Weekly Creative Biz Note #2

A Website that Works

By no means am I claiming to be a web guru or stating to have a perfect website. PixelBoy's website is still evolving and still has a few loose ends. Some day soon...

I feel there is no true science to creating a perfect website---it's art. But a few weeks back, I was having a "web discussion" with a creative director friend, who works at a mid-sized ad agency, and she mentioned that recent studies have shown online viewers naturally following an invisible path on the screen in the form of the letter "F". Food for thought---or not.

I've designed quite a few websites in my designer years but creating a personal site was tough. As you float among the multitude of artist sites, learn by asking yourself: Was the site intuitive? Is it well organized? Function over form? Could I view the main info in the browser window? Too much clicking or scrolling? Do not use flicker-like sites to sell your portfolio! It tells the art director that you're not serious about your profession. There are lots of ways to create an inexpensive website.

Your average splash page gets skipped and studies have shown it to be a nuisance. If you have to place a "skip intro" button on the splash page, then doesn't that say something?! Don't do a splash page or animated intro unless it's amazing OR you're selling your skills through the process.

Another good piece of info---A "hit" is a request made to a web server for an object on your web site. The object can be an HTML file, an image or sound file placed on your web pages. A "visit" to your web site represents one unique viewer who has visited your site. 1,000 hits/month doesn't mean 1,000 visitors. I'm usually concerned with visits.

The number of visits to your site is important but don't freak out if it's low at first. One artist could have 1000 visits per month (from surfers) and have no work. The other artist could have 400 visits per month (from actual prospects) and be swamped! Hitting your market/niche and receiving a response is your goal. Give yourself time and always be looking for ways to increase your traffic. Join community sites and portfolio sites. If projects are coming in, then something is working. Google Analytics is a must and is free. You can learn where your visitors come from and how they interact with your site. This will tell you what works and what needs to go. You can find it on http://www.google.com/analytics/. I hired a programmer to drop it into my site...less hair-pulling.

The next time an art director calls on the phone and is buzzing away about a project with four cups of coffee in his or her system. Ask them what they thought of your website--get feedback. I had a creative director once repeat a quirky one-liner from my site. Get their attention! Tear sheet files that can be downloaded are a good idea...the director can print-out your best work in two minutes and make it on time to the new project meeting--possibly getting you work!!

Thanks for reading!

Next Friday--Weekly Creative Biz Note #3---The Life of an Art Director
(Feel free to comment, give your experiences or even disagree!)