When your web designer/developer set up your site, they took the time to really develop a nice look and feel for your site (if you hired a good web designer!) If you’re now maintaining your own blog or CMS (content management system like Joomla or WordPress) website then you need to keep in mind that it’s your responsibility to maintain that look and feel of the website. Especially if you’re frequently adding new content, or constantly adding new blog posts and articles. You want to make sure that your business’ online presentation remains professional.
Adding Images
Professional photography works best in most cases, especially if your website/blog is for your business. Unless you need specific images that relate directly to your business, royalty-free stock photography sources can help a lot.
Here are some stock photography websites you can check out:
- IStockPhoto.com
- BigStockPhoto.com
- ShutterStock.com
- SXC.hu
- CorbisImages.com
- FotoSearch.com
- GettyImages.com
There are more, but those sites will give you a good place to start. They have different pricing options so you have some flexibility and can find one that works best for you.
When you’re searching through the stock photo collections, look for high-impact photos. Think about what would catch people’s attention. Approach it like you’re a magazine publisher and you’re looking for the cover image that will really sell your magazine (while being on topic, of course).
Adding Copy / Text
Two words: White Space! Make sure that your text is presented well, with enough white space around it to keep it inviting. If someone comes to a page or an article, if it looks like just a sea of words it can be a little overwhelming and your site’s visitor may just move on. Don’t add too much white space so that the message loses it’s “flow.” Just find a good balance.
Another important thing you want to keep in mind is that you may want to break up some of your longer paragraphs in to several shorter paragraphs. It’s been discovered that when people are reading online, if the see large blocks of text they are less apt to want to continue reading. Shorter paragraphs are more likely to encourage the visitor to continue reading. Again, this incorporates the white space usage.
Anyway, these are just some things to keep in mind as you continue to manage your own site. You hired a professional web designer to develop your site because you wanted good presentation. Now it’s up to you to make sure that level of presentation continues.
