We’ve really enjoyed this #launchweek here at NewCoast.  We’ve had the opportunity to design some great sites, work some amazing people, and give away terrific coffee.  A huge thank you to all of you who joined us for the ride.

To wrap up our week here, after we’ve talked about letting your design reflect your purpose and your audience, we’d like to take a little time to talk about the importance of going the extra mile.  We all know customer service is huge.  Just think about any restaurant experience you’ve had.  If the waiter is rude and unhelpful, it’s pretty easy to want to be stingy with the tip, isn’t it?  But, if your waiter goes above and beyond to be helpful, kind, and responsive, it’s super easy to want to be generous with your tip, right?

It’s the same with your website design.  Just what does it look like to go above and beyond with your website and its design?  Here are some thoughts:

• strive for simplicity: we’ve talked before about the fact that complex designs have their place for some businesses, but the majority of you out there really need a design that is beautiful but simple enough to make your content stand out for your readers.
• make it easy to read: respect the fact that your readers have all kinds of eye-sights.  Don’t make your text and pages so hard to read that they get frustrated and quit.  Choose fonts that are clear and readable.
• provide what they want to know: take a second to think like your customer.  What are going to be the main questions they are going to have in mind when they come to your website?  Write them down, and then provide the answers on your website.  The more questions you answer, the more likely they are to stick around.
• make it easy to find: on that note, don’t just answer all their questions with the information they need, make that information easy to find.  Provide a separate contact page that’s easy to see.  Have an About page that is well-written and filled with links to other important information.
• choose images that go with content: if you choose to use images for the different pages on your website, choose ones that have to do with your content:  they need to be clear, relevant, and appealing to the eye.  That way, they’ll help draw people’s attention to what you have to say.

These are just a few ideas we had for going above and beyond in your website design.  What suggestions do you have?