To DIY or not to DIY
- Luke Telford
- 4 March 2010
Photo credit: andyculpin @ sxc.hu
Why use a specialist copywriter?
Good copy is the key to holding a visitors attention. It is so easy for them to give up and navigate away from your site—well written copy engages them and convinces them to stay. This is particularly true of technical services. Take the site for
the Adobe
software, for instance. Incredibly
technical product, but the copy is simple and personable, explaining the endless details of the product simply, concisely and warmly.
Why use a specialist web designer?
Your homepage is the face of your business for thousands upon thousands of potential online customers. If the design is ugly, dated or cumbersome, no one is going to stick around to find out about your business—they'll draw that conclusion based on how the site makes them feel.
If your budget is small, keep the site design simple. If you're in a creative industry (design, fashion), a tasteful (expensive) site design is especially crucial. Businesses in these industries really need to impress their customers: if quality content/design is what you're selling, your site needs to communicate that clearly to all visitors.
Quite apart from creative industries, if you own a business that has to deal with a high degree of competition, a strong site design will help differentiate you from the rest. Take the Single Origin presence for example. This company wisely supplements the endlessly marketable 'fair trade' idea with a
website design that is simply beautiful. It emphasises the community aspect of its urban Surry Hills location, and why that's relevant to the business' principles.
Why use a professional photographer?
Professional photography is especially important for companies selling physical products that rely largely on presentation for appeal.
Take Jodie McGregor Flowers as an
example. This is a small, suburban florist that has invested in some quality photography to boost its web-presence and online sales. The site design is very simple, and has almost too much content on it. You don't need to do much reading to get the
message that the images convey: ‘we sell amazing flowers'.
The same should be said of Cookie Couture.
Quality photography makes all the difference when selling food (particularly comfort food) online; the images on this site capture the intimacy and occasion of a nice baked treat, rendering the few words on the site almost unnecessary. While
Byron Bay Cookie Company is slightly more
complex, it's still the perfect images that make it an appealing site to visit. #
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