1) Model the experts. Do you know what one of the most commonly viewed websites is? Google. Take a look at the Google homepage and you don’t usually think of breathtaking design – the page could not be simpler. However, the simplicity is exactly what makes Google work. The page is completely functional and allows visitors to find exactly what they are looking for fast. You can learn a lot from this.

2) You need to know what the competitors are doing. Take a look through your Yellow Pages. How many of your competitors have web sites? Take a look at some of those URLs and check the page rankings for each. How are the sites doing in terms of attracting traffic? What design elements are competitors using? Find the most successful industry websites in your industry and find the common design elements – these are a big clue as to what you should be doing.

3) You need to go professional. A good web design company with experience in your industry can be a tremendous help in guiding you through your design choices. The right professionals can outline all your options and can explain which options work – and why. Hiring a professional is always a better choice than trying to go it alone. Professional web design companies will always give you a more polished result which can make you more money in the long run. In fact, the profits you can make from a well-designed website can more than pay for the cost of a web design firm. Also, the time you can save in hiring professionals can help you focus on your business.

4) You need to know your business before you start building a website. Many companies start by building a website and then build their company slowly. This can be a mistake, since your website should be a reflection of your business – not the other way around. Do market research before you set up a website. What is your target audience? How many of your clients surf the Internet? What do your clients look for on a website such as yours? What do customers want from your website? What sort of return can you expect on your website? How can you ensure that more website visitors become loyal customers? What annoys your target audience about websites? Knowing as much as possible about your customers and business before you design your website allows you to design a website that is tailor-made for your customers – and your customers will reward you for this with more traffic.

What made Chanel such a wonderful designer? In a word, simplicity.

When Chanel was getting ready for a show, she would often say “plus simple, plus simple” (which translates as “simpler, simpler”). This basic philosophy made Chanel a household name and her simple styles and clean lines are still the ultimate in chic today.

What does a fashion designer have to do with your company website? Plenty. Chanel knew that the secret to appearing professional and well-dressed lay in simplicity. Simplicity is also the secret to creating a well-designed website.

Chanel knew a basic style secret that applies whether you are interested in designing a prom dress or a website: classic style and elegance is always simple. If you want to look professional, intelligent, wealthy, and great, you need to go simple.

Think about it – which websites make you cringe and which websites are aimed at children and pre-teens? In most cases, it’s websites that are very busy, with lots of colors, animation, lots of font changes and patterns. These websites are the equivalent of frou-frou in fashion. They look unprofessional at best and tacky at worst. Some audiences like that – children, for example, are drawn to a busy page and bright colors – but most of your clients would be scared away. This especially holds true if you are trying to appeal to a white-collar, adult audience. Nothing will create the illusion of an affluent, professional business quite like a simple and sleek website.

Another fashion secret that Chanel created was functionality. Coco Chanel created simple suits that would work in a variety of situations and were put together almost seamlessly. She hid zippers and other details that distracted and designed clothes that could be slipped on and forgotten. That’s one reason why a Chanel suit costs more than a car – it really takes you places.

Your website should be the same. You should hide any distractions that call attention to the way your website is put together. Things such as broken links or pictures that don’t load properly just don’t have any place on your well-designed website. Anything that doesn’t work is like a tacky accessory – it will draw attention to itself and will break your reader’s concentration. You want your website to be seamless, so that visitors can sit back and enjoy your great content, without getting annoyed or being reminded of your website. Make sure that your website can take visitors places – make it functional and enjoyable.

Talk to your web design company to ensure that your website is as timeless as a Chanel suit, and you just might enjoy the same sort of company longevity.