Designing or evaluating your website can be a tricky business. You’ll get 101 opinions from anyone you ask, especially if they’re not familiar with the ingredients of a successful website.

From issues of information architecture & design through to usability, colour & design theory as well as web coding & standards there’s alot to consider when preparing to develop a site which really does something worthwhile.

That’s why I’ve set up this page for you to ask the questions you need answered and get a straight forward and informed answer. If you want a site evaluation post your link here and a short description of what your business is all about.

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   Do I really need a website to be successful in business?

   Honestly, no you don't. Many companies have achieved great success in business without having a website and depending on the business that you're in, you might not need a website at all. The idea that you simply have to have a website in order to even come close to smelling business success is one invented by web companies trying to force websites down people's throats. Does Joe's Barber shop around the corner need a website to successfully attract the men in his locality to have their hair neatly cut at his shop? I doubt it. What about your local shoe shine expert? Or the butcher in your high street, whether or not he's expanded his operation to rival major stores in the area. These are just a few simple examples of people who just simply don't need a website to achieve success in their businesses.

   That's the short and honest answer. Although you might want to consider the benefits of having a website should your business be one which could be boosted online. There are most definitely certain types of companies and organizations who could not do what they do without the web and without having web presence.

   Companies which definitely need a website are usually larger and have a wider reach though even a small home based business could benefit from a website. If the people you are trying to attract spend time online it would be wise to consider giving them an opportunity to find out more about what you have to offer them online.

   If your clients are located some distance from where you operate it would also be wise to have a web presence. A website is a great way to convey information about your company without spending too much on printing & delivering of annual reports, corporate profiles, product and service information etc. A website is also a great way to interact with your customers especially if you don't have an office they could visit. many people would much prefer just visiting your site in order to find out a little more instead of calling you up or being forced to visit your office. Having a simple feedback from on your site will allow visitors to ask a quick question, request a quote of even order something. E-commerce is an obvious advantage which turns your website into a shop or payment facility as well.

   Moving on the the newer breed of websites termed web 2.0 the benefits start increasing. There was a profound manifesto written some years ago on a website called www.cluetrain.com about how the web will change and the predictions have finally come to pass. The next generation of websites and web applications are much more engaging and interactive. They embraced functions which bring out the more human side of digital communication, those being conversation, sharing, questioning, commenting, advising, collaborating and a whole host of other principles which can be found in the general interaction between humans. The web has now allowed a real and meaningful conversation to take place between the website author or authors and the visitors. Visitors now comment on blog websites and make it known when they love content or when they hate it and start conversations to tell the author why. We can now share the great content we find online through various means like RSS feeds, social bookmarking and through the many social networks which we are part of. In many ways it has become more difficult for companies to please web visitors as they are now expecting a more engaging and more human form of interaction, different from the monotonous mission statement and company profile. The beauty of this is that communication is becoming more natural and companies can now tap into their customer base to find out things they would never have been able to know, or would only be able to find out through lengthy and expensive research drives.

   The web has become a place where knowledge is shared freely, advanced functions can be fullfilled using low cost or sometimes freely available software and people can connect and find each other and the things they are interested in much easier. new opportunities have appeared and many companies have taken advantage of the cost saving and revenue generating abilities of this generation of websites and applications.