It is very important for designers of any kind to have a professional website — especially if their field of design is one like home remodeling, in which people will be spending a lot of money and living with the resulting product for a long time. Not only should this website have a portfolio showing some of their best work, the website itself should be a reflection of the business’s style and standards of quality. Graystone meets all of these criteria.

Website Reviewed: Graystone Inc.

Website Address: http://graystone-inc.com/

The website is aesthetically beautiful and filled with photos of finished products that are just as beautiful. However, one of the really remarkable aspects of this CSS website is the way the logo has been worked into the website design.

The Graystone logo is attractive and professionally crafted, showing a modern and sophisticated yet simple style. The name of the company is written in rounded upper case letters with a few gentle curves for accents. A similar font is used throughout the website. In addition, the home logo has overlapping shapes that are rounded squares. These overlap and tie into the transparency motif that is very stylish in logo design right now. In places where bullets are used, these are the same rounded squares in the same colors as the logo. In addition, the colors from the logo are used throughout the website as well.

This website builds a powerful brand from the moment the landing page opens due to these and other elements. In addition, the types of projects that the company handles are listed and a beautiful portfolio shoes examples of their work. There are ample social aspects, such as tips on maintaining homes, and generally a well-rounded amount of information placed in this well-designed website.

Creativity: 5 stars. We have already gushed about the way the website ties into the logo, but the importance of this element cannot be emphasized enough. This is why it is often a good idea to have your website designed by the same company that creates your logo: they understand your brand intimately.

Ease of use: 4 stars. The website is well-organized and easy to look through. However, there was one confusing thing: under Services, we expected to find a list of services offered and perhaps even a price range. Instead, there is a huge block of text covering everything from the services offered to routine maintenance. It’s just too much information, and too much non-service-related information at that.

Functionality:  4 stars. There are social media links and a variety of ways to contact the company. However, the social networking links are only present on the home page—not even on the Contact page! This must be an oversight.

Content: 5 stars. The content is upbeat, positive, and at times humorous. It is very relevant to the brand.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is very appropriate for its audience. We enjoyed poring over the photos; someone planning a remodel is sure to enjoy it even more.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Most of us have visited t-shirt shops both on and off the internet, some of us quite frequently. A new t-shirt website is generally nothing to write about. However, Loviu is offering not just another t-shirt shop, but an interactive experience that will appeal to many art and casual wear lovers.

Website Reviewed: Loviu

Website URL: http://www.loviu.com/shop/

CSS website design allows sites to have some really cool bells and whistles without interfering with SEO or loading speed. The Loviu website shows off some of these features. The home page features thumbnails of the more popular designs, which pop out when you move your mouse over them. The website is interactive would-be artists can submit their own designs and have website visitors vote on them and even buy them, making Loviu a potential source of income for freelancers.

The website also offers a blog, a forum, and multiple opportunities to like them on Facebook. They clearly are trying to build more than a t-shirt store, but rather a place where t-shirt artists and t-shirt wearers can interact. This is a novel business scheme, and one that we hope succeeds.

There is ample visual stimulation thanks to all of the t-shirt designs, which is why the very simple design seen here is the only right choice. While color and unusual fonts are used to call attention to certain elements, they are used very sparingly. Even the logo design is simple: the name of the company in a modern lower case script. The overall result is a feeling of minimalism without getting austere or boring. In this case, while building a brand is important, overly complicated visual elements would detract from the t-shirt designs and reduce sales.

Creativity: 5 stars. The design is very creative, which is difficult to accomplish while maintaining the necessary simplicity. Black and white are the main colors, but little details such as paint dripping from the log-in boxes, add interest and artistry.

Ease of use: 5 stars. This website has a somewhat complicated model, but it is explained well. Visitors are walked through the process of submitting, voting, and ordering the shirt designs. Buying, voting, and submitting are each given their own header on the navigation bar, so you can easily find the function you need.

Functionality:  5 stars. As we mentioned before, you can ‘like’ the brand on Facebook, subscribe to the blog, or talk to other visitors on the forum. This is clearly a business that is trying to build their brand and their fan base.

Content: 3 stars. Because the business is active throughout Europe, there are an astounding nine languages to choose from. However, there are minor errors in the English version. They are minor indeed, but they detract from the overall shopping and browsing experience.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The brand is youthful and stylish, like most of the designs. Loviu has obviously taken the necessary steps of identifying their key audience and creating a brand that will appeal to them.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars

With the millions of websites on the Internet today, it’s getting harder and harder to stand out from the crowd. Any company that wishes to be exposed needs to have their very own website, and not just any website. It has to be creative and unique if it’s going to catch the attention of clients and the consumers. It also needs to represent the business and their brand well. That is why, companies spend a lot of time, effort and money into designing their own websites.

Here is a list of 8 websites that are innovative, creative and easy to navigate. From personal blogs to professional websites, they all breath a breathe of fresh air into the mundane and ordinary Internet landscape.

http://luciasoto.es/

Lucia is a graphic designer and photographer who made a cute and fresh site to showcase her work. It’s a simple site that scrolls left and right with a few images of a cartoon version of Lucia. The site is great because the colors are relaxing to the eyes and the curves on the background images maintain a smooth transition from one section to the next. It’s a far cry from most personal sites that have a lot of graphics and a cluttered layout.

http://www.keystone-logistics.com/

Keystone Logistics is a company that specializes in chartering, forwarding of cargo and other transportation services. The background seems to be a satellite image of roads and ships. It’s also very interactive, leading you from one image to the next as if you are moving through the water and the streets. The background changes from step 1 through 6, showing the visitor the different operations of the company. This gives their customers an overview of what their company can offer and how they can help them with their transportation needs.

http://sylvaintoulouse.com/index.html

Sylvain Toulouse is a French graphic designer and art director. The website houses all his works. His portfolio is presented very neatly with each piece in a square area. They are arranged beside one another and are dimmed when the mouse isn’t hovering over it. It’s a clean and stylish way to present his work to potential clients. You can also toggle the language of the site from French to English with a click of a button.

http://www.head2heart.us/

Head to Heart is a charitable website supporting the Gifts of Water and Street Grace causes. Again, you can scroll from left to right with navigational buttons on the bottom of the screen. All the information you would need about the website and the charities are all displayed. The website references a map to help the visitor go through all the sections of the website and learn all they need to about the various charities. The images are textured and look a lot like scrapbooks and collages.

http://www.toucouleur.fr/

Toucouleur is a website that houses the portfolio of a French design company. Its most stunning feature is its amazing header image. The website itself is also very textured and uses earth tones to make it more appealing to the eye. Below the header is a textured layout using earth tones. There are elements of a traveler’s notebook that make the site more accessible to its visitors.

http://www.ernesthemingwaycollection.com/

The Ernest Hemingway Collection website is the official home of the products inspired by the American writer. The site imitates what could have been the desk of the prolific novelist with a cup of coffee and some photos. The background is a rich wood photo that many desks have and lends to the overall aesthetic. You get to experience what it must have been like to be Ernest Hemingway and be a part of his life.

http://saizenmedia.com/newsite/the-agency

Saizen Media is a company that creates and develops websites for various clients. Their own site is very dark and futuristic. The Saizen Media site has an almost graphic novel feel to it. It’s very masculine, something that can be said about their clients as well. They make use of glossy images that help create the graphic novel feel. They proudly display their various works and clients by redirecting you to their websites.

http://barntarnst.com/

Bärnt & Ärnst is another design company that specializes in Photography, Social Media Marketing, Web Videos, etc. Their site is very minimalist, opting to use simple images as placeholders for their pages. A camera is used to redirect to their photography portfolio and a bird and book for a twitter application, for example. They use pastels and simple art to create a cool effect. They also have an interactive page where you can draw your own images.

We are in an age now where almost everything can be done on the Internet. The World Wide Web can provide convenience to those who don’t want to leave their homes to run errands. Because of this, the emergence of ecommerce began. Now, people can simply buy goods online and have them delivered to their doorstep. Everything from food, clothes to electronics can be bought and sold online.

With so many businesses offering ecommerce to increase clientele, it’s important to have a website that would entice shoppers. Here are some key features that an online store should have if they want to be successful and have a lot of customers coming back for more.

Start with a Clean Homepage

The homepage is very important because this is the first impression the buyer would have of the ecommerce site. With one look, the customer should be able to know what this site is selling without having to browse through the catalogues. Make sure that each page can be accessed from the homepage and have the interface be as user-friendly as possible.

http://www.everythingbutwater.com/

Everything But Water has a great homepage that leaves no doubt about what their product is. Even the color scheme alludes to the water. It has clean lines and large, readable font that would help customers navigate the different pages.

Clear and Visible Shopping Cart

The online shopping cart functions just like its real-life counterpart. This feature allows shoppers to view their items and even get a sub-total of their purchases. The shopping cart is very important since customers want to keep track of their purchases and ensure that the item they want was registered. Make sure to have the shopping cart visible at all times and updated with the latest purchases. This would give your customer piece of mind and a more organized shopping experience.

Here are some features to add to your shopping cart:

• Verify Page. Always add a verify page whenever the shopper adds something to their cart. This would help the customer prevent mistakes in ordering items.
• Table-Based Layout. The table should show the item, its price and the quantity to be bought. A short description of the product would also be helpful.
• Get FAQs Straight. Some helpful links should also be visible on the shopping cart’s page. Questions about shipping, payment and returns can be answered here.

Display Product Features

In order for the customer to buy an item, he or she should know every little thing about it. Since they can only rely on their sense of sight when ordering a product, be generous with descriptions, photos and specifications. Have photographs of the item from different angles and display whether they could get the same item in a different size or color. It would also help to have a preview function on the products page for faster navigation. Availability of each product should also be updated often and displayed.

www.asos.com

Asos provides its customers with different photos of their product from its details to what it can be paired with. Also, it has a page where visitors can create their own looks and find inspiration from other people’s style.

Optimize Search Functions

Customers love a good search box. This saves them the trouble of combing through hundreds of product pages. One thing that can be done to optimize the search field is to add an auto-complete function. This would not only make searches quicker, it can also suggest other results that the buyer wasn’t thinking of. This way, they get the most out of their shopping experience.

Be Original

Aside from technical aspects of an ecommerce website, the aesthetic impact would go a long way to entice customers. If they enjoy looking at the products and features on the site, then the bigger the possibility that they would come back again and again. No shopper would like shopping on a poorly made and generic website.

It’s also vital to mirror the brand’s image in the website’s image. An online clothing store should embody the vibe of the clothes it is selling. The aesthetic of a hip teens’ online clothing store should be different from an online grocery ecommerce website.

http://www.eastbay.com/

East Bay sells athletic clothes and gear. Their website is very masculine and has a lot of bold details. This would attract a lot of teen males, the site’s target demographic. Though they do sell women’s clothing, the main design is focused more for the male audience. It also has a fresh, urban feel which can also be said to be attractive for athletes.

Research shows that there are millions of users aged three to twelve who are already web proficient. However, designing websites for children is often left out in web design literature.

Designing a website for children is as interesting and challenging as designing a website for adults. The design elements and layouts needed in websites for children calls for a certain amount of creativity and imaginative play: the challenge is how to how to keep the users interested and stimulated. To be able to succeed at creating a website for children, here are web design practices that you have to learn.

Features of Websites for Children 

The best way to hold children’s attention is to create an environment that stimulates all their five senses. A great example of Disney Play House website at http://tv.disney.go.com/playhouse/mickeymouseclubhouse/index.html.

1. Bright colors. Go to a toy section and you’ll notice that it’s a world of bright colors. That’s the deal with children. Give them visual stimulation, and you’ll haul them for the long run. The same applies to Baby and Child Logos.
2. More pictures, less text. Unlike adults, kids don’t visit a website to read information. If you present them with long blocks of information, they will hardly stay in your website. However, they are readily attracted to pictures, so use less text and more pictures to deliver a message.
3. Animated characters. Children are fascinated by animated characters or mascots. Give them animated, speaking characters, and you’ll have their full attention. They are attracted to characters that are fuzzy, woozy, huggable, or cute, too, so think of this when creating one. For some design ideas, think Elmo or Barney.
4. Simple navigations. Kids will be viewing your site, not reading them. Make the navigation simple and easy so they don’t get confused. Do away with text-based links – stick to large buttons and graphics as much as possible. For design ideas, look up how Peppa Pig and Winnie the Pooh websites incorporated large icons and navigation bar into their website theme. Also, make sure all important items can be seen without scrolling down the screen – most kids don’t scroll to see what’s down there below, they just click on whatever appears before them.
5. Learning games. Kids don’t want to read – they want to play. Entertainment them with games that stimulate their minds. When kids are entertained, they are more likely to visit a site again and again. Activities that allow customizing of characters seem to click with kids, regardless of their age group. Provide activities that allow them to create their own characters, garden, house, etc., and they’d love staying in your site.
1. For kids ages 3-5, simple games like picture puzzles or matching shapes are suitable. Consider adding printable items like coloring or layouts for making puppets, paper dolls, or other crafts.
2. Kids age 6-8 need more mentally challenging games so crafts and coloring won’t do. Adventure games, guessing games, and the like are likely to keep them interested.
3. Kids age 9 – 12 prefer games that allow them to compete with others.
6. Music and sounds. Kids love music. This is why most TV shows and films for kids have singing and songs. Add song background to games to make play time more enjoyable. Kids also enjoy sound effects; you can put sound effects to navigation buttons and games.
7. Pre-loaders. Kids have little patience. How do you keep their attention when the website is loading a page? The trick is to add a pre-loader that will grab their attention and make them stay on the page as it loads.

More Techniques to Consider 

Now that you know the principles for creating an environment that is conducive to children, let’s walk through some more basics for creating an effective children’s website.

• Research the age range of the website’s target audience. This will guide you in determining the most appropriate topics, games, songs, and other content to include in the website.
• Create a happy environment by incorporating elements that elicit happy, positive feelings. Mickey Mouse’s happy face and buoyant personality, for instance, brings out the happy ambiance of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse website.
• Kids respond to elements they are familiar with, and most of the things they know are found in nature. Use elements such as trees, mountains, clouds. Club Penguin, for instance, has penguins, polar bears, and other elements found in the arctic.
• Make it feel real by adding depth to the design. Realistic atmosphere can be achieved using three-dimensional elements, Flash-animated landscapes, sound effects, floating objects, and more.

Designing a website for kids is fun. Learning what interests them will help you create a website that effectively engages these young Internet users.

It can be difficult to run a small business, so apps making this task a little easier are in high demand. This is exactly the service that FreshBooks is offering: a smartphone app that simplifies billing by integrating your mobile device into the process.

Does this app offer a solution or yet another piece of software that will be more of a problem? Many business owners will make this decision based on the marketing. A brand that places consumers at ease is one part of that package. A well-designed website that is easy to navigate is another part. Therefore, it is important that this CSS website be easy to use, have a clear sense of brand, and spell out exactly how it will make lives easier.

Website Reviewed: FreshBooks

Website URL: http://www.freshbooks.com/

The logo design is simple and ties into the name, with a fresh green leaf and a straightforward font that is professional and simple. The blue and green logo colors that dominate the website also give a feeling of calm. The landing page treats viewers to a branded experience that includes a tour of the software, recommendations from major business publications, and a list of reasons that FreshBooks is different. So far, so good.

However, the landing page is not the only positive feature. The website is well-organized throughout and makes it very easy to find information. There are a variety of ways to interact with the software and the company brand—a blog, phone numbers, a software tour, and even a free trial. Add-ons are suggested, making it clear that businesses can customize the product while also adding more revenue for the app company. This website does away with any objections and issues that an interested businessperson might have, and it does so in an aesthetically pleasing way.

Creativity: 4 stars. While there is nothing stunning or unexpected about this website, the mix of colors and fonts is professional and does a lot to build the brand without detracting from the websites usability.

Ease of use: 5 stars. There is a lot of information, but it is organized in a way that is intuitive and easy to browse. All parts of the website are accessible with just a click or two, which will make it easy for a busy businessperson to decide if the app is right for them.

Functionality:  3 stars. There is a blog featured at both the top and the bottom of every page. The phone number is front and center, making it easy to find as well. However, we could not find any social networking pages, which is an unfortunate admission. Many apps have their own Facebook or Twitter, so neglecting these areas can be a huge disadvantage for an otherwise viable business.

Content: 5 stars. The content is professional and well-written. In addition, there is a clear focus on the target audience.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. Every aspect of this website presents Freshbooks as an easy-to-use solution for the busy businessperson. This website will also be instrumental in building the brand.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars

A website has become a necessity for small to large business owners who want to reach their customers easily and conveniently and increase awareness about their website. Apparently, just any website won’t work these days. You need in terms of navigability, features, consistency, and content. When you’re competing with tens of thousands of other online sites, how do you stand out?

The answer is web design, and when it comes to designing a website, it’s the small details that distinguish the ordinary from the extraordinary.

Take Maserati. This luxury car has the same number of wheels, windows and doors, and seats as ordinary car. Because of the time spent by the designer on details, Maserati puts other cars to shame with its plush leather seats, prestigious wood interior, auto parking, entertainment system, and more.

The same is true in web design. A website that pays attention to details holds more value than generic sites.

Consider taking a closer look at a site that impresses you at first sight. You will realize that it’s the subtle details that set it apart from competition. The core concept here is value – you want a website that gives value to you and your customers.

Value-adding Details 

Some web designers overwhelm a website with unnecessary details that it looks cluttered and overwhelming. What you want are details that are not only visually appealing, but also enhances user experience – be it the way your visitors perceive the theme of the site or the level of ease in navigating it.

To reiterate, esthetics and usability are the details you want to focus on in order to enhance user experience. By having a deep understanding of how the interplay of different visual elements – layout, contrast, negative space, etc – create a different impression, you will be able to manipulate them better in order to influence people’s perception and use of a website.

So how can a website create a difference? Here are some examples and tips.

1. The Concentrate website is one of the most cited examples of a clever visual wordplay. Concentrate is an application designed to increase your productivity when you study or work by blocking distracting apps and websites. The website features an ad-like image of a halved orange beside a can of “Concentrate” juice.
2. Don’t make your use of drop shadows too obvious. Drop shadows are great way for adding dept to a flat, 2-dimensional medium.  When overdone or poorly executed, they can give a website an unprofessional look.  Subtlety is essential. Also, make sure to use consistent lighting source. For instance, if you use two shadows, see to it that the source of light is the same. How intense a shadow appears will depend on the color of the background. Use dark shadows for darker backgrounds and light shadows for lighter backgrounds.
3. As with drop shadows, practice subtlety when using gradients. Gradients can help pull in different elements together, but when overdone, they can make your website look heavy. Colors degradation should be smooth and stick to one color (when using gradient) to create a light, elegant effect.
4. Emphasize call to actions and improve readability of navigation bar by selecting color wisely. When navigation buttons are easy to read, they increase navigability of a site.
5. Make sure the elements are properly aligned to create a neat and organized effect. Grid system also improves white space as well as simplifies the designing process. You can use available grid systems or you can create your own.
6. Use icons. Icons not only add personality to a website, they also make it easier for your visitors to quickly find the information they’re looking for. Hence, they help make your site interface is more user-friendly. Just make sure not to overload your site with icons.
7. Attention to details can be measured up to pixel level. Pixel lines have many uses. One, they can be used to highlight a color. Two, they serve as good contrast between two colors. Three, they help make outlines more visual distinctive against other elements of the page.
8. Scale fonts to a readable size. Texts should be arranged into scannable chucks to make your site look more elegant.
9. Make sure background image or text does not overwhelm the page. Rather, make sure the background textures are muted. They should add style and personality, but they should not take away your attention from the main page.

As with any product, creating an extraordinary website requires patience and a great amount of attention to details. We have given you 9 useful tips, but there are lot more things you can actually do to create a visually stunning and useful website.

Web designing is a risky business. Designers are often left divining what their clients want. So how do designers make sure your creative ideas matches your client’s preference and goals?

The key is to take the guesswork out of designing. You can do this by involving your client in the website design process. You need to ask their objectives, their opinions, their own design ideas.

Taking the guesswork out of designing will also involve transparency on your part. You will need to give your client an idea of the processes and steps involved in the designing of the website, not just the final product. This will help give your client confidence in your process.

The following steps can help ensure that you and your client are on the same ground.

1. Defining goals - Most of the time, client will give you a vague “I want a website that will help get more online visibility”. This won’t give you much creative direction. You want more particulars, more specific goals such as “We want a more contemporary look,” “We want to move up Google list,” or “We want a cleaner interface to make it easier for our customers to navigate the site”. Lead your client through the brainstorming process. Ask the right questions so they can provide realistic and measurable goals rather than general, abstract goals. If you will just make wild assumptions about what your client wants, you will both end in disappointment.  Data-driven decisions, on the other hand, lead to more effective websites.
2. Creating a design outline - There must be a logical flow to the arrangement of the pages in a website. They should be organized in such a way as to increase a website’s usability. You don’t need high-tech tools to plan out your web design. A simple pen and paper will do. Create a diagram of the pages and sub-pages to be included in the website. If it doesn’t look right, just start again until you’ve hit the right note. You can also label index cards or Post-its with page/ sub-page titles. Arrange and re-arrange them on a table until you’ve arrived at the best visual hierarchy for creating an effective website.  If you client is asking for a revamping of website, use analytic tools such as Google Analytics to get an idea of website visitors’ actions. This information will help you determine which pages get the most traffic and which ones get low traffic, what people like most about the website and what call to action lead to most conversions. You will then be able to create a more precise plan of action for improving a website.
3. Mapping out content goals - Sit down with your client. Explain the visual hierarchy, and what it could mean to user experience of the website. Then ask your client to rank the elements or items on the page based on importance so you’ll have a clear idea of how to distribute information. The most important items will take the lion’s share of a page’s space – say 50%.  Your client, for instance, would want to devote the most space on describing the services and the least space on industry-related articles.  Having a clear idea of the client’s goals and how they relate to each other will allow you to plan the best hierarchy of content.
4. Identifying the best website feel - The website is where your client will meet their customers. As such, the website should cohere with the business’ identity. It’s their brand that’s at stake here. The website should be relatable in order to create a strong emotional connection with the costumers. A website may be formal, casual, fierce, tamed, edgy, classical, etc.
5. Identifying the final elements - Now that you have a visual hierarchy of the pages and sub-pages, a solid hierarchy of information, and a nominated website personality, then you’re ready to pick the elements that will go into the website. The design elements should be able to bring all aspects of the website together to create a coherent whole. The visual style should speak to the audience what the company is all about. Explore different themes, different environments. Do you want a calm or an intense environment? Can you create an environment that’s halfway between the two?
6. Putting the elements together - Now that you have everything on hand – from goals to design components – you’re ready to put them all together. By involving your client in the design process, margins for error are minimized. The result is a website that is relevant, effective, and informative.

Editor Website – It can be difficult to earn a living as a writer, editor, or indeed any freelancer. Having a well-designed website  and logo design is the first step toward building a personal brand that will build your career and earning power. The Three Penny Editor is a CSS website designed to do just this.

Website Reviewed: Three Penny Editor

Website URL: http://www.threepennyeditor.com/

The website is created with images reminiscent of writing in past times. As you peruse the website, the pages are framed by an old-fashioned typewriter, with the information on what appears to be the paper in the machine. Dusty earth tones are the main colors, accentuated by pops of red. This website presents a brand that is classic and relevant to the field of editing, which is the main service being offered here.

