So what should be taken into consideration when designing for the iPad?

*HTML 5- The iPad offers no support for browser plugins like Flash. If you are hoping to include video, animation or graphics on your site, it is imperative the site be designed using HTML5. HTML has long been the foundation for web development. Their latest version incorporates much of the elements previously only available via Adobe Flash. Luckily, websites designed with HTML5 are easily viewed on the iPad.

*Orientation:  The iPad has no correct way of viewing websites. That means you can view it either in landscape or in the portrait mode. But for the designer that means two completely different layouts for which to design. It is for this specific reason that the iPad highlights the need for smart fluid width design. Using a smart combination of CSS and Javascript the User Experience can be made to improve drastically.

*Contrast:  Because the iPad is a touch screen, it is important to build in a lot of white space and contrast to make the pad easy for visitors to use. After all, if they can’t click deeper into your site, you are never going to convert them.

*Test, test, test: while testing is an important component of any new web design, it has never been truer than when attempting an iPad friendly web design. There are already several sites out there that offer you the ability to take a ‘peek’ at how your new design will look on an iPad, a great tool is www.ipadpeek.com.

*Touch Screen: Primary method of user interaction with the iPad is and will be the fingers. The users will interact with our websites using fingers. So all those brilliant hover effects that were favorable for pointer-based devices, will be a hurdle in user experience on the iPad. Also the links can no longer be concealed in a text and left for the user to dexterously click upon it. We might want to resize the links so that the user experience does not suffer.

1)   Compile all hosting details, technical specifications and site statistics. If the company Web site is hosted with a Web design firm, obtain all the hosting and technical specifications needed to transfer the site to another Website design company.  (To expedite the process, put the request in writing).

2)    Be sure to run a report of your Web site’s statistics, as it will allow the Web design company’s, bidding on your company’s redesign website, to develop a blueprint around traffic patterns, target market interests and the search engine marketing strategy. 

3)    Shop around for an agency which marries website design with SEO.

4) Once all the technical details have been gathered, select three website design companies to bid on the redesign website. Provide each company with as much information as possible to devise a concise RFP, including these details:

• Budget  (Is the bid quote a flat rate?)
• Timeframe of delivery
• The redesign website strategy
• How the web design will complement the search engine optimization
• Other specific web design details (form pages, Facebook page, lead generation, et cetera)

5) Then, review each web design’s company’s bid proposal. Evaluate the contenders based on the comprehensiveness of the RFP. In example, a web design company, providing competitive intelligence data with the RFP, is indicative of a vendor willing to exceed expectations.

As for selecting the right website design firm, consider a company that gives your company the autonomy to manage the regular updates in house. For instance, The Net Impact redesigns websites, using a content management system with built in search engine optimization. Please click Contact the Net Impact for a redesign website quote.

• Define your target market. Based on your organization’s products and services, the core competency reflects the target audience.

• What is the underlying marketing purpose of the company Web site’s design? Effective web design generally inspires an action:

> | > subscribe to a newsletter
> | > request more information
> | > inspire new fans or followers on Facebook or Twitter
> | > conclude sales transaction

• How will the site serve or provide value for the site traffic as in your target audience?

• What sets your products and services apart from the online competitors?

• What are the distinctive characteristics of your site’s Web design?

•  Who will ultimately manage the sites updates? Since, the company Web site is not only an extension  of the marketing strategy, it is an efficacious  marketing tool. Given the popularity of social media networking and microsite,  regular content updates are a vital accessory to the SEO and Internet marketing DNA. 

In order to vie for any online business, maintaining a social media, or company blog is imperative to attracting targeted traffic. Moreover, social media sites and blogs are as mandatory marketing accessories to building awareness.

• How does your organization delegate the responsibility of making site updates? While the IT and marketing departments may not be in sync about security issues and avoiding Web site glitches,  a content management system eradicates these potential outage nightmares. For instance, the Auctori (tm), is customized to accommodate the unique workflow, ease site and page updates, but maintain your site’s branding specifications.

• What web design company can you entrust to deliver all your specifications? Contact The Net Impact