Business Website Advice

If you decorate your office for a holiday, consider decorating your website look and feel.  By recognising a season or special event, you create a timely atmosphere that tells your website visitor real people work here. 

Ever notice the Google logo decorated to celebrate a cultural event or the birthday of an historical figure?   I remember one, the signing of the Magna Carta, 1215.  And of course, their logo celebrated Olympic events.

You too can decorate your website.  The web is full of sources for clip art, animated and static, that are easy to use and the price is right. Nada.  Here are some guidelines.

 Careful you don’t create something too distracting. Remember I’ve cautioned again and again about flashing moving things because year after year visitor surveys say they hate the distraction.  See what I mean.  You just wanna look at the pretty little lights instead of read my words.

Match your company culture.  Is it playful or serious, full of pranksters or conservatives? Perhaps both.  What are your customers like? 

Don’t surprise them.  Just please them. If you would hang the art on the wall of your office, then usually it will work on your website. Is it serious? prankster-ish? childlike?

Nothing too big. Visitors won’t see anything but the art.  You set up a barrier to convert instead of creating an inviting look and feel.

Is there a local event you want to support?  Car races in Hamilton? Just not too big.

Get the clipart from lots of sources online.  There are general sites and specialty sites.  This one is free.  I do recommend you look around so you don’t use something people see everywhere else. Don’t break image copyrights. So go to download sites, don’t copy them off any ol website.

Again, be sure the look and feel reflects the taste of your company. Too kitsch might be too crazy.

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