Many people wonder if editing services are worth the expenditure. This website answers that question, with links to testimonials as well as completed books that have been published with the editor’s help. The editor is indeed the author of a book on editing, which in addition to her resume gives her a decidedly professional feeling. If you are instead wondering whether you can afford the services, the prices are spelled out in their own section. The writer logo is also quite interesting.

This website is a mix of form and function that presents its owner as a professional with years of relevant experience in the field. That is exactly what you need in order to kick start your freelance career. You can easily get a sense not just of the writer’s abilities, but of her style as well.

Creativity: 5 stars. We love the color scheme and the old-timey writing elements. The earth tones make it easy to accentuate with color and also contribute to the brand. The mix of fonts—a typewritten Times New Roman and a clean, modern cursive—maintains the vintage feeling while adding a modern touch.

Ease of use: 4 stars. The website is very easy for potential customers to use due to good organization and logical placement of different elements. However, while there are testimonials and a ‘portfolio’ section with book covers of projects the editor has been involved with, there are no actual before and after samples, which is what we were expecting as a sample of editing. Many people do not understand how editing would refine their writing, so this would be an excellent addition.

Functionality:  5 stars. This is a highly functional website, with links to social media, a blog, and other necessary elements. It also puts in a plug for the editor’s new book, which can add to the potential profitability of the writing career while giving the editor a more established feeling. After all, most people trying to get published would rather deal with someone who has gotten there themselves.

Content: 5 stars. As we would expect from an editor and writer with such an impressive resume, the written content is outstanding.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website presents a unique brand that is definitely relevant to its purpose and the professional it represents.

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 stars

A Beautiful Restaurant Website – Most restaurants now have websites, and some even has CSS websites. However, few have exceptionally well-designed websites that build their brand. This is unfortunate for the restaurants that are missing it.

Oakley Fayre is not missing it. This beautiful restaurant website is simple and has most of the information that customers are seeking. In addition, it appears to be an attempt to branch out into ecommerce. The restaurant is now offering ‘hampers’, which are gift baskets, filled with local treats. They are offering international shipping and payment options, suggesting that Oakley Fayre is ready to take their locally acclaimed restaurant to a global market.

Website Reviewed: Oakley Fayre

Website URL: http://www.oakleyfayre.com/

Is this brand ready for the globe? We think it is. The logo design and brand of this CSS website are beautiful and distinctly Irish. They will appeal to people looking for a taste of Ireland. In addition, they do not compromise the brand of the core restaurant. In fact, this brand only enhances it.

The gift hampers seem to occupy a relatively small part of the website, which is unfortunate considering that they are the sole money maker of the internet presence. We also would like to see a little more about the restaurant, which forms the core of the brand. This website does a great job representing the brand, but it just does not say enough about the components that make up that brand.

Creativity: 5 stars. Green is a perfect color for a brand that focuses on eco-friendly and locally sourced products. It is offset well by taupe colors and other earth tones. Photography is also used creatively to show off the restaurant to those who cannot visit.

Ease of use: 5 stars. The website is small, but this only makes it easier to navigate. It offers basic information on the website and also a list of links to suppliers. Because the café uses locally sourced goods, linking to the suppliers is very appropriate.

Functionality:  2 stars. There are some frills—a map, for instance, on the contact page. However, there are several elements that are noticeably missing. For example, there is no menu, which is unfortunate because many will want to view that before visiting the restaurant. In addition, there are no social networking links and no blog. This brand has made it almost impossible to interact with them on an ongoing basis. Unfortunately, this is a common mistake—and a potentially devastating one.

Content: 5 stars. There are a few minor issues with phrasing, but the website is for the most part well written. We only wish there was a little more information about the actual food!

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is very appropriate for a food brand of any kind. It has a distinctly Irish feeling that will make its products and gift hampers more attractive to an international audience. It accomplishes this without compromising the brand’s attractiveness to tourist and local markets.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Electric Car Website Review – If you are trying to present your brand as a technologically superior option, then only the very best designed electric car website will do. Tesla Motors does not disappoint in this case. Even if you have never heard of the company, this CSS website will make you want to drive one.

Website Reviewed: Tesla Motors

Website URL: http://www.teslamotors.com/

The landing page has an ever-changing set of photos, showing the cars navigating both classic mountain roads and normal everyday scenes. Can you already see yourself in one? Good. Click on ‘Go Electric’ and you will see another reason to want a Tesla: they are completely electric, the kind of car that you plug in to your garage wall. This tab contains information about why the car is better for the planet as well as answering questions about the car that many people may have.

There are only two models of Tesla car, each of which has its own tab on the electric car website. From here, you can find out anything you want about the cars… except the price. It’s okay; you probably can’t afford one anyway.

There are several ways to get more information. You can ask for a quote or even, if you have the money, order one. You can join the newsletter as well. There are no social media sites listed on the Tesla Electric Car Website, although we are sure they exist somewhere.

Creativity: 5 stars. The website is crisp, clean, and simply perfect for the brand being presented. The cars are shown in a variety of situations, in both photographs and videos. The cool gray makes the colors of the cars stand out and also brings attention to the red Tesla logo design.

Ease of use: 5 stars. It is very easy to answer basic questions about the range of the cars, their acceleration, and other issues that we think of when contemplating driving an electric car. In addition, the site is organized so you can focus on the model that interests you the most.

Functionality:  3 stars. It is easy enough to find the blog and newsletter signup as well as other information, but locating social networking sites is a real challenge. In fact, we were unable to find any. A brand this unique and interesting needs a Facebook page and a Twitter; many people who cannot afford to drive this car would love to follow the brand and become owners someday.

Content: 5 stars. The content is perfect, the right mix of sales and speed. It is professionally written and builds the brand. It also is informative and walks a fine line between being informative and being too technical.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website presents an upscale, luxury car brand that will appeal to the upscale audience who can afford it. Is there room for an electric luxury car? We think so. As gas prices seem to rise by the day, even the wealthy will soon be priced out of the market.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Cake Sweet Cake Website Review – Bakery websites… I hate to write about them, especially right before a meal. Yet, I seem to find many that are well-designed and beautiful. Perhaps it is something about the industry; perhaps something about the nature of a baker. Either way, get ready to be tempted by yet another.

Website Address: cakesweetcake.co.uk

Cake Sweet Cake specializes in wedding cakes, but they have a wide range of offerings. This website is organized so it is easy to see samplings of the main offering, but without excluding the smaller treats that build the brand. Pastel colors and girly fonts dominate the website, building a fun and yet frivolous brand that will appeal to engaged couples and anyone looking for a tasty yet stylish treat. However, earthy browns give a modern feeling and tone down the sugariness of the lighter hues.

There are subtle sales elements, such as the suggestion that the cupcakes make great gifts and can be gift wrapped as needed. There is also more obvious sales information, such as serving suggestions and the cost of different cakes. In all, this cake website makes it easy to see what the baker’s work looks like and whether you can afford it. If all bakeries made the process this easy, brides and grooms would be saved the trouble of numerous trips around town. It also assuages the fears of someone who worries that a certain type of cake might be too expensive. You can find out easily at this website, with no embarrassment involved.

Creativity: 5 stars. The background of this website is very creative; actually, the entire website is quite clever. It builds the brand while leaving the emphasis where it belongs: on the products. We love the slight angling and soft light in the photographs, which makes them feel like they sprung from a Martha Stewart magazine.

Ease of use: 5 stars. It is very easy to poke around and find out more about the baker and the products. In fact, most parts of the website can be accessed with a single click. The navigation bar is helpful as well.

Functionality:  5 stars. From the home page, you can view the logo design, a menu, search the prices, or follow the brand on your choice of social media… just to name a few options. The cake website has many interesting and needful features, and most of them are accessible from the landing page in a single click. This is functionality at its best and most efficient.

Content: 4 stars. There are a few grammatical errors in the website, but it is otherwise well-written and descriptive. Combined with the photographs, which are professionally done and show the products to their best advantage, this site should come with a serious Food Porn alert.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is very appropriate for a bakery. It has a fun and whimsical brand and color scheme, but also a professional touch. It will definitely be appropriate for engaged couples and sweets lovers in the bakery’s area.

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 stars

Online magazines are gaining popularity; after all, a website is a much cheaper and ecologically friendly way of starting a magazine and can gain fans until there is enough funding for a paper edition. Web magazines are especially becoming popular in niche and underground topics. Skateboarding Photo fits in both of those categories.

Website Address: skateboardingphoto.co.uk

As the name of the website suggests, this e-zine is all about skateboarding photos. The website landing page features a cascading line of current and previous issues along with a few miscellaneous announcements. Because there is only a cool black background and then the tiles, it is easy to make a choice… although the lack of a navigation bar makes me feel a little lost. Even after I found the navigation bar in the upper corner and clicked on the button that made it appear, I still felt a little lose because the bar only takes you home (where I already was) and allows you to like the website on Facebook. Not exactly a huge range of possibilities.

However, it is easy to find the main elements: issues of the online skateboarding magazine being promoted as well as the places where you can sign up for the email newsletter and become a Facebook fan. These are really good enough, and the magazine is excellent. In all, I thought this website deserved to be reviewed among the best CSS designs, but I have to sigh a little at the lost potential.

Creativity: 5 stars. The ezine is full of creativity, and I really liked the way the pictures are showcase by the relatively plain website theme. All elements are wisely chosen not to detract from the photos.

Ease of use: 2 stars. A navigation bar (a real one) would make this website so much easier to use and also ensure that internal pages were actually looked at once in a while—if they indeed exist. I poked around, but I could not find any other section of the website.

Functionality:  5 stars. This is one area in which the company excels. The links to the email list and the Facebook fan page are both very amusing and also go well with the magazine brand. This website manages to get the job done in a simple and yet edgy way.

Content: 4 stars. The content is well written, albeit sparse, and definitely intended to appeal to the skateboarding audience. This is important considering that the product being promoted is, after all, a magazine. However, there just are not enough words. People cannot find their way around.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is definitely going to appeal to the magazine’s market. First, the black and white color palette has a cool feeling even as it emphasizes the beauty of the photos. Second, the photography used in the website is excellent. Last, all elements give a youthful feeling that this young subculture can relate to. I am not a skateboarder, but I enjoyed this website—and I were a skateboarder, I am sure I would have enjoyed it much more.

Overall: 4.2 out of 5 stars

We have always maintained that graphic artists need to have the most attractive and well-designed websites—especially those that work as web designers. However, we officially take that back, because we have found an industry with an even greater need for great CSS web design: blog theme designers.

Mojo Themes is a good example of this. Considering that the company is selling WordPress themes, they had better have a great site. People are looking at this website as evidence of their design skills. Moreover, because they are selling a large number of themes, they need a few organizational skills as well.

Website Address: mojo-themes.com

The center of the Mojo Themes brand is a little green monster with a pirate-like eye patch. He (or she) can be seen around the site, functioning as a mascot of sorts. This monster adds a little fun to an otherwise austere website. The Mojo Themes site indeed presents a great amount of information, but manages to keep it interesting and well organized.

Mojo Themes also functions as a sales website for freelance WordPress theme creators. We are assuming that this is a very new endeavor, because it seems like an off-shoot and has not been incorporated into the main website very well.

Creativity: 5 stars. The Mojo character is cute, and it provides a kind of comic relief to an otherwise serious website. However, it is not without creative accents: pops of color to emphasize information, for example, and other fun details.

Ease of use: 4 stars. The website is very easy to use, but it may contain a little too much information on the landing page. It can be tempting to include a little of everything on the homepage, but it is rarely a good idea. It can be a little overwhelming, and most people will visit internal pages anyway if they are really interested.

Functionality: 3 stars. Finding the social networking website for this company is a bit of a pain. You have to find the Contact page, and then scroll down a little once you are there. These social media links should be front and center, where they can help build the brand. We assure you that they would be more effective than endless tiles of themes that are too small to discern.

Content: 5 stars. There are a few small mistakes deep in the website—for example, on a sample restaurant menu, noodles are described as being ‘severed’ hot. However, these things are few and far between. For the most part, the website is well-written and correct, and it certainly has that professional touch.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website may be a little crowded and at times a little disorganized, but it is on the whole a wonderful website with a great brand. It fits a lot of information into a small site without too much bulging and crowding. We think that the simple theme used in the Mojo Themes website will make other people want to purchase their products.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Are you a diehard lover of the Opera browser? Niche products such as this seem to inspire a great deal of emotion in the people who prefer them. If you love a good Opera every now and then, and you aren’t talking about a fat lady singing, then the My Opera community might be for you.

My Opera is a community of sorts for people who use the Opera web browser. However, it also functions somewhat like a social network. You must register as a user, but from there you can get support related to the product or interact with other Opera lovers via blogs, chat rooms, photo albums, and groups.

Website Address: http://my.opera.com/community/

The amount of information shared on this website is rather phenomenal. Just looking around the landing page, I can see tons of photos, videos, news stories and popular discussions. You can discuss your My Opera discussions on your social networks with an easy click, and you can even find out what the software engineers behind Opera are having for lunch that day via the Opera Lunch Menu Twitter. Pretty much every little bit of interaction has been squeezed out of this site, and good CSS web design gives a clean, well-organized edge.

If you planning a website that will contain a lot of small pieces, this is one method to consider. After all, the My Opera website is a virtual mosaic of small bits of information, but there is no denying that it works.

Creativity: 3 stars. The website is well-organized, well-ran, and very well-balanced—but it really is not that creative unless you count the photos and videos submitted by users (we don’t, by the way).

Ease of use: 5 stars. This is where the My Opera website really shines. It has a large and diverse website, but it is very easy to fine everything. In fact, you can find it all quickly, usually with just two or three clicks.

Functionality: 5 stars. This website does not just function as a social network, it allows you to interact with it via other social networks. You know it’s 2011 when you are stepping out to Facebook or Twitter to talk about another social network that you belong to! Links to social media are placed all over the website to make it easy to coordinate with other pursuits.

Content: 5 stars. The words are very well-written considering that this is not a product (or a website) from an English speaking country. The writing is humorous and fits in well with the fun, youthful brand.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is meant to offer support, but more importantly, it is offering fellowship among lovers of a niche product. While many of the people on this website have a social networking presence elsewhere, they keep coming back here because the website makes it easy for them to find the latest news about their fave browser and also to interact with other enthusiasts.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars

We posted a while back about a CSS coffee website that was so close to being perfect, but not quite—it was missing a lot of crucial information about the product. That’s why we are so happy to bring you another CSS website review of another coffee brand, one that is getting it right.

The Illy Issimo website avoids the brown coffee cliché and instead uses the brand’s silver and red brand colors. The product is front and center from the landing page onward. A can of the coffee is shown on the front page, along with a list of all of the flavors. The main photo is of a beautiful woman enjoying the product.

Website Address: us.illyissimo.com

Moving product also seems to be a priority. Prominently placed links on the landing page offer both a store locater and a link to online websites selling the product. Illy will even deliver cases of the product to your home or office. This CSS website is not just great at promoting a brand; it is great at selling the product. And, after all, that is where most business owners get their paychecks. This website is flawless, smooth, and as cool as the drinks the company is selling. It has a European feeling that will complement the Illy brand, and it also has the potential to serve as an ecommerce website. In short, Illy Issimo’s website has it all.

Creativity: 4 stars. Despite its good branding practices and the beautiful photography, there is nothing really remarkable about this website. It is a basic and stripped-down website, but nonetheless a well-designed and attractive one.

Ease of use: 5 stars. This website is extremely easy to peruse and offers quick links to shop or find out more about the product. Ease of use may be the main reason for the bare bones organization of the website. Whatever the motivation, we love it.

Functionality: 5 stars. Not only can you connect with the brand via different social networking websites, you can even buy the product. This website is versatile enough to do it all, and to do it on just a few pages. This website may not have all of the frills, but it has all of the necessary elements of both a branding website and an ecommerce website in the same streamlined package.

Content: 5 stars. The copy is for the most part well-written, although there are a few awkward bits of phrasing and grammatical errors (capitalizing ‘Master’, for example). The drink descriptions are scintillating and make us want to try the beverages.

Appropriateness: 4 stars. This website is a great fit both for the Illy brand and for the product being sold, Illy Issimo. While the colors tie into the parent brand, the website is obviously dedicated to the drink and does a great job of selling it. This is a product oriented website that is geared toward a young, savvy market where cold coffee is a necessity and drinking a great brand of it is just as important.

Overall: 4.2 out of 5 stars.

How do you make an old-fashioned prep school feel modern without doing away with the tradition altogether? The Raffles Institution website walks this fine line, presenting a brand that offers a traditional university preparatory education with modern features and facilities.

A crest, associated with prep schools all over the world, is placed on the home page but positioned to be part of the background. Photos and line drawings of students and facilities help to space out the writing and make the website easier to read, while providing insight into the actual school experience. A presidential recommend is placed on the landing page, which together with the crest gives the school a very official and substantial feeling.

Website Reviewed: Raffles Institution, Singapore

Website URL: http://admissions.ri.edu.sg/

Parents don’t just choose a school based on academics; they do so based on the school’s reputation and their personal perception of the type of education offered. This website will be instrumental in creating the right reputation and making parents want to choose this institution for their own children. It also simplifies the application process, which some schools seem to purposely complicate.

Why does a school like this need a website? This website will ensure that the school has ample applicants and can choose the best and most promising. This will eventually raise the school’s reputation. In addition, the website shows that the school is a professional entity, worthy of parents’ tuition dollars.

Creativity: 5 stars. The colors of the website include a traditional taupe background with blue-green accents. Blue-green is a calming and trustworthy color—important when you are dealing with a family’s prized possession, their child—but it is also modern and adds contrast to the neutral colors in the background.

Ease of use: 5 stars. The website is very well-organized, making it easy to access information. Each item on the navigation bar expands so interested parents can find information in a single click. There is a good mix of practical information and photos, making the website very navigable and easy to peruse. The admissions process, curriculum information, and other hard facts are explained clearly.

Functionality: 5 stars. An online application process makes it easier for parents, and likely easier for the school as well. It would be nice if there were printable paper applications as well, because some parents don’t like to give out personal information on the internet. However, the process is very well explained so people know exactly what step they are on and what they need to do to complete it.

Content: 5 stars. The content is exceptional. Only perfect grammar and spelling are used—we should be able to expect this from a school, but unfortunately many fall short. This is more impressive when you consider that the school is located in Singapore, which is not primarily an English-speaking country.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The website is very appropriate for a school. Warning: it will make you want to send your children there! The mix of modern and traditional, scholastic and social, presents a brand that many interested parents will find very attractive.

We aren’t huge fans of multi-level marketing or direct sales, but Javita has one well-designed website. It offers a lot of information about the opportunity the company offers—the opportunity to work from home selling their special, healthier blend of coffee—and a little information about the product as well. Direct sales are rarely about the product, so this is probably the right mix for the brand. We aren’t saying that in a mean way; branding is important to all businesses, but exponentially more so for direct sales.

Website Reviewed: Javita
Website Address: javita.com

The site is a creamy brown color, which is perfect for a coffee brand. The logo, which ambitiously features a cup of coffee with sun-like rays emanating from it, is prominently featured in the navigation bar, again adding to the brand awareness. This website is easy to peruse and easy on the eyes, encouraging people to become part of this company.

The moral of this story is this: CSS website design can be used to create websites that are full of technical frills—we all know that. You can wow and amaze your audience at every turn. However, some companies don’t need that. Instead, they want to win hearts over to their brand. As the Javita website shows, simple and beautiful websites can be developed using CSS as well.

Creativity: 3 stars. The site has a great sense of brand and a great ‘flow’. However, it is definitely lacking in creative elements. There is nothing here that ‘wows’ the viewer.

Ease of use: 5 stars. This website is easy to browse and offers links in multiple places, including a navigation bar. The information is logically organized, and includes printable PDF documents explaining the business model in more depth. There is a member’s only section that we were unable to evaluate due to needing a referral, but we assume that it is similarly well-designed.

Functionality: 4 stars. You may be a little shocked at the number of social media links—you can connect with the company via a variety of networking websites or simply like them on your own pages. Because this industry is very brand oriented, these functions are highly necessary. This CSS website makes it easy for customers to interact and even to commit. However, it gives no help to people wanting to buy the coffee. No links, no nothing. This is a shame, and it reinforces the suspicion that this company is more about multi-level marketing than the product.

Content: 5 stars. The content is sales copy—intended to sell the brand to interested parties. It is well-written and correct in every way for the professional image that the company is aiming for.

Appropriateness: 4 stars. The website is very appropriate for a sales recruitment website—but not so much as a company product website. We could find only a few blurbs about the health benefits of the coffee being sold, but nothing else. If a person were interested in the Javita products, the Javita website would not be a help.

Overall: 4.2 out of 5 stars.

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘unfold’? Most of us think of paper, unfolding a note or letter. This is how the Unfold website has been designed, to make viewers feel that they are unfolding the information. Stylistically, this website is top-notch.

Bright red is a bold color for the business world, but it works here, especially with the bold geographic shapes and the black and white background colors. This agency is trying to send the message that they are different from the many others, a message that is driven home by the design of their website. Although there is always room for improvement, this website is obviously born from a superior sense of style and a solid understanding of web design.

Triangles dominate the website, which gives it a feeling of strength and also ties into the ‘folded’ theme. They are used mainly as navigational aids and links. Your eye goes to them immediately so this is a good design strategy that will make it easy for potential customers to navigate the page.

Creativity: 5 stars. We love the way the name has been turned into the main concept of this website. This speaks to the agency’s creative abilities as well as their technical skills in web design. The lines are clean and crisp, with bright red as a main color and other colors used as accent only. If you are trying to promote your company as a creative design business, a website such as this one is a good start.

Ease of use: 5 stars. This website is very simple, with only the most necessary information, which makes it very easy to navigate. You can scroll through it or click on a topic from the navigation bar to find the needed information. Having more than one way of accessing information ensures that even less proficient users can find what they need.

Functionality: 4 stars. There are Facebook and other social networking links, as well as a beautiful aerial map of the agency’s neighborhood, but the social networking links are classified under ‘Sharing’, which makes them difficult to locate as most people will click on ‘Contact’ for this information. Also, there is no portfolio, which is important in the design industry. Potential customers want to peruse past work and see if the agency has the right style for them.

Content: 4 stars. The text is simple and succinct, but not very interesting.  Considering the creative concept of the website design, we were hoping to find a little humor or edge. Don’t bother looking; it’s not there.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is appropriate, both for the industry and for the name of the company. We like the way the name of the agency has been made the concept of the website. We think that this website is a great example of how CSS can be used creatively to build a brand and drive a concept home.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars.

Are you ready for a different type of fashion magazine design? International fashion website Satellite Voices just may be the magazine for you. This online zine, which is marketed to an international audience, offers news from around the world along with fashion that can look beautiful in any context.

The Satellite Voices website is a little edgy, which is a good brand for an internet magazine presenting international style. It is easy to access any article on the landing page, and a navigation bar allows you to sort information by topic (these are very general) or region. A listing of articles similar to that seen in the front of a magazine would be a good addition because that is how people are used to dealing with a normal, paper publication.

