Websites can often offer services to support and integrate with your business. For example, you might offer online shopping to streamline the purchase, dispatch and accounts process (including payment gateways, stock/inventory detailing, member or client information, etc.). Alternatively your website can increase the effectiveness of your marketing and product support, by spotlighting your products with extensive information and product catalogues, emailing product information to opt-in recipients, allowing links back to the manufactures (if applicable), etc. You might also set up an FAQ section on your website and encourage your visitors to read this area before contacting your office. A feedback form might also reduce administration overhead by allowing your readers to contact you and request more information, etc.

With websites, less is more. The simpler the structure is, the more user-friendly it is. It all comes down to navigation; navigation is a website’s lifeblood. A poor navigation structure can destroy a user’s experience, and damage your online imageSections should be obviously grouped, both logically and visually. This makes navigation intuitive. Create a draft site plan before website development is commenced. Discuss it with your designers and developers, work with them to evolve it, then leave it with them to guide them through the website development process. This will ensure that the visual and functional elements of your website flow and make sense.