Ask Blizzard Internet Design Depot

Mary C. | 15 March 2005 |

Q. What is the process for getting a new design created for my website? How long does it take?

A. The design of a ten page website typically takes 10-16 hours of design time and 3-4 weeks to complete.

• To begin the design, we will solicit you for design preferences and content, so that we can determine the overall look of your site. We typically don’t assign a designer until the client has provided us with the creative input we need to start the design.
• We usually run about two weeks from the time materials are received to the time the work is assigned to a designer. The designer will review your content and preferences, then present a homepage for your approval (or revision). The homepage design and approval process typically consumes three to five billable hours.
• After approval of the home page, we design the interior template, to be used for the interior pages of your site. Interior pages typically take about one hour each to complete. If we have all the materials we need, we typically knock out the entire site in a few days after the homepage and interior page template is created.

Q. Should I ask for Flash in my new design? Will this hurt my search engine rankings?

A. Yes, you should incorporate Flash into the design, and no, it will not hurt your search engine rankings!

A Flash element added to a website can create a visually appealing experience. However, a little goes a long way; we advise using Flash elements sparingly. They should be added to serve a specific purpose, such as for a photo slideshow. Too much Flash animation can turn people off, and that would be counter productive to what we are trying to accomplish for you, which is keeping them at your site and enticing them to “Book It Now!”

The most common and useful type of Flash animation we use are photo slideshows. Slideshows are a wonderful way to pack a series of photos into a small space. They look sophisticated and give websites the opportunity to "say" more about the property — a series of photos can present a much more compelling and accurate image of products and services. Here is an example slideshow used at www.holdenhouse.com which presents a series of images and words in a slideshow format.

Craig Davis, Blizzard Internet Marketing, Inc