We encountered numerous error messages while perusing the website, which is frustrating for website visitors. This combined with the rudimentary organizational scheme make the website difficult to navigate. While the brand is appealing, SatelliteVoices appears to be all form and little function, which is definitely detrimental. However, these are errors that could be easily changed (hint, hint?).

Creativity: 5 stars. The design itself is simple with a colorful, splotchy background reminiscent of graffiti or street art. However, this is merely a background note; the main photography is stark and beautiful, with professional quality and a focus on detail. Even so, the background adds a touch of youthful fun and says a lot about the brand being promoted.

Ease of use: 3 stars. It can be very difficult to navigate this website. You should be able to narrow the topics to read exactly what you are interested in—the way people flip through a magazine. Instead the website has categories based on country and region or very broad topic categories. Viewers therefore must either miss out on great articles or simple page through every single issue—and who has the time for that?

Functionality: 3 stars. Does this website even know that Facebook exists? There is no contact information anyone on the website, although even a Facebook page would do a lot to help customers feel connected to the brand. The website offers almost no special or fun functions, as well-designed as it otherwise is.

Content: 5 stars. There is very little content on this website, but what exists is well-written and proper in every way. We especially love the way the magazine offers a clean look despite having a variety of different items on every page. This balance is partially due to the lack of text, although the organization of articles into picture blocks helps out a little.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is youthful and edgy, which is exactly the way that we would expect it to be. If offers the best of all worlds: a beautiful magazine based on style, with issues for different sections of the world, all for free and available from the privacy of your home.

Overall: 4.2 out of 5 stars.

Do you store your food according to the strictest food standards? Do you have a feed thermometer that you use to test your refrigerator and your cooked meat to ensure that they are the correct temperature? Unfortunately, many people do not pay attention to these little details, which may be why one third of Canadians have contracted a food borne disease. Twenty percent of British Columbian people do not use a meat or refrigerator thermometer on a regular basis, which would seem to suggest that they are not using one correctly. However, help is on the way! The government and several sponsoring organizations hope to make food safety fun with a website designed to teach citizens about the topic.

Simply storing meat at the correct temperature can cut back drastically on food borne disease. If you refrigerator is cold enough, bacteria cannot grow and spread as quickly. Under high temperatures, bacteria are killed altogether. In fact, you can make just a few simple changes and see a huge change in health and behavior. That is the point of this website. A bright superhero explains how to care for meat in a fun and nonjudgmental way. This makes it easy for households to learn about eating and storing foods, a dialogue that hopefully will lead to better storage and cooling practices in Canada.

Creativity: 5 stars. This website addresses a rather serious topic—food poisoning—with grace and humor. Not only is the website amusing, it offers good tips for people who are not aware of how to properly cook and store meats. Because many people do not know how to check the temperature in their refrigerator, it makes sense to have a website with detailed explanation.

Ease of use: 3 stars. There does not appear to be any navigation bar or other movement assistant. In fact, the only way to get around the site is to randomly click on links, or to scroll endlessly through the different pages. A navigation bar would be a welcome addition and make the website much easier to explore.

Functionality: 5 stars. The site is highly functional; there is a game at the top of the page (although in our opinion the link is not large enough) as well as buttons allowing viewers to share it through Facebook and Twitter. This website was designed to teach a valuable lesson, and it functions well in this capacity.

Content: 5 stars. The content is well-written and easy to understand. It explains a rather complicated topic (one that requires at least one full semester class in culinary school) in a way that can be quickly understood by an everyday citizen.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The super hero theme is humorous and detracts in a pleasant way from the seriousness of the subject. We like the fifties retro theme; many housekeeping websites use a similar theme, so it has come to be associated with housekeeping in general. This website is bright and graphic, a great way of portraying the necessary information.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars.

La Porte Sainte Claire is a classic French restaurant that has everything going for it. It is located in the best place for French food—a quaint village in France—and is in a building with plenty of antique charm. From the foods to the wine list to the ambience, this restaurant offers the best of classic France. The website is designed to complement this brand.

The website features pictures of the food and the restaurant, in deep colors that contribute to an upscale feeling. The navigation bar in the center of the page appears to have been made from old leather, while the web pages that slide out from under it are of an ivory parchment. This website does not even feel like a website; it is smooth, silky, and subtle.

This website is not just about feelings; it also offers a variety of functions in an easy to use format. You can reserve a table, communicate with the chef, and peruse the menu. You can locate the restaurant on a map or leave a comment about your meal. The possibilities are endless thanks to great CSS design.

Creativity: 5 stars. We love the way the information glides out from behind the leather bar when the category is clicked on. While this website looks a little overdone, it is well put together and creates a sumptuous, luxury brand. The deep colors and earth tones help the vibrant colors of the photos and the food to stand out.

Ease of use: 5 stars. It is very easy to find whatever you need, even if you do not speak French. Menu items include English descriptions below to make the website accessible to tourists. The website is well designed, and all aspects of the website can be accessed by clicking on a link on the bar in the center of the page.

Functionality: 4 stars. There are no links to social networking websites, which is an unfortunate oversight. However, customers can perform just about any function through this website, from reserving a table to finding out about the historical area in which it is located.

Content: 4 stars. The content is well-written in French and also includes English descriptions for different dishes. The English descriptions for many dishes are incomplete; it would be good to complete them and also to decide whether the website is going to be completely bilingual or French-only. As it is, there is a little bit of English in the descriptions of the different foods, but the rest of the site is entirely in French.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is perfect for the brand of the restaurant and definitely has its fair share of rustic charm. While there are a few small issues, they do not interfere with the overall feeling of the website. It is very appropriate and a good example of how CSS can be used to create interesting effects in websites.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars.

A quick disclaimer: Although there are aspects of the Egopop website that do not make sense (like, you know, the name), we really like the style and hope to see more from this designer.

That said, Egopop is the website of a freelance designer. It is designed to showcase the work of the artist while building a personal brand. The landing page features the name of the company in modern, bubbly lettering, with clay animals and critters arranged in front. As you move your mouse, you can see the scene from different perspectives. At the upper left side, there are links to other pages in the website, which are the portfolio, an about page and a contact page.

Website Reviewed: Egopop

Website URL: http://www.egopop.net/

This website is adorable inside and out. However, it is a little confusing, which is surprising considering that there are so few pages. The information is not arranged in a logical way, but rather fit together randomly on the pages. It is hard to predict exactly what will be on any given page. Also, we have concerns about how a rather juvenile website will function as a freelance website.

Creativity: 5 stars. From the adorable clay animals to the almost haphazard way that the information is organized, this website seems to ooze creativity.  It is almost gratuitously creative, but this ends up to be a powerful and even central part of the freelancer’s brand.

Ease of use: 3 stars. To be honest, the landing page feels a bit redundant. It does nothing to sell product and does not act as a hub for the website. Instead it is just there. Even with cute clay critters, this seems a bit much. In addition, the portfolio page is cluttered. It is difficult to see exactly what the designer did in each project and when.

Functionality: 4 stars. Social networking links to just about every site available are present on every page… except the contact page. This is an unfortunate oversight that make lead to a loss in sales. After all, many people will not brose around the website; they will click on contact and then leave the website altogether.

Content: 4 stars. The content is not bad, but there are a few glaring errors. For instance, on the About page, the artist switches repeatedly from first to third person and uses fragmented sentences. These are easy enough to fix, so we hope that the creator will proofread and make the necessary corrections.

Appropriateness: 3 stars. As we said in the first paragraph, we really like this website. However, there is no getting around the fact that it is not very appropriate as a business website. The website could be modified to keep its cute factor and its fun, fresh quality while making it a little more work appropriate. This is the internet equivalent of keeping stuffed animals in your work cubicle. Design is an adult profession… let’s act like it already.

Overall: 3.8 out of 5 stars.

It is particularly important for design-oriented businesses to have well-designed websites. After all, a website should help to build your brand, which hopefully includes good aesthetic style, and also give customers a sense of what kind of work your company specializes in. The Andersson-Wise website is one of the best architecture websites we have seen this year because of the attention to branding, especially in the little details.

Website Reviewed: Andersson-Wise Architecture

Website URL: http://www.anderssonwise.com/

The website is black with white writing, which allows the photos of different projects to really pop. The font and other visual accents are all very simple, which again draws attention back to the photos. This is a firm that feels comfortable letting their work speak for itself.

A navigation bar makes it easy to access all parts of the website, which include past projects, a published book of the firm’s work, and more. There is an area for news and press as well as links to the company’s social media pages. This website gives the firm a very substantial and legitimate feeling, like it has a huge presence in the architecture world both locally and nationally. This is exactly the impression that the firm is trying to portray. People prefer to have their home or other large project completed by an established professional rather than an inexperienced newcomer to the scene. A website can be a crucial part of creating this impression.

Creativity: 5 stars. The use of simple design and colors to bring attention to the photographs and portfolio may seem obvious, but it is in fact a difficult thing to pull off. Andersson-Wise seems to do it effortlessly, which suggests that their design skills are Yoda-like.

Ease of use: 5 stars. There is a navigation bar that makes it easy to navigate the website and find exactlw what you need. In addition, the information is organized into logical categories, making it simple to find. Again, simplicity is the over-arching theme.

Functionality: 4 stars. You have to make your way to the contact page before you get any access to social networking pages, which is an unfortunate oversight. If we had our way, there would be links to Facebook on every page and viewers would be able to ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ different projects. This website is well-designed, but it needs to be a little more functional. We feel that the architects have chosen form over function when they could have had both.

Content: 4 stars. The writing is technically good, but very difficult to actually read. There are just too many abstract terms strung together. Putting things in everyday language, making the wording as simple and sophisticated as the rest of the design, would be a huge improvement.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is very appropriate both for the brand and for the customers, showing the company to its best advantage and offering a lot of information. It shows off the company’s design skills and will give customers confidence in the architects’ skill.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars.

The Mario Kart Wii Experience website is designed to promote this popular Wii game by giving owners of the game a chance to share about their experiences while acting as a product information website for people who do not own the game. The website has a similar aesthetic style to the game itself, with a white and gray background and brightly colored characters. Indeed, Nintendo is good at branding and this website shows their skill. Every element from the fonts to the placement of the links was designed with the core brand in mind.

Website Reviewed: Mario Kart Wii Experience

Website URL: http://www.nintendo.com.au/gamesites/mariokartwii/

However, this website is unexpected in several ways. We expect Nintendo to be good at marketing their products, but this website offers a range of experiences that will encourage people to play this game. On the landing page, there are several videos promoting the game, along with links to score sheets, social networking pages, and even a history of the Mario character. One of the most fun parts of this website is the numerous videos that users have submitted of themselves playing the game. Even if you are not a huge fan of the Mario Kart games, you will have fun browsing this site and checking out the different functions.

This website has numerous functions that are intended either for adults or for the most media-savvy children, such as the ability to send MarioKart weapons to friends via Facebook. These extras tie the website into other sites and allow older fans of the Mario franchise to enjoy the website as much as the kids do. Because this game is popular among a very wide age group, it can be difficult to design a website that markets to all, but the Mario Kart Wii Experience does an excellent job.

Creativity: 5 stars. The website aesthetic design may not be unexpected, but there are fun details that build the Mario Kart brand, such as the little racer at the bottom of every page who can be used to navigate the website. These details complete the experience and give a professional feeling to the website.

Ease of use: 4 stars. The home page is a little overwhelming and cluttered; it can take a few moments to get your bearings. However, once you settle in, it is easy to find what you seek.

Functionality: 5 stars. This is not just a website, but rather a multi-media experience. You can access extras and printables, upload movies of your family playing the game, virtual-bomb Facebook friends, or just about anything else you wish. It is hard to think of a website with more different functions.

Content: 5 stars. The content is well-written and designed to be understood by younger readers without annoying the older ones. This is a difficult line to walk, but Nintendo does it well.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. It is difficult to design a website that is appropriate for the many different types of people who play Mario games, but Nintendo has done it and done it well.

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 stars.

How much do you love your earbuds? For many of us, these are throw-away items, an accessory destined to be left at the gym or ruined by a child’s sticky fingers. Yurbuds wants you to buy into your earbuds… or, at least, their earbuds. According to this website, earphones can be instrumental in helping you achieve your dreams.

Website Reviewed: YourBuds

Website URL: http://www.yurbuds.com/

Yurbuds are sports earphones that lock into the ear via a mechanism that looks painful but hopefully is not. They are designed to work well with a busy, athletic lifestyle. To underscore the important of such a lifestyle, the company has posted a ‘Gallery of Heroes’ with people wearing the earbuds with inspirational words written across their faces. You can share your own story (and photo) through a link to the company’s Facebook page. Although most of us would never dream of submitting a photo of ourselves with painted words across our face, many fans would simply for the bragging rights of having been on such a large company. This helps the company build fans, an important part of getting sales.

The black website is designed so that the accents (and the earphones) are red. This makes the product stand out and also gives a streamlined feeling. While the fonts in the website are not identical to that used in the logo design, they are related and similar in shape and form. Details like this may not be obvious to a person without a background in design, but to design junkies these are the hallmark of a professional website.

The product looks well designed as well. The company swears that they do not fall out and that they do not hurt (again, they screw into your ear), making them perfect for modern people with busy lives. Design is important, but we’ll be sticking to our good old fashioned earphones for now.

Creativity: 5 stars. The website is not particularly creative, but it is designed to draw attention to numerous photographs that are indeed very creative and well-done. The photographs create the impression that the product is intended for people of all ages and lifestyles.

Ease of use: 5 stars. The navigation bar makes it easy to find what you need, and the site is clearly organized. The website presents a large amount of information in a logical way, which can be difficult.

Functionality: 4 stars. There are numerous links to social networking pages as well as an ecommerce section in which you can buy the earphones along with other branded items such as t-shirts and armbands. There are also links to contests being held on the Facebook page. These are scattered throughout the site, but they might be better placed in the same location on every page.

Content: 3 stars. The content is minimal but written well. We wish there was a little more information on the sales pages; most people want a lot more specifics before spending fifty dollars on a pair of earphones. While the earphones are described in detail elsewhere on the website, there is almost no info on the actual sales product page.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. All content is appropriate for the audience.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars.

When it comes to concepts, this website is one of the best that we have seen. The CSS website is set up like a module on the Red Planet, with the background a rusty red sky. As you scroll down through the website, the sky gradually darkens and becomes the deep ink color of outer space, then lightens as you approach Earth. The information is centered in shapes designed to look like space modules, except for the apps which are orbiting their own planet.

Website Reviewed: We Came From Mars

Website URL: http://wecamefrommars.com/

But enough about form and function. There are enough nerd pleasures on this website to thrill even a hard-core geek. One of the things that will especially amuse most of you is the way the pictures of employees are placed in space helmets to keep with the website’s theme and the company brand.  You can even see a few likes and dislikes, which makes you feel like you know the people behind the brand a little bit. This is a website that you will enjoy perusing; it has been set up thoughtfully, with all of the details tying into an original brand.

Creativity: 5 stars. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to come up with a planetary theme, but there is definite imagination used in the execution here. We like the way the Martian theme was developed without cartoony Martians. From the color scheme to the information, everything fits in with the Mars idea. This creative brand deserves an A+.

Ease of use: 3 stars. You could find your way around Mars no problem thanks to a navigation bar combined with a completely scrollable website. Except—oops—the links on the navigation bar did not always work. Some did nothing, while others took us to the wrong place. It’s unfortunate in such an otherwise excellent website. All other components seemed fully functional, however.

Functionality: 5 stars. We like being able to see videos of the apps in use; it made us want them on our own smartphones. There are also links to social networking pages as well as a contact page with addresses, telephone numbers and emails. It’s easy to contact this business by any method that you prefer. All companies should make it this easy to contact them!

Content: 5 stars. The content is well-written, but there is not a whole lot of detail. However, the lack of written detail is more than made up for by the videos allowing potential buyers to experience the app for themselves.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The people who are interested in these games will really enjoy the website as well. It gives a great idea of the general flavor of the games, as well as insight into the technical skills and eye for detail possessed by the creators. There is just the right mixture of fun and seriousness. This website will be selling a lot of apps thanks to its great CSS design.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars.

The Red Velvet website uses CSS design to build a brand and also to make sales. It is a great well-rounded website that contains a variety of information, yet it feels organized and easy to navigate. If you have any experience whatsoever in design, you know what a challenge this can be.

Website Reviewed: Red Velvet Shop

Website URL: http://www.shopredvelvet.com/

When you land on the home page, you are treated to a scrolling picture bar showing popular ‘destinations’ on the site such as the Look Book and the Summer Sale. If none of these appeal to you, there is also a navigation bar at the top of the page as well as more links at the bottom. The color palette—white, gray, and linen—is designed to promote a feeling of simplicity while allowing the photography to take center stage.

One of the things that we love about this website is that it features multiple ways to browse the items for sale. You can take the traditional route by clicking on one of the categories on the navigation bar, or you can shop ‘by trend’. You can even click on favorites and see the various employees’ favorites, or if you are a regular visitor, check out just what is new to the website.

A few things we don’t like: when you click on the items’ product page, you have to read all about them and generally fall in love before getting to the bit about how they are unavailable. Also, a lot of the items are out of stock, which is, well, annoying to shoppers. This problem could easily be solved by leaving out of stock items off the category pages or at least placing them at the bottom. Also, social media links and other necessary information is tucked away in the footer, where few people will find it. However, these are small issues and do not detract from the overall good first impression we have of this website.

Creativity: 5 stars. The website is very creative, but what we really like is that it manages to keep a simple and minimalist feeling in the midst of the creativity. Anyone can throw colors at a screen; this brand took hard work and professional design.

Ease of use: 5 stars. The website is well-organized, with a place for everything and everything in its place. There is a huge range of products, but it is easy to find every one of them.

Functionality:  4 stars. Why would you hide social networking at the bottom of the page?

Content: 4 stars. There are a few small grammatical and punctuation errors in the text, such as in the product descriptions and the ‘About’ pages. This is in keeping with the informal, homespun brand being presented, but it does nothing to build a professional and trustworthy image. The photography and visual content is beautiful and well-designed.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This fresh and flavorful website is very appropriate for the young, fashion forward audience that it is trying to reach.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars

While most CSS websites amaze us with cool features, this one will warm the cockles of your heart with its sweet country charm. Calico patterns and sweet, hand-drawn animals surrounding happy people having tea combine to give this website a gentle, vintage feeling reminiscent of Beatrix Potter.

Website Reviewed: Jolly Duck Bunting
Website URL: http://jollyduckbunting.co.uk/

This website is selling homemade table linens and also rents out vintage china and tableware for parties. However, more than any single product the company is offering an old-fashioned dining experience. This makes the website very appropriate. The items are shown in pop-outs that make it easy to look at the items quickly. The high resolution images allowed by CSS are used well here because it allows potential customers to see the patterns of the fabric in detail and to examine the china closely. CSS is particularly effective for image-heavy websites because it loads quickly and allows the photos to have more SEO power.

Where is the logo? Where are the social media links? While the products seem lovely, this business is not doing enough to build its brand. We hope that this is a beginner’s mistake and that a little more attention to these elements is given in the future. Until then, this remains a beautiful example of how CSS website design can be used to create a unique feeling for unconventional businesses.

Creativity: 5 stars. The use of the bunting patterns in the web design is clever and also gives potential customers an idea of what the finished products will look like on a set table. The animals are cute and add to the brand by tying into the name of the company. We especially like using the flags hanging above the table as a navigation bar.

Ease of use: 5 stars. Because this website is offering a lot of bespoke items, the pricing can get complicated. However, the website offers enough information to make this easier to figure out. A contact page allows people to contact the seamstress/business owner with any questions. The information is logically organized and easy to access.

Functionality:  3 stars. You have to travel deep into the website to get any contact information, and there are no social networking websites. This is unfortunate because many people would probably interact with the brand on social media and thus be able to remember it later when they are planning a party. Social networking would also provide free marketing, which no small business can afford to pass up.

Content: 4 stars. The text is well written, and the pictures say more than their allotted thousand words about the products. However, there is a noticeable lack of finished products and tea parties in action. These elements would give people a better idea of exactly what they would be paying for.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is very appropriate for its subject and creates a charming, vintage brand that is appropriate for its subject.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars

In today’s video I talk about common question that a lot of our ecommerce and online store website customers ask me. Should we use videos on our ecommerce product pages and if so, how? Using video on your product pages would be a great way to engage your website visitors and make the sale. Of course there is also a little bit of risk involved in using Youtube videos on your website. There are also other alternative such as Vimeo and other video hosting websites that you can use.

A t-shirt website for a young t-shirt designer has two major challenges: building the company brand, and selling product. This was the lens that we used to view Inkefx. For the branding element, the website visuals create a creative brand with just a hint of darkness, which is very popular in this genre of clothing design.

Website Reviewed: Inkefx T-Shirt Website
Website URL: http://www.inkefx.com/

The brand is similar to many other t-shirts brands that are popular right now, which can be good (you know it appeals to the market) and bad (it does nothing to set the brand apart from others). Branding is very important because so many people buy t-shirts because of the brand and are indeed willing to pay very high sums for the right brand. Consider, for example, the success of Affliction and Ed Hardy, two businesses that have casual wear as their core product.

As for selling t-shirts, one of the major drawbacks is that the link to the t-shirt product pages says “Buy Now”. It is the wrong place for a call to action; a better strategy would be to have that links say “Find Out More” or similar. Many customers will want to see more about the brand before committing to buying and not realize that this is, in fact, the way to do so.

Creativity: 5 stars. The website is creative and shows off the creators’ skill, especially in the color palette. Distressed black with yellow as an accent color world well with the brand. The photography is also creative and shows the products from a variety of angles.

Ease of use: 4 stars. The shopping page is the landing page, which is a little confusing because there is a ‘Shop’ page on the landing bar that takes you home. There are a few other elements that conflict with easy use of the website, but these may be due to the relative newness of the brand.

Functionality:  4 stars. From the landing page alone, you can follow the brand on either Twitter or Facebook as well as ‘liking’ or ‘+1-ing’ the brand in social media; links are available in both the header and the footer, making them easy to find. In addition, there is a newsletter that users can sign up for if they would like to hear about sales and other website events. There are such a variety of ways to interact with the brand that many users will choose to do so.

Content: 3 stars. There are a few errors and run-on sentences here and there throughout the website, but they are minimal. However, one of our real issues with the content is that it is not ‘branded’—that is, it is not really in the same tone as the rest of the website.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The visual aspects of the brand are very appropriate for the audience of young men in search of casual wear. The brand has the potential to ‘make it big’ if the website has minimal changes made.

Overall: 4.2 out of 5 stars

We were a little surprised to see how simple, attractive, and well-designed Frontend 2011’s new website is. While you expect for a web conference to have a pretty stunning website, this one is still a pleasant surprise. The website looks like it has been created from black ink line drawings on a simple white media, with occasional pops of color to add emphasis.

Website Reviewed: Frontend 2011
Website UR: http://www.frontend2011.com/

Most of the writing is in a font that appears to be handwritten until you look very closely, which is a clever way of giving the website a homespun feeling. In addition, the pages on the Frontend 2011 website are lined with a drawing of a curtain and an audience, to give the feeling that you are seated in a movie theater. The information is placed where the movie screen normally would be, while the navigation bar is just above in the curtain. This gives the entire website a finished and uniform feeling while making it easy to find the information that you seek.

