There are some truly atrocious websites floating around in cyberspace: the too colorful, the too “flashed,” and the too textual. The sad thing is that the designers who create these awful sites not only get away with such a bad design (they got uploaded, right?), but they got paid thousands of dollars to do it.
As mentioned in Finding the Right Web Designer for Your Business, there are plenty of designers who are happy to show off their “expertise” by creating eye-catching websites that will appeal to other design geeks, but these result in sites of little substance, which leads to very little traffic, which leads to very little income.
So what exactly is a website skin?
In simpler terms, a skin is the appearance of your site. In technical terms, a skin is a folder that contains your logo, style sheets, page templates, containers, modules, and everything related to the look and feel of your site. Skin has nothing to do with functionality, but everything to do with style.
And why are website skins important?
That’s a no-brainer. They control your image. The first impression that you and your product make on your cyber audience is contained in that skin. You can wear the same skin in a variety of mediums: website, mobile phone, Facebook, Twitter, anywhere and everywhere you have a public face. Or change just the color or pattern while keeping the same basic design that reflects your unique brand.
The content can and should be changed frequently. But your presentation should be static so that potential customers can easily recognize you. And it is worth spending money on it. A skin on your CMS-enabled site is an optimal way to claim style and substance that is easily updated.
According to Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, e-commerce consultant for Web Marketing Today, websites are like the shingles that hang over your door. “If the lettering on the sign looks crude and homemade, people won’t say, ‘The thrifty merchant is trying to save money by making his own sign.’ They will say, “How tacky! If this is what the sign looks like, then the products and services can’t be very high quality either.” Wilson says that you owe it to yourself to make your website look great, and to do so, you should consider hiring a professional.
An added feature: the skins are interchangeable. Just as you don’t want your store sign to look shabby, you also don’t want a stagnant store. Your business is a dynamic entity, so your online presence should be too. Make sure you have a variety of skins in stock, either in your personal files or your web designer’s files. While the basic look should remain the same, keep a variety of colors and patterns on hand. Maybe keep a festive theme in your arsenal that you wish your customers happy. A good web designer can even schedule your site to automatically change at a set time to coordinate with your marketing plans!
How do I start to find a website skin?
While there are plenty of free skin sites out there, you want to look for someone who makes custom skins, so you don’t risk seeing your skin on someone else’s website. (Have you ever seen that commercial where the two actresses on the red carpet are wearing the same dress?)
And make sure whoever you hire can create skins that can be used in the variety of mediums mentioned above.
What should I look for in a website skin?
Skins should be clean, with a good balance of text and white space. Graphics should be minimal, using at least one photograph to give the site a sleek, professional look. Don’t even consider flash unless your primary traffic is kids. The fewer bells and whistles there are, the faster the site will download. And faster is better. After all, how long are you willing to wait for a site to download?
It might also be worth your time and effort to research the psychology of color. Studies have shown that certain colors evoke certain emotions and perceptions. Be proactive about your color choices and pick ones that will evoke the responses you want.
Remember, your presentation IS your image. And the skins announce that image. Make sure you make an informed decision before you jump into your shoes! http://www.machuscorp.com