Hi! And welcome to the first of a bi-weekly series from Raging Lion Studios called “Website Wisdom”.
We’ve been in the industry for a bit, and while we do have some horror stories, the majority of our history and experiences has actually been pretty pleasant.
That being said, we’d like to offer some advice to our peers in the industry as well as our clients to give you a peek into how our process operates.
Without further ado, I present the first feature in our new series, “Website Wisdom. “
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Website design is first and foremost, a tricky beast.
While we like to think we know it all, we most definitely don’t and make mistakes from time to time. What we’re saying is that we aren’t a perfect studio, just like no one is a perfect human being. When it comes to building websites, it’s a collaborative process between the client and the studio. You give us a raw sketch of what you want–we build it, tweak it, and deliver the final product.
Sometimes, however, delusions of grandeur outweigh what makes a website work.
What we mean by that is simply this: A website shouldn’t be crowded. It should be slim and have only the necessities, with enough pizzazz to really wow the user.
Unfortunately–and we’ve run into this before– the client will ask for really interesting… add-ons. Like flashy bubbles drifting over the website. Or graphics that pop out at you and really deter the focus from your brand.
This creates a website that people usually won’t return to and can devalue your brand pretty quickly.
What we recommend, as a client, is coming to your web developer with a clear sense of what you want–the real basics, the stuff that can’t be thrown away. Then, once that’s done, trust your web developer to make your brand shine. Your web developer will be really flexible in delivering your vision–we’ll take your suggestions and try to make them work.
But they will also be pretty blunt about what works and what doesn’t.
The reason is that as web developers, we’ve gone through each major web change since the early nineties. While traffic counters used to show that you were a pretty well visited site, it now just looks clunky and cheesy. We follow what is known as “the modern design standard” and we work within those design restrictions to make something fresh and delightful.
Think about the last website you went to. Was it easy to navigate? Was it pleasing to the eye? Think of these things when you’re suggesting features for your website. Be realistic about what will work best for your clientele, and not necessarily what you like best.
Remember–this is your website, at the end of the day. But think of it as something that people will view every day. It should be something memorable that people will want to come back to.
Raging Lion Studios has always been about making something beautiful and simple to use. We want to be able to help you achieve your vision, and collaborate on your next web project. Talk to one of our Design Specialists today by emailing [email protected].
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