Capital lettering in a modern font with serifs is used to call attention to certain parts of the text. As we mentioned before, color is also used very effectively because the simple white and black makes just about any hue stand out. The website is simple, but easy to navigate and friendly in feeling. It makes the event being promoted seem like it will be easy and fun as well. After all, if a group cannot manage to put together a working website, how will a convention with thousands of people be run? This website avoids this question by getting it right.

Creativity: 5 stars. We like the line drawings and the bespoke font; both go well with the other elements. They create a clean feeling while making it easy to draw attention to key bits of information. While black and white can feel a little austere, the cartoonish quality of this website lends a friendlier feeling.

Ease of use: 4 stars. It is easy to find what you need thanks to a navigation bar that is placed at the top of every page. Unfortunately, the names of the headings are a little confusing at first; hotel information is included under the heading ‘Practical’ while the heading ‘Sponsors’ has no list of sponsors.

Functionality: 4 stars. There are social networking links inside brightly colored balloons on the home page (balloons that disappear when you scroll over them, in fact). This is a fun addition, but email addresses are very difficult to locate, in tiny print at the end of a rather long page.

Content: 3 stars. The content is clever and written to appeal to a youthful market, but there are numerous spelling and grammar errors. We realize that this is a Norwegian conference, but why put a website in English if you are not going to translate it correctly?

Appropriateness: 5 stars. All content is appropriate for the audience.

Overall: 4.2 out of 5 stars.

In today’s video, I talk about unnecessary policies and processes on your ecommerce website and your sales flow that actually alienates your customers and drives them away. Of course this is just a very simple list but the idea is to get you thinking about what you may be doing on your website that is counter productive and breaking your sales funnel.

In today’s video I talk about the 6 most important pages on your ecommerce website. This video is aimed at the beginner online business owner and hence might have some very obvious points. My aim to get you thinking about the important pages on your website and conducting an audit to ensure you are not ignoring the most obvious ones!

The home page of your website design, especially if you have an ecommerce website, is one of the most critical elements of your business success. In this video I talk about the various factors you need to keep in mind while designing your ecommerce home page. The list is by no means exhaustive but it is a good place to start.

Home Page Design Boot Camp

If you are already tired of leading a life filled with acronyms, you’d better get over it! There are two acronyms that we can guarantee that you will be hearing more of in the future: CSS and SEO. These two acronyms represent topics that are currently changing the way websites operate.

Most of us already know what SEO is, but CSS is an even newer topic. CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets, is a new design tool that allows website builders to create fast loading, original, attractive, and easily maintained websites. Best of all, CSS is incredibly search engine friendly, which means that a lot of potential customers will be viewing your mean, clean new website. Here are just a few of the many SEO advantages that CSS has to offer.

1. Prime placement of important SEO text. The unfortunate fact of web design is that what is meaningful to readers is not always so with search engines, and vice versa. With CSS, important wording can be moved to the top of the HTML file. Search engines automatically give more importance to text at the top of the webpage, so this can have a huge positive impact on how different search engines index and rank your website.  You can even place items in the HTML file independently of how they will actually appear to the viewer, allowing you to have a more natural flow without ‘burying’ important items in the eyes of search engine crawlers.
2. High weight HTML tags. CSS uses the familiar HTML tags that we are all used to, such as <h1>. This allows you to use headers as a way to show search engines what text is the most important to your page and thus to use important keywords to increase your site’s rank. It also allows you to construct menus using HTML tags, which yields the same SEO benefits while making it easy for users and search engine crawlers alike to access different parts of your website.
3. Easy to load pages. Your code to content ratio is very important both in loading speed and in search engine rankings. CSS creates beautiful, full featured websites with relatively low amounts of code to crawl through. This is because many CSS style sheets are externally linked instead of embedded. As with the other benefits we have listed, this makes it easier for users to access different areas of your site while giving you yet another SEO boost. Your readers and the search engine crawlers alike are more likely to explore your website thoroughly if it is quick and easy to do so.
4. Easy updating. CSS pages are incredibly easy for the webmaster to modify. This makes it easy for you to keep adding that all important fresh content while freeing up time for other endeavors. If you pay a webmaster to maintain your website, CSS will increase the amount of bang you get for your buck and prevent unexpected charges. In this way, as in many others, CSS offers the best of all worlds to both experienced users and total newbies.
5. Customizability. This is related to the previous benefit. Often, minor changes can be difficult to implement because you have to completely rewrite the HTML. With CSS, you can make minor changes to optimize success with visitors, however you define that. These changes can be made with a minimum of effort and without affecting your style or your SEO. With CSS, style, text, and SEO are completely different domains, making it easy to play with one without affecting the others.
6. Compatibility with a variety of browsers. Search engines are not currently ranking sites according to their compatibility with different browsers, but you will definitely benefit from being accessible to a variety of devices. CSS works well not just with computer users, but with PDAs and cell phones as well.

As with all innovations, it is easy to misuse CSS in ways that may be disastrous for your website. Here are a few “grey hat” or “black hat” techniques to avoid when using CSS to build a website.

1. Keyword stuffing. Many people think that the ease of using CSS to place keywords is an invitation to place a ton of them. It’s so easy to fill a page with words and then type the magic words, {display: none}, which hides them from viewers but leaves them perfectly visible to search engine crawlers.  However, search engines are getting better at detecting techniques such as this, so keyword stuffing just might get your site blacklisted altogether. Stick with placing keywords that make sense and using them sparingly to avoid getting red flagged.
2. Inappropriate image replacement. CSS allows you to use a technique known as image replacement, in which you basically tell search engines and text based browsers what is contained within an image. However, many people use this feature for keyword stuffing, which is not its intended use. Keep in mind that there are legitimate reasons to use image replacement, such as when you have a logo design with text in it that is important for SEO purposes. This is an example of a time when a CSS technique can be used for good or bad reasons. However you are using image replacement, there is a good chance that a search engine reader will interpret it as black hat and punish you with zero rank. Proceed with caution if you decide to use image replacement. A better way of dealing with the example given is to use an alt tag on all images.

CSS is gaining popularity quickly because of its easy use, unlimited style possibilities, and prime search engine management. This is due to the separation of content and style that the method has to offer. While CSS offers the perfect combination for web developers, it also gives almost unlimited possibilities for misuse. If you can resist the urge to trick search engines (and potential visitors) while using CSS to its best advantage, you will find that you get a result that is totally worth your effort.

A video I made about your search not found error pages on your website and how you should take care not to frustrate your site vistors and how to properly handle these error pages to ensure your site visitors go back into your sales flow.

No Search Results On Your Website

For a full transcript visit: Not Getting The Right Results On Your Website?

I made a video recently talking about the importance of having a good internal search on your website. This is not to be confused with search engine optimization. A well implemented internal search will help your website vistors get the information they are looking for.

It is inevitable that some times what a web vistors is looking for may not be on your website. But if you put a little thought into how your internal search is implemented and what your “no results found” page says. The ”no results found” page could be a great opportunity to ensure the vistor is not frustrated and continues with the conversion funnel.

Don’t Frustrate Your Website Visitors Video

For a full transcript of this video, please visit this link: Not Getting Right Results

Please ensure that if you have an ecommerce website, you do not just include your products in your internal search index but also your policy pages, informations pages, your blog and more. This will ensure that vistors find what they are looking for with out hassles and frustration.

Whether you are running a traditional, brick-and-mortar business or an ecommerce website, a professional website is something that every entrepreneur needs. A website forms the foundation of your internet presence and allows you to build your brand at very little cost. In addition, a website can streamline your business by allowing your customers to order, pay and manage their accounts online. There are so many good reasons to have a website and no good reasons not to—so what are you waiting for? Here are a few tips for getting the website that is right for your entrepreneurial plans.

• Decide what makes you different. Whether you are offering lower prices, a local alternative to big corporations or a unique product, it is important that you know why customers should choose you. If you don’t know this, your customers will not either! This core difference between you and your competition will form the basis of your brand.
• Discover your audience. Once you know what sets you apart from the other businesses in your genre, you should think about the type of people who are looking for you. Rest assured, regardless of you are offering, there is a market looking for it. It is simply a matter of finding that market, positioning your business as the right choice for them, and then making sure that they know about you. However, in order to position and publicize your business, you need to know who your message is intended to reach. You need to know more than basic demographic information, including what the market’s daily schedule looks like, how they prefer to shop and what their aesthetic preferences are.
• Talk to a professional. A professional website designer can help you to identify and define your core value proposition and target market, but it will cost you. It is better if you enter the design process already having given the matter a lot of thought. At this point, it is time to find a website designer who has built websites that are successful with your core market. Do not attempt to build a website yourself or use a template. This will lead to a generic-feeling website that will not be as effective with your market. You should also outsource logo design and other branding design elements; you can’t afford to cut corners in these areas because they will form the basis of your online presence.
• Consider going mobile. Once you know your audience, it should be easy to identify whether they are accessing the internet from a PC, a smartphone or even a tablet PC. If your market does a lot of shopping and information seeking from mobile devices, you should consider having mobile-friendly websites developed for their convenience. The more mobile your market is, the more likely they will be to ignore sites that are not mobile friendly and prefer ones that are.
• Incorporate social media. No entrepreneur can do without social networking in the modern world. It is simply a necessity. You should think carefully about which social networking websites are most appealing to your target audience and then create profiles. Give these profiles a lot of thought and make them as appealing as possible. Again, templates feel generic and tend to ‘turn off’ today’s marketing-savvy consumers.
• Be connected. Your social marketing profiles, website and physical locations should not exist as islands, but rather as an interconnected network. Make sure there are plenty of ways for visitors in one platform to find out about and interact with the others. Don’t just throw up a few icons or links; make a point of mentioning your other ‘homes’ and inviting people to visit.
• Entice customers. Your marketing needs to do more than inform; it needs to entice. Again, that unique value proposition that you developed in the first step will be crucial here. Consider what will be the most effective means of reaching your audience and what types of campaigns will appeal most to them. Some markets prefer businesses that partner with charities or are otherwise socially responsible; others are brought in by contests and giveaways. Knowing your audience is key. It will save you the time, money and effort of running marketing campaigns that are not successful.
• Don’t forget to optimize! Search engine optimization has gotten a bad name due to ‘black hat’ or disallowed techniques. However, SEO is the only way to bring customers to your website and thus an area that you can’t ignore. If you don’t understand how to best design your website to get top search engine rankings, discuss the matter with your website designer or even consider hiring an independent SEO consultant.

Once you have made it through these seven long steps, you should be rewarded with a website that is appealing to your market and a growing amount of traffic. However, if your website is not successful, one of these core entrepreneur website problems may be to blame. Here are the cardinal sins of business websites, to be avoided at all costs.

• Distractions. You don’t need a flashy, blinged-out website to attract most markets. In fact, too many distractions will make your business look less professional and distract customers from actually making their purchase.
• Confusing navigation. Your website designer can help with this. Your website needs to be organized into logical categories that are easy to understand. Customers should be able to find what they seek in just 2-3 clicks.
• Inappropriate size. There is a happy medium between having a website that is merely a few pages and running one that is a behemoth. Trim pages that are not necessary. Offer a well-rounded amount of information, but trims the frills that don’t make sales.
• Lack of updates. You cannot design a website and then leave it. Most small business websites require almost daily updates and tweaks. Customers like to know that the website they are visiting is current and often updated. It shows them that you are a professional and that any orders they make will be processed quickly.

Most people develop their website and then focus on S.E.O. However, this is actually approaching website optimization backwards. In fact, many of the most effect ways of optimizing a website occur in the development phase.

Many websites are designed by professional developers, but then they have to be basically torn apart by S.E.O consultants in order to make the site show up in search engine results. The good news is that there are ways you can develop a website to get it right the first time. Here are some S.E.O tactics that you should keep in mind when planning and developing your site.

How to Build a Website Search Engines Love Video

#1 Know your Keywords

In the past, I have written extensively on finding and choosing keywords, but most you are probably current website holders looking for a way to improve an existing site. While it is never too late, you’ll get better results with a whole lot less effort if you develop your website after identifying which keywords you are planning to incorporate. You’ll still need to modify your site as your market changes, but you’ll be starting off on the right foot.

#2 Plan a Static U.R.L Structure

Dynamic URLs are common in modern web design, but they present an S.E.O nightmare for a variety of reasons. Develop your site without them. Choose static URLs and base them on your keywords from the very beginning.

#3 Think Outside the Site

Many of the best SEO development tools come from outside your actual site. Open accounts on your preferred social networking websites and place links and buttons prominently on every page of your website. Don’t overdo this—too many buttons ad doohickeys can be annoying—but definitely choose a few favorites. Also, sign up for Google Webmaster Tools. This will allow you to identify problems with search engines and respond to them before they become a site killer. Google will actually tell you how they see your site and notify you of issues—information that you can’t afford to go without.

#4 Follow the Pack

By this, I mean you develop your website according to the standards of whatever convention you are using. Whether you are using HTML, database or CSS, follow the rules religiously, even when breaking them seems to work. This will make it easier to modify your website as you go along. Keep in mind that if your website grows, you may need to delegate tasks to someone who won’t necessarily understand an unconventional system.

#5 Create an XML Sitemap

Many people neglect this step, but it is one of the most important SEO tricks. Once your site is up, generate an XML sitemap and submit it to search engines. This is easy to do with that Google Webmaster Tools account that you already opened! For best results, create your website so your sitemap updates whenever you make a change and notifies the search engines automatically.

#6 Plan to Analyze

The only way to keep your website relevant and high ranking is to regularly analyze and modify accordingly. Why not set yourself up for success from the start with analytical tools? Choose any package that appeals to your specifications and budget, but make sure your chosen tool allows you to track sources of revenue and traffic. A great tool is Google Analytics and it is absolutely free. I use it on all my sites.

#7 Leave Room for Text

A common mistake is getting so caught up in design that you forget to leave room for the stuff that will actually boost your page rank and income: content. Make sure all of your pages have ample space for keyword-rich text. This means at least 200 words of content along with appropriate, html headers as well.

#8 Avoid Duplicate Content

Search engines hate duplicate content, and even if you get away with it you are still cannibalizing your website. Give each concept, product, service, or whatever you are peddling its own URL and then leave it there. You can still link to this URL from a variety of internal sources, but it needs its own home. This is not just good for SEO, but good for website organization and management as well. As the adage goes, a place for everything and everything in its place.

#9 Title Consistently

Don’t design your pages like they are an island—pick a title convention that will be used throughout your website. Whatever the structure you choose, make your titles brief and descriptive with relevant keywords.

#10 Mark Non-Text Elements

The best example of a non-text element is a photograph. You need visual elements to make your site more palatable, but don’t let them be wasted space. Mark them with ALT Tag attributes that include keywords. Avoid going overboard here; search engines know how to spot this and will punish accordingly.

#11 Think Meta

Write a unique, professional meta description for every single page—not only will this help search engine crawlers, it will often show up in the search engine results as well. Consider this description one of the most important pieces of copy on the page. Use keywords and good sales practices to begin getting your customer’s attention before they even click on your link.

Similarly, allow for other meta tags from the very beginning. Depending on the type of website you are running, you may need canonical or robots tags. This is particularly important if you are using tracking codes.

#12 Redirect your Visitors

Redirects are another URL-related SEO strategy that can boost your page rank. You know that people can find you whether they type www or not. So you’re done, right? In fact, when they don’t type in the full URL, they are basically going to an internet generated duplicate of your website. This gets even more convoluted when other websites are linking to a non-www version. Identify your main URL and then program your website to redirect to it. This ensures that you get ‘credit’ with search engines for all of your external links. This can be done on the server side with an .HTACCESS file or with some CMS systems – like with the Ringgle platform, this can set up with the admin panel.

Similarly, you should never completely take down a page of your site, especially one with those valuable internal links. If you want to remove a page, 301 redirect it to its replacement. This way, you won’t lose any of your hard-won SEO footing.

These development strategies may seem simple, but when used together they can have a remarkable effect on your website’s page rank. Plan your website for success from the very beginning and continue to program according to good SEO practices for continued success in the future.

The amount of visual beauty on this website is a little overwhelming, which I suppose is to be expected. This crisp, clean CSS website for Tokyo Illustrators Society works well both to promote the organization and to promote the members.

Because there are so many different illustrations on the landing page, a very simple theme is necessary. A white and light gray color scheme dominate the website with occasional orange accents to draw attention to different elements. The writing and the icons are kept extremely simple to allow the artwork to grab all of the viewer’s attention. This is also important because it eliminates the cluttered feeling that would otherwise result from so many picture tiles.

This website functions not just as a hub for the group, but as a place to look for an illustrator should you need one. When you see work that you like among the tiles on the landing page, you can click on it and get information on the artist, including a brief profile and contact info. There is also information about the Tokyo Illustrators Society, including the aims of the organization and different events that it sponsors.

One notable thing about this website is that the transition between pages is very smooth and flowing. The ability to control little (yet noticeable!) factors such as this is one of the reasons that so many people prefer CSS website design. Not only is all of this information at your fingers, it will move to your desktop in a harmonious way. This is important in a website such as this one, where aesthetics are clearly important to the visitors and members.

Creativity: 5 stars. We give this website maximum creativity points because we love the simple design and the way the artwork is allowed to be the star of the website.

Ease of use: 5 stars. The website is very easy to use. A navigation bar to the left of every page makes it simple to find what you need. Every aspect of the website can be accessed in just two clicks. This is considered the ideal, but many website simply cannot reach it.

Functionality:  2 stars. How do you contact this website? With no social networking links and no blog, it is hard to tell. If you scroll down to the bottom of the “About TIS” page, there is a tiny email link at the bottom. This is so hard to find (and so insufficient), but we consider it a blight on an otherwise perfect website.

Content: 5 stars. The content is very good, especially for a website that does not use English as its native language. Everything is professional and correct.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is very appropriate for its genre; in fact, it is hard to think of a website being better for this organization. It creates an environment in which the artwork and the artists can really shine.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Many of the websites that make it to our ‘World’s best Web Design’ page have CSS designs that are flashy, bright, artistic, or otherwise very eye-catching. This may lead many people to think that they don’t need professional website design because their website is more straightforward. The Joyent website is a great example of how to use this type of web design for a site that is simply, professional, and highly useable.

Website Reviewed: http://www.joyent.com/

Joyent is a business offering services and website software for cloud computing, which has been hailed by many as the IT solution of the future. Because this is a new concept for many companies, it is especially important to have a highly professional brand but also to include a great deal of information about the concept. CSS web design has allowed Joyent to meet both criteria in a simple and stylish way.

The gray and white color scheme helps the orange that is used both in the software logo and as an accent throughout the design to stand out. All information is accessible from a navigation bar at the top of the page. The right side of the page has a bar with customer testimonials as well as the products that they refer to.

These same pages can be accessed at the bottom as well, making the website easy to navigate by a variety of means. Each link takes viewers to an ‘overview’ page of the category and offers links to more detailed inner pages. This may seem like a lot of ‘clicks’ to get to any one destination, but it is an intuitive way of organizing such a large and extensive amount of information.

Despite the excellent organization used throughout the website, the pages tend to fill a little crowded and heavy with information. There are a few ways this could be remedied. First, breaking the wording up with pictures, photographs, or other visual devices would be highly advantageous. Second, organizing the information with bold lettering, bullets, or other organizational devices would definitely make the words more palatable. A few bulleted lists are present throughout the website, but not nearly enough to render it less overwhelming. As it is, it is difficult to glean a lot of information (despite the information definitely being there) simply because of a lack of prioritization.

Creativity: 5 stars. Are we crazy to give a ‘5’ for Creativity to a website with only a handful of colors and virtually no images? In this case, the simplicity itself is the perfect creative touch.

Ease of use: 4 stars. It can take a while to find what you need, but in general the website is designed for easy access to information.

Functionality: 2 stars. There is no contact information present outside of the contact page, which seems unusual. There are no Facebook or other social networking pages. In general, these are mandatory for modern business, especially ones like Joyent that focus on business-to-business work.

Content: 4 stars. The content is well-written but, as we mentioned, it could be organized to be more understandable.

Appropriateness: 5 stars.

Overall: 3.0 out of 5 stars.

More and more sporting clubs and organizations are developing athletic websites, and it is easy to see why. A website can be a great place to use as an organizational tool (for important dates and such), as a way of involving fans and the community, and a method of increasing team pride among players. If you use CSS design, you can address all of these needs and wants in a visually attractive package.

Website Reviewed: http://jester04.ch/

The design involves a lizard—the team’s mascot—basking in the sun in front of a futsal net, along with a black foreground where information is given. The fonts are very simple and create a masculine, straightforward brand. In addition to a navigation bar at the top of the page, website guests can access information from the landing page as well, which has the function and organization of a blog.

The website offers a lot of information on the club, which is important for fans, players, and people looking to become either. However, there is very little contact information—simply a few email addresses on the contact page—and no social networking links either.

One of the benefits of CSS website design is that it can be very versatile and allow many interesting features. We would love to see a calendar feature as well as other relevant organizational tools. The blog format is good for sharing information on a day-to-day basis, but it is less efficient for people who simply want to know the next practice date.

Despite a few flaws (and they really are few), this website is a fun way for the futsal club to develop an online presence that will help their organization as it grows. The club is still relatively new, having begun only this year, and is just getting organized in terms of practices, members, and sponsors. It is likely that the website design will become more organized as the club itself becomes more so. It will be fun to return to this website in six months or a year and note the changes that have occurred for both the club and the website.

Creativity: 5 stars. The photo of a lizard in front of a futsal net is both appropriate and priceless. It relates to the mascot and the sport at the same time, making it a great find for the Jesters.

Ease of use: 3 stars. The information is well organized within the navigation bar, but in order to find many details you will have to slog through the blog. This can take a while, unfortunately.

Functionality: 3 stars. One of the first things to do when starting a club or business of any sort is to open social media accounts, even if you only rarely use them. This website does not link to any social networking accounts and is thus missing an invaluable opportunity to connect with their fans.

Content: Not judged due to foreign language.

Appropriateness: 5 stars.

Overall: 4.0 of 5 stars.

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If you are going to make a living as a musician, designer, or any type of artist, you must be a master of marketing and branding. However, this is easier said than done. In many ways, selling yourself is harder than selling a business or a product. Having a website design that creates a professional and interesting brand can do a lot of the work for you.

Website Reviewed: www.chrisamott.com

Designer: gioledda.ca

Christopher Amott’s website uses CSS website design to begin building a personal brand that will benefit each of his many pursuits. A simple yet modern black and white photograph takes up much of the landing page, with flecks of light to create a somewhat dreamlike and abstract feeling. The photograph, of course, is of Chris Amott, as a signature below verifies. From here, people who are interested in the musician can visit the homepage of his band, several different social networking websites, and vendors selling his music.

The Twitter and Myspace pages use the same background as well as other visual elements, helping to create a well-rounded sense of branding. Of course this is not possible with iTunes and Facebook, but effort is still made to be consistent with the musician’s brand in the wording and the pictures displayed. This continuity is an essential part of building the Christopher Amott brand.

