Today’s website is doing more on the back end before 8am than most people do all day but, sadly, the front end can put those same folks to sleep OR even scare them away.

1. Small Smart Design
for Small Business
• Know what fits you
• Know what fits your user
• Know the Rules
(Yes there are rules)

2. Your business builds a website
to offer something.
What do you offer?
A product?
Information?
A function?

3. Your business builds a website
to offer something.
What do you offer?
A product?
Information?
A function?
Something your customer wants!

4. Three things that will make
your customer
take your offer:
1?
2?
3?

5. Three things that will make
your customer
take your offer:
1. Your offer is believable?
2?
3?

6. Three things that will make
your customer
take your offer:
1. Your offer is believable.
2. Your offer is trustworthy.
3?

7. Three things that will make
your customer
take your offer:
1. Your offer is believable.
2. Your offer is trustworthy.
3. Your offer is exciting.

8. Three things that will make
your customer
take your offer:
1. Your offer is believable.
2. Your offer is trustworthy.
3. Your offer is exciting.
What does your design say?

9. Know your Customer
anti-Computer/Internet Casual Internet user Tech nerd
•Most Fearfule •Appropriate respect •Most savvy – confident
•Lost
•Lead able •Instinctive almost
subconscious navigation
•Reads Everything
•Scans first, then reads relevant •Scans first two words
information
•Believes (Susceptible)
•Dismisses or believes •Dismisses or prevents
according to personal interests marketing
•Limited User Interaction
•Escalated user interaction •Condensed user interactions
Examples:
Grandparents Examples: Examples:
Non-Technical Profession General professional US
? Tech professional (not internet)
Kids/young adults
Students
?

10. Know the Rules
Don’t reinvent the wheel.
The internet is a tool for your user to get what they need,
and you have it for them.
Help them find it.

12. Search with filters

13. Personalization

14. Tracking and Memory

15. Intuitive Offerings

16. Relevant Callouts

17. Know the Rules
Location, Location, Lo…. Organization!

19. What your user expects

20. Expected Branding
Bigger size
What your user expects

21. Navigation Priorities
What your user expects

22. Headlines decrease
in size to show
priority
What your user expects

23. Copy shortens to most
concise message
What your user expects

24. Most important
content from top to
bottom
What your user expects

25. Search using my own
language with filters
Three different user methods

26. Browse by Content
offerings
Three different user methods

27. Show me MY stuff
Three different user methods

28. Know the Rules
Location, Location, Lo…. Organization!
Limit your fonts, not your voice.

29. Fonts define your personality…
The
Intrigue
The Intrigue
The
Intrigue
The Intrigue
The
Intrigue
The Intrigue

31. X
We love our branding font!!

32. Two fonts: Branding and Information

33. Brand fonts convey
the personality and
believability
Two fonts: Branding and Information

34. Branding fonts lend
priority… don’t
overuse them.
Two fonts: Branding and Information

35. Information fonts are
clean and scannable.
Two fonts: Branding and Information

36. Use text decoration
to show priority. I.E.
Arrows for high,
underlines for low
Two fonts: Branding and Information

37. Know the Rules
Location, Location, Lo…. Organization!
Limit your fonts, not your voice.
You need to see the lines to stay in them.

39. What the user
wants to see
Pages have a Feng Shui

40. What the business wants
the user to see
Pages have a Feng Shui

41. Today’s Specials!
Pages have a Feng Shui

42. Pages have a Feng Shui

43. Know the Rules
Location, Location, Lo…. Organization!
Limit your fonts, not your voice.
You need to see the lines to stay in them.
Colors count.

44. Foundational Colors
Solid
Reliable
Trust inspiring
Established

45. Action Colors
Aggravating
Dynamic
Vibrating

46. Royal Colors
Elevated
Special
Honored
Distinguished

47. Hot Pink
Women’s shopping

50. Royal color for logo to
promote prestige. You can
also use Foundation colors.

51. Foundation colors for headlines
add trust to message.

52. Royal colors in
headlines add intrigue

53. Warm spots
visually cue
user into
important
information

54. Body Gradient pushes
background away

55. Background colors can
show priority

56. Know the Rules
Location, Location, Lo…. Organization!
Limit your fonts, not your voice.
You need to see the lines to stay in them.
Colors count.
I need a HERO.
(Know which rules to break)

59. Graphics lend visual
interpretation.
NOW you know what
THE INTRIGUE is.

60. Moved the
promotions to the
right “Today’s
Specials” column to
free up center real
estate for “hero”

61. Somethings can and will fall below the
fold. What should it be?