a moment and really give it some thought. We have found out that if you are able to clearly define your requirements early on, the site development will be a smooth endeavor from concept to deployment. Here are some examples:

• Some clients want to share information about their organizations.
• Others require e-commerce functionality.
• News type portals will have their own set of requirements such as enabling the organization staff to enter content to the site in addition to managing online advertising opportunities.
• Some sites are used as lead generation vehicles for the sales and marketing departments.

Once the end goal of the site is defined, the next step is to define the site structure and user navigation. The site organization is very important, a well thought out site structure and navigation will be easy to use and will allow the site visitor to find the information they seek easily.

At this point we have an idea what the site is going to do for us and how we are going to organize it. Your requirements will determine how we would implement your site and what technology we would use to make your site do what you want it to do for you; collect information, sale products, offer a calendar of events, etc.

We know that your site presentation is as important as the content. Your site needs to be visually attractive to capture your site visitors and deliver your message. At the same time, your site content must be accessible to people with disabilities and also accessible to the search engines. Thanks to modern web design techniques such as table-less layouts and CSS (cascading style sheets), we are able to effectively separate the presentation from its content. Our web development team, both graphic designers and web developers, understands these concepts and requirements inside-out and work together to design sites that are both aesthetically appealing as well as accessible.

A benefit of separating content from presentation through table-less designs is that the site's web pages become less cluttered with HTML code and are easier for the search engine spiders to crawl and on the average, will load faster on your audience's browsers. Also, well throughout layouts and content will yield search engine optimized pages.

Finally, the end design must be compatible across browsers and operating systems. Just imagine, your site looks great on your computer. But what about all the other people surfing the internet? You have people using Macs, others using Windows PCs. Then you have people using various versions of Internet Explorer, Safari or Firefox browsers just to name a few.

So far these are just the first steps in the design process. Other topics that are just as important that need to be considered are Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Both of these will drive traffic to your site and should be considered when developing your site content.

At Tambo.com, we have the experience and know-how to combine all of these areas of expertise into a successful web site development plan. For a free consultation, please send us a note. We will be glad to schedule a time to answer any of your questions.