It’s hard to find any faults with this website. It is simple, appropriate, and tailored to the musician. It offers links to all of the right places. However, it does very little to introduce us to the musical brand being represented. This website seems to assume that we are already familiar with Christopher Amott—and we aren’t! There is no biography or discography, or any other information that would give us more information about the musician.

Newbies won’t be the only people who are a little dissatisfied with this website, despite its many charms. Many people turn into crazy ‘fan boys’ over their favorite musician. They want to know every details of his or her life. This website will do little to slake their thirst for information. While this is a good ‘happy medium’ site, a little more information might improve it immensely and create a more well-rounded viewing base.

Creativity: 5 stars. We especially enjoy the play of light against the black and white photograph—it suggests an older photograph of a musician from the past.

Ease of use: 5 stars. Placing everything on the landing page certainly makes it easy to locate!

Functionality: 3 stars. There are links to sales websites, social media, and the official band website, making it easy for visitors to see what Chris Amott is up to right now. However, there is little background information for people who are not familiar with his past. A little more info would give some needed context.

Content: 3 stars. There is absolutely no content to judge. This feels more like an oversight than simplicity in design.

Appropriateness: 5 stars.

Overall: 3.2 out of 5 stars.

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Ines de Castilho is offering a product that is unique, modern, and beautiful at the same time: temporary tattoo-like body jewelry. Women have loved jewelry for millennia, and tattoos are becoming more and more acceptable in all circles. Thus, we predict that many women will appreciate the skin jewelry for sale from this company. However, because this is a rather unusual product, it is important that its website present it in a beautiful and brand-oriented way. This website is as unique, modern, and beautiful as the concept it represents thanks to CSS design.

Website Reviewed: http://www.ines-de-castilho.com/
Designer: kianaweb.fr

The landing page features deep, seductive colors and photographs of models wearing the skin jewelry. However, this site is not all form and no function; customers can find everything that they need here. A navigation bar allows access to information about website store, news, and other information. A special tab is given to wedding jewelry, which is a little odd considering that this is just one of the brand’s many offerings. In addition, a small amount of contact information is included.

While the website is working hard to build the brand, it appears to be working alone. There is no Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking page—at least not that this website links to. The ‘Club’ tab leads to a page of product reviews from satisfied customers, while may or may not be enough to convince a potential customer to buy.

In addition, the copy feels a little unprofessional. While it is difficult to write proficiently in a second language, this is a good reason to hire a native English speaker to write your copy—especially if you are trying to present an attractive and professional brand.

Despite these small issues, the Ines de Castilho website is a beautiful and sophisticated representative off the company brand. The website is black and white, but it manages to maintain a level of detail that makes it feel sophisticated rather than plain. Most important of all, the jewelry is shown to its best advantage.

Creativity: 5 stars. This website uses a variety of photography and design elements to show the products in a striking way. We think jewelry consumers will love this brand and the website that represents it.

Ease of use: 4 stars. The navigation bar makes it easy to find what you need. Everything seems relatively intuitively designed, which adds to the general usability. We suggest making products searchable in a variety of ways—such as by price—for further success.

Functionality: 2 stars. No Facebook? No Twitter? It’s hard to believe that a modern website could be without at least one of these, but there are no links on the website.

Content: 3 stars. As we mentioned, the English errors are obvious and very distracting.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. Despite its problems, the website is very appropriate for the Ines de Castilho brand. We hope that it will bring many sales for the company and be the growth tool that every new company needs to make it in a difficult market.

Overall: 3.8 out of 5 stars.

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People buy jewelry not just for its beauty and value, but for its brand—if you don’t believe me, consider the high prices you see from popular brands such as Tiffany and Cartier. The Viventy Jewels website design uses CSS design to build a brand that will put them on par with these well-known jewelers.

Website Reviewed: Viventy Jewels

Website URL: http://www.viventy.de/en/

Designer: webcontact.de

The home page opens to a shot of a beautiful model lying on an exotic floor rug wearing a sampling from the company’s latest line, Marrakesch. There are two sets of links to allow different types of visitors to find the information they need quickly. For customers, links at the top left of the page allow visitors to view the full lines from the jeweler, find a retail outlet near them, and find out more about the company. To the top right are a set of links for businesses looking to partner with the brand, such as downloads and contact information. At the bottom of the page are links to the making of the brand video and other less important information.

Dividing information in this way and placing it so it ‘frames’ the marketing image allows users to quickly find information geared toward them while presenting the brand in a very complimentary light. It also allows Viventy Jewels to use their website both as a corporate presence and a consumer marketing venue.

Beautiful photography and other visual elements throughout the website build an aesthetically pleasing brand that will create customer interest. The website is also full of fun and stylish programming details, such as a fine screen that scrolls down over the photo on the home page before the name of the line appears. These details may not be noticed by the average website viewer, but they create a professional and sophisticated impression.

The color scheme is especially notable in this website. It is difficult to make black and white feel warm, but there are sepia tones and other accents used throughout the website to achieve just this effect. It definitely creates a warm and inviting yet upscale brand for this company, which is exactly the intention.

Creativity: 5 stars. Creativity and stylistic photography are used to create a luxurious tone without being stuffy or off-putting.

Ease of use: 5 stars. Separating the links so that there is a section for customers, one for businesses, and one for other visitors makes it easy for people to find what they need. Although these sections are not explicitly named, it is easy to see the principle behind the organization.

Functionality: 4 stars. There are links to social networking sites, but the ones present in internal pages are written in German, which could confuse English speakers who likely comprise a large percentage of visitors to the brand’s English website.

Content: 4 stars. There is very little content, but it all seems well-written. However, it is difficult to tell for sure because some of the wording on the English website for this brand is actually in German—an unfortunate oversight.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The website is highly appropriate for the Viventy brand.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars.

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Have you ever bought a bottle of wine simply because it looked good? Branding is an important part of selling wine. A website is a way of showing this brand to the world, not just to wine lovers perusing the shelf but store buyers, reviewers, and your market at large. Jax Vineyards has a website that uses CSS web design to present an attractive and contemporary wine and vineyard brand. I LOVE THIS WEB SITE DESIGN!

Website Reviewed: Jax Vine Yards

URL of website: http://jaxvineyards.com/

Designer: Nicholas Macias @ rockinghelvetica.com

The landing page features a bottle of wine against a background. In large letters, the words ‘your food should be so lucky’ begin to introduce an edgy, modern brand. The wine that is shown is explained in detail, and links to tasting notes and specifications are given. A bar at the top offers information about the vineyard and its products along with sections for ‘Story’, ‘Place’, ‘Team’, ‘Near You’ and ‘Follow Us’. When you click on the links, the page in question appears beneath the landing page in a smooth motion.

Not only are links provided allowing visitors to follow the brand in a variety of social media, visitors can also see what other people on these websites are saying about this vineyard and its wines. This creates an ‘insider’s view’ into the vineyard and makes the products seem more attractive. An online order form allows oenophiles to order their favorites immediately. In addition, complete contact information is offered so that people who are interested can get more information.

This website offers well-rounded information about the brand. However, most wine drinkers are equally interested in the product as well.  Only five wines are described in the website and offered for sale, although the vineyard likely offers more than this. Even is a product is not offered for sale, tasting notes and other information can help to build the brand. There is no information on 2010 wines, such as when they will be available. People visiting a corporate website like to feel that they are getting the ‘inside track’, so this information would be both interesting and enriching. However, in all, this is a well-rounded website that offers a solid sense of brand and excellent insight into the Jax Vineyards wines currently for sale.

Creativity: 5 stars. This website is creatively designed with beautiful photography and a more modern brand than many of its competitors.

Ease of use: 5 stars. Good CSS design is used to create a usable and well-organized website with information presented in a logical way.

Functionality: 5 stars. It’s rare that we see a business offer such a complete range of functions. Jax Vineyards offers a variety of ways to follow the brand and a way to buy the products immediately.

Content: 4 stars. The content is grammatically correct and written in a fun, edgy way that compliments the brand immensely. We would like to see more information about other products; it is unlikely (but possible) that this vineyard has created only five wines in the past five years.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is perfect for this brand and its products.

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 stars.

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A logo is a necessity for any company that wants to go anywhere. Logos are not only used on the internet for advertising, on news media, printed publications, advertisements, company stationary and envelopes and on the website, but they can be displayed on jackets, tee-shirts, coffee mugs, ashtrays and even bumper stickers. There are just so many ways that logos can be displayed. People remember what they see on a constant basis. That is why it is important to have a logo that will draw their attention, keep their attention, and turn that attention into business.

Large corporations have their own advertising and marketing departments. They have a staff that does nothing all year long except work on ways to get the company name and products known more in the public arena. They come up with many different ways to advertise that companies goods and services and it is a constantly changing field. With all the new technological advances in computer graphics on television, internet and electronic billboards, they have to continually find new ways to display these companies. They are also the ones who get the companies logo out there and make sure it sticks in the minds of people.

If you don’t own a large company, you don’t have this advantage. Although you can go to any number of internet sites that guarantee they will help you build the best website and find the best logo, more than likely you will end up with something generic that will sit on a back page somewhere, not generating enough viewers to do you any good. Though this may not strictly be a black market move, the end result will still be disappointing.

No, your best solution is to hire an expert. People actually go to college and earn a degree to do this kind of work. They are skilled and trained in every aspect of website development, advertisement, logo creation and more. You should thoroughly search the internet for the best company around, since it is best to find someone who can actually visit your company to see what it is all about. If it is an internet company, then it can all be done online and over the phone.

They will go through the details of what your company does, from top to bottom. They will decide how to target the right audience for you, and how to build a website and design a logo that will target that audience. If you want to find a really good company that does this, look at the websites for some of the largest companies around and see who built theirs, although that may get to be a little pricey.

Look at the website of the companies you are considering. How easy is it to maneuver around their site? How many pages are on their site? Do they have samples of their work? Do they have a 24 hour customer service line? They built their website, so you should be able to see the quality of their work by just cruising around their website for awhile. Running them through the Better Business Bureau is also a good idea. Never choose anyone that has less than a B- rating.

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Image via Wikipedia

Your ecommerce website landing page is your first impression, and it is important that it be top notch in every way. However, many website administrators are confused about what makes a landing page work best. Here are a few tips for creating a landing page that inspires your visitors to become customers.

• Use several different landing pages.

  Many websites use their homepage as an all-purpose landing hub, but this practice forces visitors to wade through a lot of information before finding what they need. This also makes it difficult to target one particular group at a time. Customers who have to go through multiple steps are more likely to bounce, so give them a targeted landing page with just the information they seek.

• Place important information carefully.

  Many users will not scroll down or click on a link unless they already see the information they want. This means that your main message must be placed at the top left of the page. This will ensure that your visitors are always seeing your marketing message. You should also place important links, such as those to your sales page, at the top as well.

• Get to the point.

  Make your call to action as early as possible and place it right next to a link to your sales page. This will enable customers who know exactly what they want to quickly complete the process. Similarly, use as few words as possible in all areas. Anything else will create clutter and make it hard to find and identify the most important information.

• Tie in to advertisement.

  If you have different landing pages for different advertisements, make sure to tie in to the advertisement in question as much as possible. You already have a rough idea of what your visitors want—they clicked on the ad, after all.  Give them the exact same marketing message with more relevant details. In any cases, using the exact same text as an opener is the most effective strategy.

• Keep it simple.

  Visual clutter turns people off and muddies your message. Don’t confuse or annoy your visitors; it is too easy for them to click ‘Back’ and lose the inclination to buy. If you have multiple landing pages, it should be easy to identify a core message for each one and stick to that message. Keep your landing pages simple, brief, and targeted.

• Use visual aids to separate lists and other information.

  At some point, you have to include details or lists in order to give discerning buyers the information they seek. Use bullets, boxes, or other visual aids to separate this information so it is easy to scan. Place important pieces of information in large, bold letters to set it apart from less important details. People are usually looking for one key piece of information, and they shouldn’t have to read a novel to get to it.

A well-designed ecommerce landing page will increase your sales by helping your customers see why your business is the best choice. A crowded, cluttered, or disorganized landing page will have just the opposite effect. You can’t afford to lose customers to poor design, so make your landing pages the best they can be.

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When was the last time you filled a shopping cart with groceries and then abandoned it on aisle four? Never? The average person wouldn’t dream of doing this in a physical store location, but it happens all the time on ecommerce websites. Here are the most common triggers for shopping cart abandonment along with common-sense ways to prevent this phenomenon.

1. Unexpected costs.

   There is nothing worse for a shopper than finding out their great deal is not-so-great due to shipping costs. According to a study by Forrester Research, this is the number one cause of shopping cart abandonment. One way of preventing this is by offering free shipping or flat-rate shipping for orders over a certain size or dollar amount. If this is not a possibility, tell people upfront what shipping costs for every item on its detail page. The same holds true for taxes, handling fees, and other costs that are not included in the price of the item itself.

2. Security concerns.

   Many people balk when it comes time to enter their credit card digits. Indeed, with identity theft and fraud stories filling the evening news almost every day, your customers have good reasons to have reservations when it comes to this step. Invest in good security and let your customers know on every single page of your ecommerce website that you are as concerned about their safety as they are.

3. Lack of options.

   Maybe they planned to pay with PayPal and you only accept credit card purchases. You need to have different payment gateway options. Maybe they have an unreliable mailman, but you ship USPS as a default. Maybe you require that they create an account and they simply don’t want to do it. Your customers will be more likely to complete their purchases if you offer as many options as possible and allow them to customize their buying experience. When you decide not to accept a major payment venue or otherwise narrow options, you are narrowing your customer base as well.

4. Cold feet.

   We all have buyer’s remorse—that moment when you look at a cart full of goods and wonder how you spent so much. Brick-and-mortar businesses know that the longer people wait in line, the less they buy. This principle holds true for ecommerce as well. Make your checkout process as quick and uncomplicated as possible to capitalize on impulse buying and leave as little time as possible to get cold feet.

5. No intention of buying in the first place.

   Some people simply have no intention of buying. They are at your website to do research on products or simply to dream. If your website is well-designed and you are offering great deals, these people may become buyers, especially if you have that fast, easy checkout we were talking about. However, a certain amount of shopping cart abandonment will occur because of people who never intended to become customers in the first place. Don’t aim to end shopping cart abandonment altogether; merely try to make changes that will eliminate the major causes of it.

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There used to be a huge divide between ‘online shopping’ and ‘customer service’. Most consumers expected to trade great service and brand interaction for the convenience and lower prices available on the internet. However, as online shopping becomes more common, expectations are changing. While customer service is not the same in ecommerce websites as it is in a physical store location, it is nonetheless possible and even mandatory. Here are a few ways you can offer great customer service success through your website.

1. Know your customers.

   It’s important to identify your target markets, but many consumers enjoy the ‘personal touch’. Traditionally, salespeople and shopkeepers got to know their best customers so they could offer the best service and win customers’ hearts. Your website can do this as well, by keeping information on what certain customers buy so you can customize their next experience. This will lead to brand loyalty and increased sales.

2. Help consumers find what they seek.

   When you enter a brick-and-mortar store, there are salespeople to guide you to the items you are looking for. These salespeople also can offer guidance on different product features and suggest peripheral goods. Your ecommerce store can do offer the same great service without having to hire and train sales staff, with search functions that allow narrowing, high quality product information, and functions that offer related items. This will allow customers to find what they need and even add a few items to their virtual cart.

3. Communicate about the process.

   Because they are not walking away with a bag in their hand and a receipt in their pocket, customers often feel insecure about the online buying process. You can reduce these anxieties through good communication. Let people know when you have received and processed their order, and offer shipping information with an expected delivery date. This will make customers feel like they have more control over the buying process and be more likely to return.

4. Offer loyalty programs.

   Many stores offer loyalty programs of various types, whether these are discount cards, birthday clubs, or other special deals. You should offer something like this as well. An occasional discount code sent to your preferred customers won’t cost anything once you have the systems in place, and it will encourage them to feel and act like loyal customers. You can also design ‘member’s only’ pages that offer special deals or exclusive products.

5. Allow ongoing brand interaction.

   Customers are not passing your locations on their way to work, so online retailers must work a little hard to stay in the forefront of their target audience’s minds. Email lists can offer special deals and useful information related to your business and your products. In addition, it is important to maintain a social networking presence and to include links to these websites on your business pages. This will keep customers from forgetting about their great experience with your company!

Customer service may be different in ecommerce, but that does not mean it is impossible. By offering special tools that duplicate and even exceed the in-person shopping experience, you can ensure that your customers always feel pleased by their experience with your website.

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Web applications are an important part of modern internet business, especially ecommerce. A useful application not only will help your customers, it will make your website feel more modern and trustworthy. However, it can be difficult to decide on what type of web app is best for your business and to develop it in a way that yields maximum benefit. Here is a short list of Dos and Don’ts for ecommerce web apps.

Do: offer a clear benefit.

Make sure your web apps offer information or service that your target customers want. Ideally, this should gently nudge them toward doing business with your company. A good example is the insurance cost calculator that you see on many auto insurance websites. People like to know upfront what kind of prices they might pay before filling out pages of paperwork for a formal quote, so these apps perform a useful and needed service.

Don’t: complicate the process.

Make your apps as simple and accessible as possible, with little frills and no unnecessary steps. More complicated coding does not always mean a better product; in fact, in many cases those little extras can make an app less usable.

Do: test extensively.

Don’t assume that your app is exactly what customers need; have several of them try it out from their own computers and tell you what they think. Sometimes there are critical elements that you have overlooked, or ways of streamlining the process that have not occurred to you. Two heads are better than one, and ten heads even more so. You don’t have to hire a firm for this testing phase; you probably know a few members of your audience personally.

Don’t: offer an app where text is sufficient.

Outfitting your website with all the possible bells and whistles is fun; we get that. However, using apps where text or other simpler communication can suffice will only frustrate your customers. A good example is the Help feature. People are already frustrated by the time they reach out for this feature, and making them go through a detailed process will only push their blood pressure higher.

Do: enable feedback.

Sometimes the best way to find out what people think is to ask them. Include a feedback button just below your apps so people can tell you immediately about theirs likes and dislikes. You’ll probably only hear about the problems—few people give an ecommerce site fan mail, no matter how great it may be. However, this will give you a good idea of what kinks need to be worked out and result in a better overall experience for your consumers.

Don’t: shamelessly copy the competition.

If you are unsure about what kind of apps will work best for your business, try having a look at your competitors’ websites. However, you need to offer something different, even if you are simply improving on their ideas. People need to have a reason to choose you over all the other options, and your superior web apps will be one more good reason.

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It’s a common problem for e-retailers; you watch your website traffic steadily build, but your sales don’t follow suit. Closing the deal is just as important in an internet business as in a brick-and-mortar one, but you need an entirely new ‘toolbox’ in order to accomplish the task. Here are a few tips for encouraging visitors to become customers.

1. Make them an offer they can’t refuse.

   Many people use the internet to research, but then get in their car when it comes to making the actual buy. Offering an online special is one way of circumventing this behavior. Make them an offer they can’t refuse: a great price on a product they want, delivered to their door in a reasonable time frame. It sounds so simple, but few people can refuse this approach.

2. Focus on copy.

   Copy is your chance to speak directly to your potential customers. Don’t waste it with poorly written or unprofessional wording. Instead, make sure that every word inspires your visitors to become customers. Include a call to action on every single page and try to install that all-important sense of urgency. As a bonus, high quality content will make your site more visible to search engines. However, avoid ‘hard selling’. This may work in person, but it relies on that person-to-person connection that simply is not present with ecommerce website.

3. Cut back on shipping anxiety.

   Many would-be customers are shocked to find that the cost of shipping a small item can almost equal the cost of the item itself. Although this isn’t the retailer’s fault, it still leaves a bad taste in the consumer’s mouth. Worse, it encourages them to close their browser window and head for their nearest offline store. However, many people will add items to their cart in order to meet a minimum order needed for free or reduced cost shipping. It doesn’t take much more time or cash to send a box with four items rather than one, so make reduce-cost shipping for larger orders a standing policy.

4. Play to human nature.

   People are impulsive and visually-driven creatures. You can take advantage of this knowledge by making your website as visual as possible, offering multiple views of every product as well as a full description to help them picture items in their head. Make them want your products so badly they can’t live without them! Further, suggest related products and accessories when they are viewing any given item. This will encourage them to buy that extra set of cords or carrying case from you right now instead of grabbing it later from one of your competitors.

5. Encourage repeat purchases.

   A recent study found that 42% of online consumers made their latest online purchase due to a previous good experience with the same retailer. This means that failing to ‘wow’ your customer could be costing you almost half of your profit. That’s a margin that no retailer can afford to lose, so make sure every customer walks away from your business completely satisfied.

Motherhood should be an easy brand to sell. After all, most women will be mothers at some point, and most mothers consider it a rewarding role. However, Motherhood India is attempting to create a brand based on this time in order to promote a maternity hospital in Bangalore.

The landing page design is pink with serene pastel photos and swirling shapes. A fun and relevant logo sits next to a short blurb about the hospital and a link to the rest of the website. The use of a landing page that exists kind of separately from the rest of the website can be a bad strategy because it does little to enthrall customers, who are likely seeking information and want to find it as quickly as possible. However, in this case it works rather well because it begins to build the brand in the customer’s mind before they encounter the rest of the details.

Website Reviewed: Motherhood India

Website URL: www.motherhoodindia.com

Inside the website, a variety of photographs and other media are used to present the hospital as a modern and even upscale option for women in the area. The CSS website design allows for this variety of information to be effectively organized and presented in a way that will be compelling to the market it serves. Because Bangalore is a large city and (we’re assuming) has a variety of options for birthing centers, this is important.

Creating healthcare logos can be a real challenge. You have to present a very feminine brand that is comforting and soothing while also representing the values that people want from any medical establishment, like cleanliness, technological excellence, and safety. You also need to be search engine optimized, so your potential customers can see your beautiful website. CSS design is one of the best answers to this dilemma as it allows maximum style, good organization, and search engine optimization as well.

Creativity: 5 stars. Pink is a little cliché for women’s facilities, but it is a familiar and feminine color that customers will identify with. The photographs in this website are both attractive and chosen well. The site ‘comes together’ seamlessly thanks to an overarching brand and style.

Ease of use: 4 stars. This website offers a staggering amount of information, but it organized so it is easy to locate and accessible with just a click. There are no multi-layered structures with deep internal pages, which visitors will surely appreciate. However, the use of a landing page with no links except to the actual site can be a nuisance.

Functionality: 5 stars. Many might say it’s odd that a hospital has a Facebook, but we think this will be the norm more and more as healthcare companies begin to market themselves like any other corporation.

Content: 5 stars. The content is professional and appealing, exactly as you would expect. We were pleased by the good English (especially considering that this hospital is not in the US or the UK) and wonder if there are other language versions.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This brand is hands-down perfect for a maternity hospital.

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Dog shows get all the press, but even the staunchest canine lover will have to admit that cats have natural beauty and grace. A website design dedicated to cat shows should thus have the same qualities. In this case, we are happy to say that it does.

