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Solutions to your Web Problems
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At Laughing Collie Productions we offer a variety of services. On this
page you can read about our web
site creation & maintenance services, and our writing & editing
services. For a fuller description of all the solutions we offer you, please
check our web page titled Need us?
Prior planning prevents poor performance!
Web site design and development is about more than just what the
finished page will look like on your screen. It's also about the
choices you make:
- Choose the best company to host your web site
- Present your information clearly
- Speak, through your site, about you and your business
- Use appropriate technologies
Laughing Collie Productions will help you through each step
of the process, so your products and services are attractive
and available to all your potential customers.
We have a few questions
to ask yourself, and suggestions for both
people who're just starting out on the web, and for those who're
web-savvy, but not sure why their site isn't working as well
as they'd like. Knowing this information will help you better
conceptualize what you want for your web site, and assist in
its creation or modification.
What makes a good web site? Contrary to popular opinion,
simply slinging HTML into place is no guarantee of success. In
fact, the best web sites have been carefully planned out and
organized well before a single bit of code is typed.
At LCP, we want to be sure your web site fulfills all your
needs. Considering the answers to the following questions will
help you better conceptualize what you want for your web site,
and will also assist in its creation.
What's important on your site? Will it give
information on your services, or will you be selling product
on-line?
If the site is informational only: do you
want it to tell people where they can go to see or buy
your products?
If the site will help sell product: will
you be taking orders on-line, using e-mail or FAX,
or asking for regular mail?
If you're selling the product on-line:
how will you process payments? Will there be a checkout
process, and if so, what will it look like?
What form of communication is best for you: email,
FAX, phone, other? Make sure people can find the necessary
information to do so.
Do you want your site to give links to other sites,
or to have a "reciprocal links" section? If you'll be linking
to other sites, which ones will you chose?
Here's some web advice we found invaluable when we were first starting
out. We offer it here in the hopes it will help you also.
- A home page should load quickly
Make sure your home page has useful content, not just
flashy gimmicks. If visitors have to wait too long for
something flashy to load on your page, they'll end up
going someplace else.
- Your home page should work in a variety of browsers
and screen sizes
Remember, everyone has their own preferences in web
browsers. Also, not everyone has the "latest and greatest"
in hardware. Make sure your site is user friendly to a
wide variety of people.
- Your home page can't do everything
Important messages should stand out clearly!
Make sure people can easily locate your main message.
If you have a lot to say or show, make sure your home
page leads clearly to more information. Trying to make
the home page do everything will only confuse or frustrate
your visitors. Frustrated people don't stay.
- Give your visitors a reason to return
Having a "sticky" site (a site people return to
frequently) means a steady flow of viewers, and hopefully
a reliable customer base. Education and entertainment
are the simplest means to ensure this. As an example,
a FAQ page helps viewers have a reason to return after
they've purchased your service or product.
- Avoid unnecessary flashy gimmicks
Customers should be able to find easily what's
important on your site. Lots of movement, sound, and
color may be initially impressive... but it gets old
and repetitive very quickly if you can't turn it off.
If you've found this advice helpful, please contact us! We look forward to working with
you.
The Reality
Fault web site is used by a community of role-playing gamers
who run their games on-line. It contains information about
the games, including logs of individual gaming sessions. I
maintain the site and periodically write, edit, and up-date
files as necessary. I also assist, as needed, the individual
game organizers in editing and updating their logs.
I've written an article, authored a magazine column, and helped
edit manuscripts, for the former version of the Hero System
gaming company. Since the company has now changed hands, I've put up
the relevant editing information and writing, with permission,
where it can be viewed.
Home page | 408 / 559-5936 | Talk
to us!
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