Web Site Design Know-How
by Norene Gilletz

[Printer Friendly]

So you want to have your own web site, or perhaps you already have one and want to increase the number of visitors. Here are some guidelines to help create a culinary web site that will open up many new business opportunities for you!

Before you begin, ask yourself:

	Why do I want a web site?
	How will I benefit?
	Who is my target audience?
	How will visitors benefit from my site?

A web site can help create awareness about you, your cookbooks, products, and/or services. Once you define your target audience, you can develop appropriate content. However, having your own web site does not guarantee instant success. It takes hard work, research, planning, and perseverance. You also need a good web designer to help you achieve your goals.

How do you find a web designer?

	Ask friends and colleagues for recommendations.
	If you see a site you really like, contact the webmaster or designer (there is usually a link right on the site).
	Ask for the addresses of some the designer's web sites; then see how you like them.
	Make sure that the person you are considering as your web designer is able to discuss the technical details with you and provide quick, accurate service.

What do visitors want?

	Content: Will this site tell me what I want to know?
	Layout: Is the information presented in a usable format?
	Navigation: How quickly can I find the information I need?

Design tips:

	You have 10 seconds to tell visitors why they should be interested in you, your business or your site, so they should see your main message seconds after your home page opens.
	Don't try to be different or clever. web users expect certain conventions and don't want to "learn" how to use your site.
	The menu should be easy to find and the titles must clearly indicate the content of the page.
	Many web sites are full of special effects, animations, graphics, banners, videos, etc. Don't be tempted! People get fed up while waiting for all the bells and whistles to come up and go away.
	Visitors do not read web sites; they visually scan them. Keep copy short, interesting and to the point. Communicate your biggest benefit with a powerful headline. Follow with a summary paragraph and link lengthy text to that. Make it easy for people to find what they want.
	Avoid links to other sites on the first screen. You want people to stay on your site, not go wandering off to others.
	Every external link should open in a new window, so your site never disappears.
	Pictures and graphics tell a story! Include photographs of your cooking classes, cookbooks, or products, but keep the graphics to a minimum so pages load quickly.
	Give visitors a chance to view or study your products before they order. On my web site, www.gourmania.com, visitors can check out sample recipes from my cookbooks or "flip through the book" to see sample pages.
	Find a valid reason to get the visitor's name and e-mail address, such as a contest or free newsletter; then be sure to follow up.
	Keep your site up-to-date and interesting. You need a designer who will provide you with quick service for updates and changes, while keeping your site design consistent.
	A well-designed site should be eye-catching, informative, and reflect your personality. Design also includes page layout that is formatted for optimal search engine results and simple site navigation.

How do I publicize my site?

	Your web designer will work with you to title each page and include meta tags for important keywords, with a description to optimize search engine results.
	Submit your site to the major search engines.
	Put your web address on your business cards, stationery, brochures, voice-mail greeting, every e-mail you send, your author's bio, your cookbooks, and food columns.
	When interviewed by the media, be sure to mention that readers/listeners can learn more about you by visiting your web site. (And don't forget to mention the address!)
	If you give cooking classes, include your web site and e-mail address on the recipes.
	Look for similar culinary sites on the web and ask for reciprocal links. Exchanging links will help bring in more traffic because sites with a good number of relevant links are ranked higher by search engines.

About the author

Norene Gilletz, CCP (E-mail Norene) is a leading author of Kosher cookbooks in Canada. A food writer, cooking teacher and food consultant, Norene can usually be found within close range of a kitchen.

Jean Morris ( E-mail Webmaster) combines the skills of an engineer and a writer to create, design and maintain web sites for clients in a variety of businesses, including the food and wine industry.

The article first appeared in WORDS, a newsletter published by the International Association of Culinary Professionals.