The background is relevant to both the brand and the subject. It is primarily black with a cat’s eyes and the outline of the European continent (this cat show is taking place in Poland). The event name is written in a bold, dominant font that is arranged creatively. All of the webpages use the same background and the same general style. However, the CSS design is just as well-thought-out as this brand. The basic information and recent news are front and center, while the categories at the bottom of the landing page offer links to more detailed information.

Website Reviewed: World Cat Show

Website URL: www.worldcatshow.pl

Every detail of this show, which is a rather complicated affair, is handled through this website, from rules to forms to admission fees. This makes it an effective one stop shop for people interested in the event, whether they are vendors or entrants or press. Because the categories are organized intuitively, it is easy to find exactly what you need.

One thing we appreciated about the website is that it is multilingual, but grammatically correct (at least in English, which is not the organizers’ native language). The best CSS web design in the world will not leave a good, professional opinion if your website is otherwise full of glaring errors. However, there were no photos of cats from previous events, a detail that many website visitors may be seeking.

This website is certainly well-connected, with links to Facebook and an RSS feed. They are not just promoting an event, they are creating an event brand. Cat oriented brands are not so common, but this one serves as an example of how sleek and stylish they can be.

Creativity: 5 stars. The event brand is a little dark, but it is creative and avoids fluffy kitty cat clichés. It is not the brand that you would expect for a cat show, but it is certainly sleek and feline.

Ease of use: 5 stars. The website is very easy to use despite the wide range of information it must offer for the large amount of different people involved in the event. This is due to good CSS design and to excellent organization.

Functionality: 5 stars. This website offers links to Facebook, feeds, and every function that a visitor could ask for. It is a comprehensive, well-rounded website for its event brand.

Content: 4 stars. We like the well-written text and acknowledge that this is particularly difficult to achieve when dealing with a multi-lingual website. However, this event practically demands photos, videos, and other types of content. Words just aren’t enough here.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. While the brand is not typical for a pet event, it is nonetheless appropriate and even striking.

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 stars.

We were interested in this website not just for its design, but for its subject. Because we live in a nation where religion is not a part of state-funded education, the concept of religious education in public schools was interesting to say the least.

The “Why SRE?” website is organized so that even people outside Australia (its home country) can immediately perceive important details about SRE. Most important, SRE, or special religious education, consists of religious classes actually taught within and funded by the public schools. This website is for a publisher of books for those classes, which is why they are eager to continue and even expand the program.

Website Reviewed: Why SRE?

Website URL: www.whysre.com.au

The website makes several decent arguments for the program and presents its case by offering a variety of information about the classes. If you are a parent, there is a section explaining how the classes will help your family. If you are a school employee, there is a section promoting the company’s materials. There are a variety of articles relating to general family life as well, presenting a family-friendly brand that many Australian families will find appealing. I know that in the more religious United States, a program like this might be appreciated by many if it were marketed like this, although our constitution basically forbids it.

The website uses a variety of CSS style design elements, such as popouts on the landing page and subcategories within broader categories. It seems to be made for browsing, with a variety of related topics and articles. Stylistically, it will appeal to many people thanks to the trust-inducing blue color and the photographs of healthy, happy schoolchildren.

We’re not here to debate religion in American or Australian schools, but merely to point out that this is a well-designed website with a nice Christian logo that promotes its cause effectively. Part of this efficacy is due to the use of CSS. It offers a broad look at the way this design can be used to create a clean, useable website.

Creativity: 5 stars. The photographs are very attractive and work well with the soothing blue colors. A variety of elements are used to create a sense of order and high accessibility.

Ease of use: 5 stars. We like the way most pages are indexed in at least two different ways. There is a general navigation bar at the top of the page along with links categorized according to the type of user at the bottom.

Functionality: 4 stars. There are a lot of interesting functions, but links to a blog or Facebook would be advantageous as well. This would allow parents to become longer term fans of both these products and the SRE program.

Content: 5 stars. The content is obviously professionally written. It offers a clear argument for the program and for these products in compelling language.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The images and wording are all perfectly suited to the subject and present a brand that will be friendly to parents and educators alike.

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 stars.

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If we’ve said it once, we’ve set it a thousand times: people in the fields of art and design absolutely must have top-notch websites. The Jason Benjamin website is a visually beautiful, intuitively designed CSS website that gives a well-rounded view of the artist’s personal style and body of work.

The landing page is cool and black with a slideshow of the Jason Benjamin’s most recent work. The simple, dark background allows the colors in the artwork to really pop. When you click on ‘More Information’—the only link—information about the artist as well as places where his art can be purchased appear below the artwork. This allows the artist’s portfolio to take center stage.

Website Reviewed: Jason Benjamin

Website URL: www.jasonbenjamin.com.au

This is a very simple website, but it includes all of the necessary information. We enjoy that there are no unneeded frills. However, it is missing a few crucial elements. While the site is beautiful, the fonts used are very plain. Choosing something less basic for the artist’s name and headers would contribute to the sense of style without adding clutter. If the artist himself designed the font or chose one congruent with his sensibilities, it would only build the brand.

Further, while there are links to galleries that feature Mr. Benjamin’s work, there is no blog, social network, or other brand-building links. While CSS design allows a website to be search engine optimized without a lot of visible text, a blog would likely drive more traffic to the site while allowing people to get a sense of the artist behind the artwork. Even artists need to aggressively market and brand themselves.

Another critique: the ‘About Jason’ section includes mentions of past and upcoming shows. This would be better organized in a resume format. In addition, an upcoming tour is mentioned but no dates or locations given. These should be added as soon as the details are worked. The lack of links and dated information give the website a somewhat disconnected feeling. However, there is no denying that this is a beautiful example of CSS design.

Creativity: 4 stars. This website is built around the artwork it represents and thus has a very creative feeling. However, it could benefit from more creative font usage. The black and white colors were well-chosen.

Ease of use: 5 stars. It doesn’t get any easier than this! One click and you’re there. The small amount of information makes it easy to access.

Functionality: 2 stars. This is the one area where the website could really improve. A simple blog, a Facebook link, and a few tour details would make this website top-notch and likely improve Jason Alexander’s sales. They would also drive more traffic to the website, increasing awareness of this artist and building his personal brand.

Content: 5 stars. The text is spare, but simple and informative.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The CSS design allows this website to literally revolve around the artwork. This makes it a great branding and marketing tool.

Overall: 4.2 out of 5 stars.

We have seen several pop culture websites such as Perez Hilton become very popular in the past few years; in fact, the authors have achieved not just financial security but celebrity as well. The Kineda website aims to copy this model with a twist; they add product reviews and fashion information, which are also lucrative and can attract immense amounts of traffic. The Kineda website is designed to handle its topic with style and sophistication due to its CSS web design.

Website Reviewed: Kineda

Website URL: www.kineda.com

The home page is black, which is generally associated with fashion. In addition, it allows the photos to really stand out. Sites that use a lot of photographs need a simple background in order to avoid a cluttered and unpleasant feeling. This website has a ‘blog style’ with the most recent posts on the home page organized with the most recent at the top. In addition, there are prime slots at the very top given to featured stories and most popular posts of the week.

This website is not just informative (if you are interested in the latest celeb gossip and fun new products, that is), it has been designed for profit as well. There are links to the Kineda store as well as social networking websites for the brand.

One of our issues with this CSS website is that it is a little plain. Certainly the CSS style allows the owners to intuitively organize the information, but it also has high style capabilities. The Kineda website is walking a fine line between simple sophistication and blandness, and sometimes venturing onto the wrong side of that line.

However, the features are interesting enough to attract interested traffic and keep them coming back. We hope that as Kineda grows they will develop a stronger brand and make it a more integral part of their website. However, the website is still a great example of the sleek and well-organized feeling that CSS can give to a website.

Creativity: 2 stars. This is probably the website’s greatest shortcoming: its lack of creativity both in the design and the structure. There is little to set it apart from other websites in its genre.

Ease of use: 5 stars. The Kineda website is extremely easy to use. It is easy to find what you are seeking with very little effort. This sense of organization is important in a website that focuses on a diverse range of topics.

Functionality: 4 stars. The website has links to social networking and even a store, but it could benefit greatly if products from the store were more prominently featured on the homepage. Few customers are going to visit the Kineda store simply to browse; they need to be lured in with photos of the products and promotions.

Content: 5 stars. The content is well-written and has a professional feeling that is appropriate for the brand.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The sleek black is simple and sophisticated. While we would like to see the graphic design spiced up a little, the website is nonetheless very appropriate for its genre.

Overall: 4.2 out of 5 stars.

The word ‘mint’ brings many sensory feelings to mind—the cool taste, the herb-y smell, the fresh green look. Mint is complex yet simple, which might be why it is the basis of a website analytics brand as well as the CSS website that represents it.

The color, of course, is a cool mint green against a white background. The style, of course, is straightforward, simple, and uncluttered. In fact, one of the main benefits of this name and this brand is that they make a lot of the difficult branding decisions for you.

Website Reviewed: Have A Mint

Website URL: http://www.haveamint.com/

Instead of using a navigation bar, the company divides its pages into four categories. Each is explained in brief on the landing page and then in detail on its own page. These category pages include links that take you deeper into the site and explain finer points. A few of these links are present on the landing page, but not all of them. In other words, the website is designed to be layered; you peel off one layer at a time until you find what you want.

This makes it easy to find what you are seeking, but it takes multiple steps to do so. A simpler design with a navigation bar at the top of every webpage would expedite the process for customers who know exactly what they seeking.

The site is designed with function and customer support in mind. The sales page is easy to locate, as are the FAQs and the forums (both of which function as support). In addition, there is a contact page for frustrated customers. We were unable to find any social networking pages, however.

Live demos and a compatibility suite make it very easy to identify exactly what you are buying before you sell out any money. A variety of information is offered about the product in a variety of formats. The CSS design makes this website flow well despite an astounding amount of detailed information.

Creativity: 4 stars. Simplicity is expected of a website with this name, but this site may be a little too simple. A few details and a logo design would add interest.

Ease of use: 4 stars. Having to make at least two clicks to find almost anything can be a pain in the backside. However, the site is designed so you will indeed find what you are seeking. In addition, they make their call to action early and attempt to close the sale quickly, which is always a smart move in ecommerce.

Functionality: 4 stars. No social networking pages? No blog? Say it’s not so! This brand could benefit from a better rounded web presence. Further, according to one forum poster they are testing a new program, but no mention is made anywhere on the site.

Content: 5 stars. There is a lot of content but it flows well and is informative.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The design and the brand are both minty fresh.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars.

When you think of beautiful autumn places, Tennessee probably doesn’t come to mind. Most Americans simply don’t associate the Deep South with, well, beauty. This online travel website aims to change that perception and make sure Tennessee is the first place you think of when you step on a crunchy red leaf.

Website Reviewed: Fall In Tennessee

Website URL: http://fall.tnvacation.com/

The concept is an interesting one. While we have seen a lot of destination branding, we have never seen autumn marketed so heavily. That’s exactly what is happening here. You can find out everything you need to know, from festival dates to sports information. Thanks to intuitive and organized CSS design, you can find it all rather quickly.

Here are a few of the elements that we love: The blue background seems odd for a fall website, but it ties into the many pictures with water and also creates contrast against the leaves. A photo slideshow shows scenes of Tennessee that are indeed idyllic, presenting it as a great vacation destination in the autumn. There is ample information on where to best sample the beautiful fall scenery. Once you have decided to visit, you can click on ‘Travel Planning’ to make reservations.

There are a few flaws as well, albeit superficial ones. The “Enter to Win” page takes you to a contest that has been over for almost half a year. It doesn’t appear that anyone maintains the website outside of the autumn months, which is a mistake as most people plan their vacations several months ahead of the actual date. Further, there are indeed websites for the other three seasons in Tennessee, but you would never know that because you have to click on the ‘Travel Planning’ tab to find them.

Tennessee offers a very different vacation destination that what we normally see promoted. Instead of ‘easy fun’ like a cruise or a trip to the tropics, this website presents a quieter, more family friendly way to explore an area rich with history. This brand, presented beautifully by the CSS website, will likely appeal to many American families.

Creativity: 5 stars. We especially like the creative use of color to create contrast and to draw the eye in to the pictures.

Ease of use: 4 stars. There are definitely clutter issues on the landing page—grouping items into categories such as ‘destinations’ and then placing multiple headers as a dropdown might help with this. The homepage is a little daunting because there is just so much going on!

Functionality: 4 stars. There is a blog as well as multiple social networking links, all of which are easy to find on the landing page. Further, another tab takes you directly to travel info so you can book a trip immediately if the website inspires you. However, we have to take off a point for the months-out-of-date information.

Content: 5 stars. The website content is well-written and informative. The travel logo is nice.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. We would never have dreamed that a Tennessee fall could be so beautiful. This CSS website is designed to bring out the best in its subject.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars.

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Why are so many of our favorite CSS designs for game and app companies? Perhaps app designers have the know-how needed to put up a website with that magic blend of fun and professionalism. Whatever the cause, here’s another great CSS website created for on a game app development company: Molecube.

Website Reviewed: MoleCube

Website URL: http://molecube.ca/

The website has a somewhat homespun feeling, with a corrugated cardboard background and different elements appearing either taped or stapled on. This works well with the small business design model, although it doesn’t do a lot to inspire confidence in the products. There are a few other issues as well; for example, instead of clicking on links to go to different pages, all of the information is fit on one long page. This works for certain apps with more minimalist apps with very little information to share, but certainly not be a full-fledged company with a modest design portfolio, employee contact information, an ‘About Us’ page, and more.

However, there are positive attributes to this website as well. There is ample contact information (including social networking links) as well as links to the company’s products in the iPhone app store. This allows visitors to act immediately to support the company. The section about ‘the team’ is cute and works well with the overall company brand, with cartoons representing each member.

While many of the CSS websites that we cover have very complicated structures, Molecube keeps it very simple. There are drawbacks to this strategy, as we have discussed, but there are benefits as well. The straightforward design forces people to see the company’s products before accessing any other site features, and it is certainly easy to find everything because it is all located on the same, long page.

This strategy works for the Molecube company, which is part of what makes it so remarkable. However, we’ll file it under the category of ‘don’t try this at home’.

Creativity: 5 stars. From the cardboard background to the hand-drawn employees, this site is incredibly creative. It really shows off the imaginations of the employees and the company brand, which is important for a business in any type of design field.

Ease of use: 3 stars. A few tabs could make this website so much more user-friendly and give it that all-important professional touch. It would also encourage more people to contact the company or otherwise follow through with the brand.

Functionality: 4 stars. There is plenty of contact information and links—at the bottom of a prohibitively long page, that is. We’d like to see this information moved to the top where it belongs.

Content: 5 stars. The website copy is professionally written and correct in both English and French, which is important as the designers hail from bilingual Quebec.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The website brand is homespun, but not in a way that interferes with the professional feeling of the website. It’s a memorable brand that will pique customer interest.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars.

Getting good design briefs is an essential part of logo design, but it can be difficult for designers (who are not, after all, psychologists) to find out exactly what clients want without adding a lot of extra work and expense. Getting this valuable information, and getting it quickly, is one of the greatest challenges in providing quality, affordable logo design. Brie Fix aims to solve this problem for logo design companies by offering services and products that will get them the brief they need in a customer-friendly manner.

Website Reviewed: Briefix

Website URL: http://briefix.com/

However, marketing to logo designers can be difficult because designers are so marketing and branding savvy. They have literally seen it all—and even created some of it themselves! The simple, straightforward Brie Fix website deals with this issue beautifully.

The company and the website are still in the alpha stages of development, but the site is up and running for those who want to give the service a try. The benefits take front stage on the landing page, showing in just a few seconds why this service might be right for logo design companies that have trouble getting informative briefs. Both images and text are used to this end.

Designers tend to be sensitive to clutter, so the use of negative space is wise. Further, the website is well-organized and easy to use, which is essential considering that it is selling a productivity tool. The good CSS design suggests that their product will have the same qualities.

The business aspect is managed well. There is a Price Plan page that allows potential customers to get a general idea of the prices and a contact page for people convinced they want to use the service. A little explanation of the process would certainly help here—maybe a tutorial showing the steps and the timelines involved—but the website is after all only in its infancy. Links to social networking sites are at the bottom of every page, allowing people to become long term brand fans even if they aren’t ready to become paying customers right now.

Creativity: 5 stars. Sometimes simple designs require more creativity to create than a complicated CSS website. This site is minimalist, but it explains the concept thoroughly.

Ease of use: 5 stars. All of the pages are accessible in just one click, making it easy for busy designers to determine right away if they need the service.

Functionality: 4 stars. We would like to see a little more information about the process. The explanations of the product itself are thorough, but it is difficult to determine what in actually becoming a customer. Are there ongoing fees? How is the information delivered?

Content: 4 stars. There are a few spelling and grammatical errors in the internal pages that could turn off customers and slightly mar the professional feeling of the website.

Appropriateness: 4 stars. The gray/blue just doesn’t feel right for this business, but it allows the company to use bright colors to add contrast and emphasis.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars.

Healthy living is an obsession for many people. Indeed, many of us take supplements every day to ensure that we don’t miss out on vital nutrients. However, have you ever read the back of one of those bottles? There are often so many complicated chemicals that you have to wonder whether these vitamin pills are actually healthy. If you have food allergies, the situation becomes even more dire; a single filler ingredient in your health care product can actually cause a health crisis.

Website Reviewed: RX Balance

Website URL: www.rxbalance.com

This is the problem that RX Balance aims to solve. They offer a range of healthy supplements with eco-friendly packaging and all-natural ingredients. Best of all, they have a CSS website and a logo design that makes it easy to understand their unique brand qualities from the very beginning.

The website is created with natural, earthy website colors that hint at the type of products being sold. Plant images dominate the homepage against a clear, blue sky. The main brand attributes are explained briefly on the landing page, and each has a dedicated page explaining them further. A navigation bar allows visitors to quickly access the information that they need. Further, the products are divided into categories that make sense for the brand—by the attribute that will make select markets want to buy them, such ‘Vegetarian’ and ‘Allergen Free’.

The real benefits of CSS web design are that it allows great style, intuitive organization, and effective SEO all in the same package. The RX Balance website uses these benefits to their fullest advantage. We especially like the way every page is built on the same ‘core style’, with similar backgrounds, colors, and images. This gives customers a very consistent image of the brand.

There is a single shortcoming to this website, and it’s a big one. While you are given even product information to make you want to buy the products immediately, there is no provision for actually doing so. A site this well-designed should have some way of closing the deal, or customers may forget about them before their next shopping trip.

Creativity: 5 stars. The website is beautifully crafted with branding in mind. It has an earthy and all natural feeling that compliments the brand, but creates this feeling without clutter.

Ease of use: 5 stars. You can access every page in just one or two clicks thanks to a navigation bar with drop-down categories.

Functionality: 3 stars. What good is a business website without having a way to make sales? Links to ecommerce websites selling the products, or at least a list of vendors that carry them, would give this company a huge sales boost.

Content: 5 stars. The text is simple and informative. It explains the brand benefits in an authentic way that sets the products apart from the competition.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This ‘green’ brand and all of the visual elements that accompany it are perfect for the RX Balance business and products.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars.

Well-designed food websites are perhaps the most pleasant to write about. They are filled with delicious descriptions, mouth-watering photos, and enticing brands. You can practically smell the homemade bread and desserts. With that said, we bring you: Catering by Katie.

Website Reviewed: Catered by Kate

Website URL: http://www.cateredbykate.co.uk/

This private caterer offers a variety of services that set her apart from most caterers. First, she designs the menu with you, according to your preferences and the occasion. Second, she offers private chef services and even cooking lessons. Although the menus are individually chosen for each occasion, you can get an idea of the cook’s abilities from the sample menus and photographs. However, offering something for everyone can make it difficult to design a website.

Because this is not a typical catering service, the website must be top-notch in order to accurately “capture” the quality and flair of the entrepreneur. We believe that the Catered by Katie website accomplishes this beautifully. The light blue color is feminine yet formal, perfect for this caterer, while the heart logo design is modern but friendly. The rest of the website is similarly well-balanced: informative yet engaging, informal yet cordial.

There are certain site limitations; for instance, there are no social networking links and no blog. We know that catering is by nature a small local endeavor and that Katie is busy in the kitchen anyway, but these would be excellent additions to the website. Overall, this website has a wonderful brand and lots of information, but is lacking on the ‘follow through’. Customers need a solid call to action and then links that take them directly to that action.

Creativity: 5 stars. Obviously a lot of creativity went into the design of this website. The color is unusual for food related sites, although it works marvelously. In addition, there are well-thought-out details such as the way pieces of paper with torn edges are used as navigation buttons. Professional quality photography makes the food look good enough to eat—which, we hope, it is.

Ease of use: 5 stars. This website is designed so that it is easy and intuitive to find what you need. Further, it has been written so that both people who are familiar with caterer and complete brand newcomers can find what they need efficiently.

Functionality: 2 stars. No links to social networks or blogs? That’s a lot of wasted opportunity. We bet that a lot of prospective customers are on Facebook, and these people may never see Katie’s beautiful designed website if she isn’t there as well.

Content: 5 stars. There is very little written content, but the wording is concise and carefully chosen. This gives the website a professional feeling that compliments the quality of the goods.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. We love the nontraditional color palette as well as the non-food related logo. These are designed so they are still appropriate (albeit less obvious) and they set the caterer apart in an industry filled with choices.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars.

We don’t usually cover church websites, but perhaps this is due to the fact that so few of them are good enough to be counted among the best. Unfortunately, many churches and other religious entities are failing to use modern marketing techniques despite their obvious usefulness. However, we recently came upon the CSS web design for Victory Church in Troy, PA. This relatively small church has a website that will be attractive to visitors and informative for members, all in an easy to navigate and attractive package.

Website Reviewed: Voice Of Victory

Website URL: http://voiceofvictory.com/

This church has a lot going on—children’s ministries, youth ministries, various religious services as well as outreach and even an on-site café. The website represents these many pursuits well. The deep blue is relaxing and also creates a trustworthy feeling. The floral background adds detail without being distracting. Every ministry has its own page and its own blurb.

However, the Victory Church website may be a little too well organized and even, well, sterile. For example, many of the pictures in the photo gallery could be used to add interest in the rest of the website instead of the stock photography that dominates the rest of the website. In addition, many of the site’s visitors are likely looking for basic information, such as service times and driving directions, yet these are buried so deep in the site that it takes a few minutes to find them.

All criticism aside, this is a vibrant website that shows the church to its best advantage. It is easy to see the wide array of ministries being offered as well as the general flavor of the pastor and his congregation. There are a few shortcomings, but almost all websites have these. In all, it’s a decent site.

Creativity: 3 stars. Creativity is perhaps the one area lacking the most in this website. The deep blue color and vaguely floral pattern is not the most creative, nor is the use of stock photography when there are useable photos already on the website. However, the website is smooth and seamlessly put together despite a slightly bland feeling.

Ease of use: 4 stars. Overall, good organization reigns. However, there are some important pieces of information that are difficult to find—almost impossible at that. Hopefully feedback from members will help this church modify its structure—which is for the most part solid.

Functionality: 2 stars. We looked hard for social networking pages, blogs, and other outside supplements to this website, but were unable to find any. The website is very informative on its own, but these elements would certainly be helpful.

Content: 5 stars. The content is well-written and shows not just facts about the church, but the type of tone you can expect there.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is very appropriate not just for any church, but for this church in particular. It is easy to figure out what to expect here, which will give people a good idea of whether they should attend.

Overall: 3.8 out of 5 stars

American coffee brands abound—I bet you can think of a few right offhand. This makes it difficult to differentiate a coffee brand, large or small. Shenandoah Joe Coffee is a coffee business that is attempting to compete with the big guys by using a home-spun, local brand that people in the South can identify with. Their website is an excellent ambassador for their business.

Website Reviewed: Shenandoah Joe Coffee
Website URL: http://www.shenandoahjoe.com/

This website sets the company apart by using wording and graphics to create a very different image from major coffee chains. A chalkboard green background relates to the boards used in many local coffee shops, while white writing drives home the analogy. The front page includes a link to the company’s Facebook page as well as to the different sections within the website. It also includes a quote to begin familiarizing visitors with the brand.

Don’t think that local and small means simple; there is a dizzying array of options. The coffee can be bought at a variety of places: at the brand’s own coffeehouses, at other coffeehouses, at restaurants in the Virginia area, and even on the internet. Further, a variety of blends are available and there are even a few proprietary blends made for different restaurants. Teas, apparel, and other merchandise are available as well. Although this is a somewhat small and local coffee brand, it offers a wide variety of options, which are luckily well-organized into logical categories.

All complications aside, the company prides itself on its fair trade and organic products, and roasts all of their beans themselves for freshness and high quality. With a simple yet well-designed website that promotes the many facets of the brand, we think Shenandoah Joe’s has a great chance of success, even in this highly competitive market.

Creativity: 3 stars. The chalkboard motif may not be the most creative—you’ll see the same green and white in another popular coffee chain logo that comes to mind—but it is relevant to the field. On the other hand, the website itself is a little bland, without the personality and flair we would expect from a fun local Southern brand such as this one.

Ease of use: 5 stars. The website is logically organized with a navigation bar that is present on every single page.

Functionality: 5 stars. It’s easy to find where to buy the coffee, whether you are an e-customer or a visitor to the Deep South in need of a good cup of coffee. In addition, the Facebook link is prominently displayed on the landing page so it is easy to keep up with the brand until your next trip to Virginia.

Content: 4 stars. The content is correct in every way, but lacks interest. The website is informative but reads rather like a textbook, which will not engage the average American coffee drinker.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. It’s easy to tell what kind of brand this is and the type of products being offered, even if there were no words or photographs.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars.

Related articles

• New Starbucks Logo Celebrates 40 Years
• The ‘Secret Starbucks’ a Secret No More

Some business ideas are so unusual that we are surprised there is actually a market. The Croquis has one of these surprising ideas, proving that in a global market, almost any item is needed by someone. The Croquis, in short, sells personalized fashion illustrations. You know the drawings that you see in fashion magazines? Yes, those. However, with this company you can have your fashion illustration customized for your favorite fashion lover or even your favorite outfit. This is almost creating fashion logos or clothing logos.

Website Reviewed: The Croquis
Website URL: thecroquis.com

The Croquis website is created especially for this interesting niche industry. Stark black and white makes up the main palette, which is de rigeur for the fashion world. Beautiful areas filled with bright watercolors add a splash of color and interest. Because graphite drawings and watercolors are two of the main products being sold, this design is relevant to both the general industry and the particular product.

Three packages are available, and the website’s “Products” page does a great job of explaining the differences to the less fashionably inclined (such as husbands) who may be ordering the product as gifts. The process and pricing are also explained in detail. A few examples are given, although we couldn’t help but wish that there were more. It is difficult to see the range and style of the artists involved with just a handful of rather generic examples. However, there are links to a Facebook account (buried at the bottom of the page) with more examples and more information about the art form.

Another area that we wish was further addressed was the uses for these illustrations. Of course they make interesting gifts, but what about invitations? Can they be copied? Who owns the copyright to the images? As professional designers, we are sensitive to these issues and feel that a “FAQs” page addressing them would be immensely helpful.

This is a great idea—and a good website—but both need a little “filling out” before they will feel complete.

Creativity: 5 stars. We give the business kudos for using a black and white skeleton with watercolor accents, just like the art being sold. It also creates the right balance between seriousness and creativity.

Ease of use: 3 stars. The website has navigation buttons, but they didn’t take us to the information we wanted. For instance, we expected “Explore Our Products” to take us to a portfolio rather than a page describing different packages.

Functionality: 4 stars. Links to social networking are present, but difficult to locate due to small size and obscure placement. In addition, there are not enough examples for people to get a solid idea of what their finished product will look like.

Content: 5 stars. The content is beautifully written and perhaps one of the best parts of this website (besides the art). It explains the process and makes it easy to understand what is entailed.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The color palette is particularly appropriate for the industry and the brand, although all elements have been well designed.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars.

Related articles

• Freelance Illustrator Website
• Urban Originals Website Design Review
• Italian Shoe Design Website
• Nike Better World

Bingo players represent a secretive underground niche—people lining up to play a repetitive game in smoky cafeterias filled with elderly women and number fanatics. There is nothing inherently wrong with playing bingo, but most people outside the niche consider it a little strange.

Website Reviewed: Bingo Reviewer
Website URL: bingo-reviewer.com

This can make it difficult for bingo lovers to find the right place to play. The task becomes even more difficult if you are looking for a good place to play bingo on the internet. Internet gambling sites abound, to be sure, but many are fraudulent or fronts for scams. It’s a scary world out there, especially for gamblers. Bingo Reviewer aims to change this by offering a review site where bingo lovers can find the exact right place for all their gambling needs.

Bingo Reviewer offers everything you could possibly need to know about online. Bingo. Multiple different sites are reviewed, with their differences clearly outlined. In addition, there is a section for bingo news as well as ones for competitions and special offers. This is not just a review site, but a one-stop information hub for this popular game.

That’s a lot of information, which is why the good organization we see here is so critical. The site is a little ‘busy’, but you expect that from a gaming website (ever been in a casino?). However, the white background and the navigation bar at the top of the home page ‘clean it up’ a little and add the needed sense of order.

The website is obviously aimed at women, with a cartoon woman in the main bar as well as pink, swirly writing. It does a great job of presenting a safe, feminine image that is not usually associated with the game. This website has a trustworthy feeling that will make visitors want to visit it often and trust the information that they find here.

Creativity: 4 stars. The blue and pink are not exactly creative, although they certainly build the desired image. The clean white and brown are important because they tone down the site and make it less flashy than other gambling websites.

Ease of use: 5 stars. All of the necessary information is contained in at least two pages on the landing page: in the navigation bar up above and then later as you scroll downward as well. This ensures that visitors will always find what they seek.

Functionality: 5 stars. Social networking buttons at the top of the page make it easy to become a long term fan of the brand, while accessing the websites reviewed here is easy as well. Every review has a “play” button next to the link to the review, allowing you to visit the listed bingo site with one easy step.

Content: 4 stars. The content is a little too heavy with keywords (which are made more obvious thanks to their bold letters). This is useful for attracting relevant traffic but distracting for those trying to actually read the text.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The website is feminine but definitely all about bingo—an all-around win.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars.

Another fashion brand? Just when you thought the market was as saturated as possible, another brand and another look become the next big thing. While we won’t make prediction about our next business’s success, we can say for certain that it has one major asset: a well-designed website.

Website Reviewed: Urban Originals
Website URL: http://www.uo.com.au/

The Urban Originals website pulls you into the brand from the moment you fall onto the landing page. A white background with subtle pink flowers forms a contemporary feeling with just a hint of vintage. This theme is carried throughout the website. Models holding or wearing the accessories are shown in several successive photos to introduce visitors to the company’s products, while a navigation bar allows you to begin shopping as soon as the inclination strikes.

In addition to a fully functional ecommerce site, this business website also has a blog, a short history of the brand (“our story”) and look books for the past few years. The blog seems to be regularly updated with relevant information, although much of it would be better placed on a “Press” page. Another critique: every site has a glitch, and this one’s particular flaw seems to be in the blog’s “recent posts”. While you might expect clicking on a recent post item to take you to that item, it instead takes you to a page with just the title and no pictures or text.

All flaws aside, the website appears to be a very efficient and very branded means of raising awareness about the Urban Originals line while also offering a venue for selling the products. The retail section of the website is organized well and allows a variety of domestic and international payment and shipping options. For those who can’t afford the products just now, a mailing list, Twitter, and Facebook page enable interacting with the brand in the future.

Creativity: 4 stars. The somewhat neutral brown palette is a perfect fit for the accessories, many of which have bright accents that might clash with a bolder color scheme. In addition, all elements are designed to complement the brand. The only real design flaw is the font used on the sidebar, which is a little bland for a fashion company.

Ease of use: 5 stars. This website is very easy to use and makes ordering from a variety of countries easy—a real challenge that many businesses face. In addition, it seamlessly blends branding content and actual sales content, which can be a difficult line to toe.

Functionality: 4 stars. There are brand-building links to Facebook and Twitter, but there are a few structural flaws in the blog. Hopefully these will be cleared up soon so viewers can enjoy older posts without endless scrolling.

Content: 5 stars. The content is well written and professional with no errors. The ‘voice’ is appropriate for a fashion business.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This accessory company has a fabulous CSS website that will be an asset in the years to come.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars.

Everyone likes to eat out, but many of us resent the massive amount of time that it takes. By the time you have waited to be seated, waited for your food, and waited for your check, you could have cooked a five course meal at home for half the price—and that’s not even counting travel time. Mealeo aims to make eating good food (that is, food prepared by someone else) a little less time consuming by offering an all-purpose meal ordering venue.

Website Reviewed: Mealeo

Website URL: http://www.mealeo.com/

The concept is simple: you enter your ip code, pick your restaurant, make your order, and either pick up the food or have it delivered. Mealeo even claims that you can skip the lines, which makes sense considering that you . In addition, many of the restaurants that Mealeo features offer special deals for the website’s users, allowing you to save money as well as time.

It’s a great concept, no doubt, but how is the website? We are happy to say that the Mealeo website is well-designed and easy to use. The business has streamlined the process of ordering into an easy four step process (including pick up). You can search for restaurants by zip code, or opt for catering. A clean, white background and a clean, easy-on-the eyes design lead customers through the process. In addition, the use of orange as a main accent color gives a youthful feeling to the website that compliments the cartoony buttons.

This website’s main benefit is that it makes a rather complicated business model seem easy. The generally young feeling of the pictures and the rest of the site make it feel so easy even a kid could do it. There is even a video to walk you through the process. Further, it gives reluctant customers a reason to choose Mealeo rather than simply showing up at their favorite restaurant—lower prices and less waiting time. Mealeo solves a common problem in the restaurant business with a simple and effective solution that is mirrored by the simple and effective CSS webs design.

Creativity: 5 stars. The business model is not the only creative aspect here; we like how pictures and even videos are used to explain the Mealeo business. It is rare to see childlike drawings used in dining, but it certainly works here.

Ease of use: 5 stars. Clear, step-by-step instructions as well as a variety of support materials make this website very easy to use.

Functionality: 4 stars. This website has a centrally placed Facebook button as well as a ‘Tell a Friend’ button and other useful features. We think a Twitter or other site would be appropriate as well.

Content: 5 stars. The content is professional but friendly. In addition, the FAQs answer almost all questions you could have about the business.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. It’s hard to imagine a website selling this brand in a better manner. The Mealeo website offers a new concept—something that scares many customers off—but makes it easy to understand and offers a clear set of advantages.

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Website Reviewed: Shaun Inman

Website URL: http://shauninman.com/

Personal websites are becoming more and more popular; after all, what better way is there to build a personal brand. These types of websites are crucial for people who want to pursue a variety of freelance fields without creating an actual brick and mortar business. Shaun Inman is one such person. He specializes in, well, a lot of things, and he has a website that suits his multi-talented lifestyle well.

The home page of the website has been created in purposely pixelated Atari style. Buttons scattered around a cartoon version of Inman take visitors to each of his pursuits. You can buy an app, purchase design services, interact on a variety of social media, and more. The icons are pixelated to point of being difficult to identify, one of our only criticisms of an otherwise well-designed CSS website.

The website has a very simple color palette to allow the images to stand out. In addition, negative space is used well to compensate for the large amount of information clustered in the center of the page. A small amount of text below gives insight into the designer’s style and his wide range of pursuits and occupations. This website is visually well-balanced as well as unique. It’s unusual in an era of picture-quality images to see old school images used so effectively.

In all, this website shows an interesting way of approaching a personal site for someone who has a lot of irons in the fire, without being overly cluttered or unbearably generic. It hints at the subject’s style without feeling self-centered or boring. You get a good sense of Shaun Inman’s skills as well as the style of work you can expect from him, regardless of the actual genre.

Creativity: 4 stars. We like the pixelated icons and rendering of the individual. However, they could have been made a little larger (or conversely, created with smaller pixels) to allow for better recognition without compromising the core style. In addition, while we love negative space, it feels like there is too much on this website. It feels a little empty.

Ease of use: 4 stars. The lack of text details on the buttons makes it difficult to know what you are clicking on. However, this website is otherwise very well-designed and easy to use. The central location of the navigation buttons makes it impossible to miss them.

Functionality: 4 stars. You can connect with a variety of the creator’s pursuits from this simple, one page website. However, the only social media link is to Twitter. Surely a person this well-rounded has a Facebook or LinkedIn page, and a link would make it easier for visitors to become fans of his brand.

Content: 5 stars. The content is humorous and gives insight into the creator’s unique sense of style. There is very little text, but just enough to communicate the key ideas.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The pixelated graphics and text add up to a personal brand that seems very appropriate for this designer.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars.

While major professional sports teams get most of the press, most people are intensely loyal to one or a few local high school teams. However, few websites have been created to capitalize on this hometown advantage. A Better Play is a website where people can share their love of local teams, supporting their favorites by submitting and voting on the best plays.

The concept is easy. You pick your area, view videos of some great plays in local high school sports, and then vote on your favorites. Awards are given to the best plays and the all-around best schools just like award winning logo design awards. The site is bright and inviting, and the front page allows access to the most popular areas.

The first thing that caught our eye when we opened the landing page of this website design was the Michelin man wearing high school football garb. This was an immediate turn-off—until we read further and realized that Michelin dealers in the areas involved are the main sponsors of this website. It would be immensely advantageous for this detail to be made clear from the very beginning. Burying a Michelin logo at the bottom of the home page is simply not enough.

However, the process is explained well on the front page, and the buttons to take you to your home area are front and center. One of the things that we really liked about the general design is the way somewhat dirty football images have been included in an otherwise clean design theme. The white background and negative space actually compliment that grass and dirt, allowing the website to feel minimalist and usable while maintaining relevance to the topic at hand.

This clean feeling makes it easy to find what you want and access it quickly. It also builds a somewhat clean brand for the tire maker. People tend to think of tire stores as greasy and cluttered, and this website builds a very different brand for Michelin—one that will set it apart from the competition.

Creativity: 4 stars. While we like the way a white color scheme has been made to fit the subject, the Michelin man in football pads is a little much. Surely a less obvious and more interesting subject could have been used.

Ease of use: 5 stars. Every aspect of the website is accessible from the front page, with graphics that make them very easy to find.

Functionality: 2 stars. There are no links to the Michelin store near the teams, or even a link to a corporate website or social networking page. These are immense oversights considering that this website is a marketing effort of this tire company. Further, there is no ‘call to action’, making it easy for people to enjoy the website without feeling the need to buy from the brand.

Content: 5 stars. The content makes it easy to understand the purpose of the website and the way the contests function.

Appropriateness: 4 stars. The website is very appropriate for its function, but not so much for the tire company backing it.

Overall: 4.0 out of 5 stars.

Image via Wikipedia

While everyone has favorite colors, these are not usually the best choices for a small business. The colors that you use in your website, use of color in your logo design, and other visual parts of your business should be suited to the type of brand you are trying to convey. Color can communicate emotion, and it also can be used to convince customers to delve further into your business. Here are a few tips for choosing website colors.

1. Make good branding sense.

   Your business already has a brand and a logo design—if not, why are you wasting time with extras like designing a website instead of talking to a consultant about these basics? Your website should be complimentary to your brand, using colors that are used in your logo design to create a sense of continuity. You also will want to look at your logo design for inspiration regarding images, fonts, and the general tone of your website.

2. Avoid sensory overload.

   Red, orange, and yellow are all attention getting hues, but is this really the type of attention that you want? All three create a sense of aggression and are hard on the eyes. If you want to make sure visitors take a little time with your website, then make it easy on them. Keep background colors simple, write in black or another very dark color, and keep bright and/or blinking elements to an occasional pop.

3. Keep cultural significance in mind.

   Not only are certain colors easier on the eyes, many have emotional or cultural significance—that is, they have a meaning to the people in your area. Red in Western culture means aggression and passion, but it can mean very different things around the world. Greens and browns are fairly universally associated with nature and earthiness, while blues are calming and reminiscent of water. These associations will color the way people see your website and affect whether they choose to do business with you.

4. Use contrast.

   Contrast will make your site more readable, and it will help to guide your visitors by showing them which elements are important and worthy of their focus. However, because you want for your color scheme to have only two or three colors, you will have to carefully consider your logo design and brand when choosing even contrast colors.

5. Add other colors in moderation to create special effects.

   If you are having a sale, bright red will make sure that your customers can’t miss it. If you are making an announcement or dealing with general business that demands less attention, choose a cool color. In general, warm colors advance and cool colors recede. Use this principle (in moderation) to add or subtract importance.

Your customers will notice your website’s colors before they notice any other element, including what you write or what you are selling. This means that your color palette deserves attention both from you and perhaps a professional branding or logo design consultant. Don’t be afraid to have someone who works professionally with color help you in using your website to obtain maximum success.

Car insurance companies aren’t generally known for their wit, but this is slowly changing. We are seeing humor included more and more in the branding and marketing of agencies, from Geico to Progressive. Farmers Insurance is getting in the act with their University of Farmers website.

The website features a fake university, as the name suggests. You can visit a variety of locations in the college, watch a short video, and then click on different items. If you find the right ones, you get points that earn you a higher grade on your ‘report card’.

It’s not the most original premise, but we bet it was a design and programming nightmare. It seems to be an organizational nightmare as well. There are several videos available under ‘University of Farmers’, and then others listed as ‘Campus TV’. There’s no feature that makes them obviously different, except that the University of Farmers ones have more functions. This may be confusing to users at first.

Usually small business insurance websites are full of legalities and rather dry details. This one has those, but they are tucked away in corners to be clicked on as needed. This will be appreciated by people who are bored by the insurance experience, but annoying to us ‘just the facts’ types. However, the regular Farmers website is untouched for the fuddy-duddies.

This website is not really selling insurance, although there is a tab that will put you in touch with an insurance salesperson. Instead, it is selling the Farmers brand. Over the past few years, we have seen insurance become one of the most branded industries. Most of us can remember certain cavemen from an insurance company eve getting a network television spinoff. How better to build a brand than to create a well-branded website with fun features and an incentive (the report card) for getting through them all?

Helping to build the brand are several prominently displayed social networking links and a collegiate color scheme. People tend to view academia as a place to gain knowledge, so this association will likely help out the insurance company in question. The professional design and the amusing features also have the potential to build this brand and help it compete in a competitive market.

Creativity: 4 stars. Although the visual elements are not too creative, we love the report card and other details.

Ease of use: 4 stars.  The organization seems a little random at times. However, most parts of the website are easy to access thanks to liberally placed links.

Functionality: 5 stars. Who would guess that an insurance company has such a substantial social media presence?

Content: 5 stars. The written content is amusing and free of errors. Further, the videos are funny and informative at the same time, which will keep people watching long enough to learn something about the company.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. Everything ties into the college theme, creating a well-rounded brand experience.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars.

The devil may be in the details, but we think the Little Big Details website is heavenly. Have you ever noticed that a website design or an app has a lot of little ‘extras’ that make it more fun or more functional to use? This website is for people like you. It basically is a collection of fun little design details from around the internet.

At first the website appears to have almost no organization, instead using a blog style with the most recent posts at the top of a page with a lot of entries. However, if you look to the right of each post, there are several terms there that you can click on to find other items in that category. We think a navigation bar would be a good idea, but this at least suffices for organization. Plus, most visitors are going to want to scroll and look around rather than find a certain item quickly.

Little Big Details is surprisingly free of detail. It uses the plainest of fonts and a stark gray palette. Everything is focused on the material, which is not all bad for an informative blog. We think it could benefit from a little color, but that would make the overall design and the actual posts stand out less.

This is a rather multifunctional blog. Each post allows you to ‘like’ it in the social media of your choice and to see who else has done so. There are the standard comment and tag features. However, we like the way the date and other details sit to the right instead of above or below the post. These little details together create an attractive and minimalist website that is usable despite its very simple design.

In simple design, you often walk a fine line between a minimal amount of information and not nearly enough. While there are a few design and programming elements we would love to see here, this blog nonetheless has included all of the basics and still feels like a blank white wall. It’s attractive and modern but a little disconcerting—an effect that we find interesting and memorable. Check out other simple design website examples in our portfolio.

Creativity: 4 stars. We love all the little creative design elements and functions. However, a different typeface or a splash of color would not be too much to ask.

Ease of use: 3 stars.  We had to take off points due to the lack of a central organization theme and a bar or other way of making it easy to access.

Functionality: 5 stars. Little Big Details makes it easy to interact with both the blog and the brand in a variety of ways.

Content: 4 stars. It’s well-written, but again a little too minimalist. In some cases, the wording is in sentence fragments with no end punctuation.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. It’s strangely ironic that a blog about website details would be so devoid of them, but in an intriguing way.

Overall: 4.2 out of 5 stars.

We live in a world driven by print marketing. In fact, print has all but replaced oral communication, especially when you consider on-screen print such as email. It’s rare that we pause to consider the effect of typography and good print on our modern lives. Celebrating print is the main focus of the Beautiful Type blog.

The blog is laid out to have somewhat of a scrapbook look, with different elements layered on top of each other and textured to give a realistic feeling. This relates directly to the print medium. In addition, the site uses several attractive fonts, which is important considering its subject.

The blog website design is rather simple, with just a few tabs at the left to divide it into four man areas. In addition, there are Twitter, email, and RSS links above. Much of the blog is visual and shows pictures of different posters and other instances of interesting type without more than a few words of commentary.

Loving type is a nerdy pleasure that we share, so we are inclined to call this website a win. However, there are many other factors that make it so. First, there is a solid sense of brand. Second, the information is well organized so that people are inclined to come back. Last, it is easy and even fun to explore the website—it lacks the cluttered, disorganized feeling that so many blogs have. Granted, it was created by graphic designers, so it has a professional touch that is hard to find outside of the design world.

The use of negative space is also striking. We already mentioned the décor, and that is certainly a large part of the good branding sense and aesthetic quality of the website. However, much of the page is simply left untouched. While this could be viewed as wasted space, in this case it makes for a much more readable and approachable blog. No ads and no clutter ensure that it is easy to find exactly what you need.

A blog may not be a commercial entity (although in many cases they are). However, they can still be professionally designed to the best CSS standards. Beautiful Type is a beautiful example of a blog that has been given all the benefits of professional web design.

Creativity: 5 stars. The layered elements and the colors create a cool, calm feeling but don’t detract from the prints being showcased.

Ease of use: 5 stars.  This website is small, but organized intuitively for easy access to all of its sections.

Functionality: 4 stars. There are a variety of social networking and other links. We particularly like the ‘Books’ tab that makes it easy for readers to find print books about this subject. However, the website is still rather sparse. Hopefully there’s more to come!

Content: 4 stars. The content is as minimalist as the rest of the website—but just as well-thought-out. However, a blog should have just a little more ‘voice’.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. We’ve mentioned the use of typeface already. Every element feels at home.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars.

Most apartment dwellers assume that they can’t have a proper garden because of the lack of space. If this is the case for you, Vertical Garden Design is going to blow your mind.

Of course, the website is pretty amazing even if you have forty acres. The first things you think about when vertical gardens come to mind are ‘how?’ and ‘why?’ This website answers those questions in the first few seconds of viewing. The landing page has a rotating display of the company’s more recent products as well as snapshots from different segments of the website. A navigation bar makes it easy to find what you need quickly.

This unique subject requires unique tabs, such as ‘How it works’ and ‘Plants’. It also requires an extensive portfolio so that people can see how this idea plays out in real life. The Vertical Garden Design website delivers. It also features several social media tabs, a blog, and a contact page for people who want to become customers or simply want to keep track of this clever idea.

This website also addresses many of the most common objections that many might have about this idea, such as the concept that the vertical garden will be dirty, high maintenance, or that it will be limited to certain areas. The concept is presented as viable for a variety of settings all over the globe.

This is a very good sales website, especially when you consider that no sales are ever suggested or mentioned. Just viewing the website quickly answers most questions and makes you want this product (although most of us could not afford one). Thanks to the easy to understand ‘How It Works’ page, you can immediately begin planning your own garden in our mind, using foliage from the ‘Plants’ page. No pricing or similar information is given. However, ample contact information is given so that interested parties can become customers.

This website explains an unusual product in terms that we all can understand and promotes an idea that (until viewing this site) seems impossible. It does so in a way that builds the company brand and promotes confidence in the business’s design skills. There are no glitches or errors; merely minimalist excellence.

Creativity: 4 stars. If we had to come up with a flaw, it would be that the website is just a little too plain. Although the photographs of plants and gardens are certainly decorative and relevant to the topic, a little more color and more interesting fonts would do a lot to promote this brand.

Ease of use: 5 stars.  The website is well organized and easy to access.

Functionality: 5 stars. The website makes it easy to become a long term fan of the brand and to share noteworthy projects in social networks.

Content: 5 stars. The content is surprisingly clean and correct, considering that Vertical Garden Design is not based in an English-speaking company.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website has been built around this niche topic and does no stray from its subject.

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 stars.

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If you are selling any kind of programming services, you of course need a professionally designed business website. Potential customers are going to look at your site and assume that it is the best possible example of your work. The Bread & Pepper website is a good example of this principle.

The landing page is rather simple and more about brand than the business side of things. Three cartoon characters representing the company’s founders sit behind laptops and peek out when you move your mouse over them. At the top there is a navigation bar that takes visitors to examples of the company’s products and services, while bright icons at the bottom show some of the most popular products. There are also links at the bottom of every page to several different social networking pages.

The company has a tagline that is including in several key places: Simple interfaces, spicy code. Because this concept is an integral part of the company, it is an excellent addition in every case. Together with the website colors and overall design, it helps to introduce prospective customers to the brand.

One of our chief complaints is that clicking on the ‘Products’ tab takes you directly to one of the products, rather than to a directory. Despite this, the products are certainly well represented. The same bright icons we saw on the homepage are presented here as well so you can navigate through the portfolio. Each app is explained in sufficient detail and several screenshots are given as pop-outs so you can really get a good idea of how it works. Most app websites show only one screenshot, often with a much poorer explanation.

The ‘Notebook’ tab takes you to a blog, but it is more than a daily update. This blog serves to build the brand with relevant quotes and opinions on the day’s internet controversies. It’s an interesting way of promoting the brand and letting people get involved with the company on an emotional level.

This website gives visitors a firm sense of the company, not just their products but who they are as programmers and as people.

Creativity: 5 stars. Little creative elements throughout the website give people a sense of the designers’ skills. Color is used well for a professional yet fun image.

Ease of use: 4 stars.  The navigation bar is there, but it is less visible than we think it should be. Using color or a larger font would really help. In addition, each button leads you not to a directory, but right into the mix. This can be confusing for users.

Functionality: 5 stars. Social networks, blogs, and other links are all accessible from this website.

Content: 5 stars. The content offers just the right amount of detail in succinct and clear3yet amusing language.

Appropriateness: 4 stars. The content is appropriate for the brand, but it may be a little too fun for a professional website.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars.

Many of us notice problems, either on the evening news or in our own backyards. However, most people feel that they personally can’t make a difference, so they do nothing. The result is a world where everyone is always for that magic someone else to jump in and change things. This is exactly what Ambassadors for Life is trying to change.

There are multiple functions to this website. First, it allows people to become ‘ambassadors’ for their favorite cause, raising money and awareness while making that difference that the world needs. Second, it allows the less motivated to become fans of the causes through Facebook and other social networking. Third, it raises awareness about global need. This may sound like a tall order for any one website, but this one fulfills it well due to good CSS design.

A step-by-step guide to helping is the first thing you see upon landing. Navigation bars both at the top and at the left side literally surround the landing page and all other pages with ways of accessing more information. This makes it easy for even less proficient site users to get involved. Because many people are reluctant to adopt a new cause on top of dealing with their everyday lives, this ease of use is crucial. Like any business, a nonprofit needs to pull people in to the sales message and then close the deal quickly.

One other reason we like this website is its appearance. All of the visual elements work well with the brand and help to direct viewer’s eyes to more important parts of every page. Photographs are highly visible against the white background. The color scheme has been chosen to provide high contrast while also complimenting the photographs. However, the average user won’t be distracted or turned off by clutter because of the way elements are arranged. In all, this website combines design and programming to make a compelling case and inspire viewers to help.

Creativity: 5 stars. This website walks a careful line between too little and too much. Both creative design and creative color are used to build a brand and organize the information and the viewer experience. The photos are inspiring but not disturbing.

Ease of use: 5 stars.  We like the way the sidebar changes according to the user’s selection from the main navigation bar.

Functionality: 5 stars. Viewers can get involved now or simply interact via social networks. This increases the chance that they will choose this nonprofit later if not now.

Content: 5 stars. The wording makes a compelling case for getting involved and shows how easy it can be. People who are inspired to make a difference but unsure of the logistics can see how even small children have done so.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The content and the overall design are appropriate for the brand.

Overall: 5.0 out of 5 stars. It’s rare that we give a perfect score, but this website and this cause both deserve it.

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How often do you visit a book’s website before buying? Not often? The author of the book Think Unstuck is hoping that you will. The Think Unstuck website represents the book of the same name, with testimonies, previews, and links to booksellers offering the title. Although this is somewhat of an unconventional approach to bookselling, in this case we think it works.

The book, complimented by a short blurb about the book, takes up the upper left hand side. There is no navigation bar, which is fine for such a small website. In fact, this website is made of only one page unless you count pop-outs and links. The simplicity of the design is a good fit for the relatively small amount of information offered here.

What makes you buy a book? Whoever designed this website clearly gave some thought to this question as well. Is it because other people like it—if so, there are testimonials to show you this is the case. Is it because of the writing style? Check out the page logo samples on the website. Do you need a book to solve a problem? Quotes at the top and the bottom of the page show that Think Unstuck is a problem solver as well. Last, if you are the type to ‘judge a book by its cover’, the cover is placed in the upper left hand side, the first place most people look.

This creative design speaks well to the creativity held within the book. After all, you would not think much of a creative brand with a bland or barely functional website. While we don’t find books by searching the web, and we bet this is the case with most readers, we think that many people will be just intrigued enough by this website to give the author and his book a try.

Creativity: 4 stars. We appreciate good organization—who doesn’t? The website has been creatively designed so that a wealth of information is fit neatly onto one small page. In addition, very simple visual elements are used to avoid detracting from the book itself. However, the website is so plain that it has a template feeling to it. A few more visual details might give a finished feeling that is still lacking.

Ease of use: 5 stars.  Again, you don’t get much easier than one page with a few links and pop-outs.

Functionality: 5 stars. You can ‘like’ the book on Facebook, follow the author at his own website, or even visit the websites of the people giving the testimonials. These all add to functionality of the website while also building credibility.

Content: 5 stars. The content is well written and grammatically perfect—but then, isn’t this what you would expect from a literary website?

Appropriateness: 5 stars. A small succinct website is exactly what a book like this one needs to sell itself. We expect a website selling a book about creative solutions to use a few creative solutions of its own. This site does not disappoint!

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Hungarian wines are somewhat underrated among modern enthusiasts, even the well-known Tokay. This is unfortunate because brand is a huge part of the wine buying process. Many people will choose a bottle based not just upon its characteristics and rating, but on its perceived quality and visual elements. Even for Hungarian wine enthusiasts, it can be difficult to find a good selection simply because it is not the best-selling niche. However, people in the UK can turn to the Hungarian Wine Society to find the selection they need and also to meet some of the newcomers in this growing market.

The Hungarian Wine Society website features as an e-commerce spot as well as an information hub. These two aspects are divided within the website and the navigation bar, with links offering information and news on the left of the logo and sales information on the right.

Hungary is known for its sweet wines, and this is represented well by giving sweet wines their own tab next to reds and whites. Wine lovers can also buy different selections of mixed cases if they want a sampler of the genre.

While we enjoy the way information and sales are separated and thus easy to divide mentally. However, this is one of our key criticisms as well. Much of the news and other information discusses different Hungarian wines, but does not link to them. This is basically giving up valuable sales.

There are many features to this site, however, that counteract any negative points. We especially like the way the sales page for each wine contains evaluations from critics as well as information about the name or region when appropriate. These little details make this site a good choice for Hungarian wine connoisseurs and those who are little newer to the region’s vintages.

Creativity: 4 stars. The website is not the most creative that we have seen, but it has ‘good bones’. In other words, it was created to have an intuitive structure and yet to allow for creativity on every page.

Ease of use: 4 stars.  The way the navigation bar is divided makes this website very easy to use. If we had our choice, we would switch the sales and information sections, so that the sales info is the first thing people see when they load the landing page.

Functionality: 5 stars. There are a variety of ways to make a purchase or to become a longer term follower of this brand. You can subscribe to a newsletter, become a Facebook fan, or follow them on Twitter. Since branding is all about building a following, these functional aspects definitely make the website a better brand presence.

Content: 5 stars. We like the way the wines are described as well as the inclusion of critics’ statements. The wording is an important sales tool here.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This site offers the perfect mixture of information and commercial content, all in an attractive way that is relevant to the subject.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars.

Gourmet cakes and cupcakes are somewhat of a fad right now, thanks to hit television shows such as Ace of Cakes and Cake Boss. Although these sweets are definitely superior to their cheaper supermarket counterparts, you have to have a strong brand in order to convince customers to spend two or three times as much as the low cost options (or more). Having a well-designed website is part of this branding process.

Keith Homemade Cakes is a business that has such a website. A quick word of warning: it’s hard to view this one without feeling your sweet tooth throb. The site is designed so that it is easy to view a large selection of the company’s products at a glance and beginning aching for them now.

Although a bakery such as this one offers a range of products, they are arranged in categories that make them easy to peruse. A navigation bar at the top makes this simple for customers who know what they want, while a scrolling sampler of baked goods entices people who are new to the company. There are also downloadable brochures and other goodies.

This website is not just there to whet appetites, but to bring in new customers as well. A simple but effective ‘About Us’ page introduces the history and brand of the company. There is information about the location at the bottom of every page for people who want to purchase. The contact page features a variety of ways to get a hold of the business, even a scan-able barcode for Android users. The only thing that Keith Homemade Cakes is missing is a social networking link, an oversight that they will need to correct in order to build their customer base.

Creativity: 5 stars. The logo design and visual aspects are modern but relevant to baked goods. In addition, the photos are well done and sure to make your stomach growl. The bakery does a great job of showing that they have a diverse and tasty line of products.

Ease of use: 5 stars.  You can access the information you need in a variety of ways—from the navigation bar, from links in the actual landing page, and also by clicking on a photo. This makes it easy for customers, even less web-savvy ones, to locate exactly what they need.

Functionality: 3 stars. We really wish they would build their social media presence and, if they already have one, feature it heavily on the page. This website is well-rounded and attractive, but social networking is essential to building brands.

Content: 5 stars. The content is all well-written and free of errors. In addition, it is written so there is a clear call to action—people who view this will feel compelled to stop by and order a cake or have a sandwich.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is appropriate for a bakery without being too sweet.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars. This website makes us hungry!

Nike is known for creating superior shoes, and lately they have been stepping it up with CSS web design as well. The latest example of this is the Nike Better World website. This website is not only well-designed, it is a good example of making your brand a central part of your internet presence.

This particular website is for a new line of shoes that is made of environmentally correct materials. Front and center on the landing page is the name of the line along with a short video telling us in text why these shoes are superior. The wording is sassy and youthful. “Think performance and sustainability hitting it off so well they have each other’s names tattooed across their chests,” says the video introducing the Nike Better World. The video ends with the Nike logo design in green, an appropriate color choice.

As you continue to scroll downward, there is another window explaining what makes this shoe a green choice and showing a picture of the product. If you click on certain phrases, a window pops up explaining them. The next window explains that the shoes are made from recycled rubber and divert 13 million water bottles from landfills. Another window discusses how sports have literally stopped wars.

However, we aren’t here to discuss content, but rather design. In this case, the design is excellent because it allows Nike to have an informative and completely branded website that presents their products and brands in the best possible light. The same information and ‘punchy’ talk would not be as effective if viewers were not able to easily access the content. In this case, you can scroll down through the pages or access them by clicking. Each page loads quickly and features a reader-friendly format with more important information either in the center or at the upper left. Pictures are used to illustrate the case and to make the website feel more interesting.

If you have a brand that takes a little explaining—such as one the postulates that a single line of products can implement massive environmental and social change—this website is a great example of how this can be done while still building your image and making a persuasive call to action.

Creativity: 5 stars. The pictures and videos are spot on for the brand and the products. In addition, they are humorous as well. Pictures are used creatively to illustrate different concepts.

Ease of use: 4 stars.  The website is easy to use—you can scroll down through most of it, and it is accessible by clicking on links as well. However, placing a navigation bar in a visible place would definitely add to the overall usability. As it is, several dots on the side of the page have to suffice, and they get lost in the design.

Functionality: 2 stars. Nike All Conditions is a branding genius when it comes to companies, which makes us wonder why there are no links to Facebook and other social networking websites. In addition, there are no links to sellers of the shoes being promoting. This website may be a branding win, but it is a sales fail.

Content: 5 stars. The content offers the perfect blend of information and snark.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. As we mentioned above, this website makes a few audacious claims, but they back them up well.

Overall: 4.2 out of 5 stars. An overall superior website with just a few notable weak points.

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Right away, we liked this website because it breaks all of the rules. Where most designers advise you to use negative space wisely, this pro skier website homepage has almost none. The print, photos, and just about all of the elements are oversized and in-your-face. While this may not seem like good design—not right away, at least—it makes perfect sense when you think about a pro skier’s brand.

This skiers does not specialize in just any terrain, but in free skiing, which occurs outside of normal, groomed resort areas. This is a slightly counter-culture movement and the pro skier website reflects this. A black and white background is broken up by scrolling images of the skier in motion as well as oversized lettering both in the navigation bar and in the page.

The homepage is somewhat erratic and disjointed, but this effect has been achieved on purpose. Although this landing page is a little cluttered, it includes easy-to-locate links to other important areas of the pro skier website. There are also thumbnails and photographs on the front page. The effect is somewhat like a magazine (albeit a very crowded one) that is all about this skier, from his sponsors to his awards like award winning logo design.

Speaking of sponsors, one of this website’s main benefits is the way it balances business interests with overall style sponsors are present on the homepage and have their own page as well. On the landing page, advertisements provide the only color. However, because these elements are balanced by less commercial aspects such as photographs, the effect is not overwhelming or ‘spammy’. Here are a few other thoughts about Richard Permin’s pro skier website.

Creativity: 5 stars. Can black and white be creative? We absolutely think so. In fact, if this site were full color, it would likely be overwhelming considering how large the pictures and wording are. The scale, which has been increased to reduce negative space, is another creative touch.

Ease of use: 4 stars. The pro skier website, although crowded, is very easy to use due to navigation links at the top of every page and good general organization. We took off a point because it is so difficult for find information at the bottom of the homepage, although this is certainly not a huge flaw.

Functionality: 5 stars. With an email address and social networking links at the bottom of the homepage, there are a variety of ways to stay in touch with the brand. In addition, the ads and sponsors are placed in a way that is tasteful but gives them maximum real estate.

Content: 3 stars. The content is well-written in French, but the American copy sucks. It reeks of mechanical translation software and desperately needs to be cleaned up. Surely a globally-known skier has an English or American friend who can translate for him?

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is highly appropriate for its genre, giving a stylish and counter-culture yet somewhat professional brand that will help this skier succeed.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars. A well-done website that breaks rules, but makes it work.

Even a branding genius might falter a little with a llama sanctuary. After all, how do you represent such a unique niche in an original way? The Stillpointe Llama Sanctuary has a great website and also a brand that will be inspiring to viewers.

We expect for llamas to be the focus of this Unique Niche Website, as they are the focus of the nonprofit itself. Sure enough, a logo design featuring two llamas created from what appears to be natural paper makes up the main image. Calming blue colors combined with occasional earth tones give the website a homespun feeling. Moreover, this website has clearly thought hard about what categories will work best for their navigation bar. Obviously the website structure used for, say, a boutique, wouldn’t work here. Instead, the navigation bar includes links to photos of their herd and how to help out the sanctuary. You have to give the designers credit for thinking outside the box and instead building a Unique Niche Website that would help this unique organization.

Few people think of llama as being prone to abuse or neglect (and thus needing a sanctuary such as this one) but Stillpointe Llama Sanctuary eloquently makes their case. The site is utilitarian yet very attractive. It is not a commercial site, but it balances its cause with a good sense of brand and attention to detail. This is a great example of how smaller niche causes should approach the webs design process.

Creativity: 5 stars.  We especially enjoy the subtle use of texture and the layering of transparent shapes in building the images. These are popular motifs in [intlink id="18" type="post"]modern logo design[/intlink], but it is rare that they are used as effectively in web design as they are here.

Ease of use: 5 stars. The website is very easy to use, with an intuitive design and a navigation bar present on every page. Features are arranged so that they are easy to find under their headings. It also makes good use of thumbnails; every page features various snippets that can be clicked on for more complete information.

Functionality: 5 stars. With a variety of features that will appeal to both casual visitors and avid supporters alike, this website is made to be multifunctional and to build fans. Links to social networking sites, a blog, and other outside branding features ensure that people can interact with the brand on a variety of levels.

Content: 4 stars. The content is for the most part well-written and compelling. There are a few small errors here and there, but these are few and far between.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is very appropriate both in aesthetics and in function for the cause it serves. Llamas are the main recipient of the sanctuary’s services and a main part of the website’s decorating scheme at the same time.

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 stars. We really enjoy this website and hope that more people donate to this worthy cause.

Right away, you get the impression that this wedding photography company includes two founding members. This website expands on this by showing two different brands in the same pages. On one hand, you see a feminine pink color with swirling shapes that are all girl. On the other hand, there are heavy, solid black accents and straightforward icons that hint at a male touch. These two elements are also created so they work well together, which only has good implications about the company.

The homepage opens up to a pink square with text regarding the two photographers. However, when you roll over it with your mouse, the square turns black. This square soon scrolls to the side and pictures from the photography business’s portfolio take their turn. When you hover, once again, the picture turns black and the details of the wedding are given.

The photography business doesn’t just have a homepage, of course. There is ample information and a full portfolio for couples to view. We think that the way male and female aspects are balanced in this website shows the photographers’ sense of style and also suggests that their photographs will be attractive both to brides and to grooms.

Freelancers must offer a variety of venues for contact, and Sarah and Simon don’t disappoint here. There is a blog, an easy ‘postcard’ contact form, and links to several social networks. In addition, there are telephone numbers for both photographers. In other words, they are using their website as a business tool, and we predict it will be an effective and lucrative one.

Creativity: 5 stars. As we mentioned before, the balance of both feminine and serious elements is such that they work well both on their own and with each other. This creates a sense of visual harmony that will appeal to modern couples.

Ease of use: 5 stars. The entire website is very easy to use and access, partly due to good design and also due to a navigation bar with large, eye-catching icons.

Functionality: 4 stars. This website makes it incredibly easy to contact the photographers through the media of your choice. However, we think the business end of it would be improved if there were pricing and scheduling information. This would also prevent time wasted with clients who are out of their price range or otherwise not a good fit.

Content: 5 stars. The content is professionally written but very simple. We read so many verbose websites that the simplicity is much appreciated.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is very appropriate both for its industry and for the brand that the photographers are trying to convey. The balance of elements in the website suggests that the photographers will have a good sense of balance elsewhere.

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 stars. This website is sure to attract new customers and also to weed out people looking for something different. It does a great job of portraying the company brand and creating a sense of what these photographers are about.

We all have heard that having a website is essential in modern times, but having a poorly designed website can be worse than having none at all. Many small business webdesign owners inadvertently shoot themselves in the foot and compromise their business’s chances of success by committing one of the following five errors.

1. Going it alone.

   We all understand that a small business owner has to be a jack of all trades, but it is definitely possible to take any principle too far. After all, you wouldn’t set your own broken ankle or install your own electrical wiring. The same goes for web design; not only does it require a large skill base, it can take months to achieve even minimal proficiency. Unless you want to invest months of work for a savings of just a few hundreds of dollars—and still get a less than professional result—you should hire a professional web designer. Not only will they save you time and thus money, they’ll be able to create a better website that will be easier to maintain.

2. Not getting feedback.

   Once you have a website, your next step should be to see what other people think of it. Not just other people, but people who are in your target audience! Let others browse your site and ask them where their eye goes first when the page loads and what they think could be improved. There is a good chance they will pick up on a few things that you and your programmer both missed.

3. Letting designers work from the ground up.

   While it’s important to work with a professional web designer, don’t assume that they know more about your business than you do. While you may be unable to turn your dreams into an html reality, there is a good chance you have a very specific idea of how your site should look and how it will flow. Write these ideas down and present them to your web designer. This will help your designer complete a better website in less time and give them a sense of your style.

4. Offer good service.

   Self service seems to be an internet trend, so much so that many entrepreneurs turn to it without even thinking. However, you would be hard pressed to find a real life customer who prefers it over live help. If you can’t afford live help or don’t have the website traffic to justify it, at least give customers a way of contacting you, such as email. And always respond; it will likely make the difference between a sale and a disgruntled noncustomer.

5. Structure your site for search engine success.

   You don’t need an SEO writer to accomplish this. Make sure your web page tags and addresses include text that describes the page. Use terms that are relevant to your business on a regular basis both in text and in headers. If you do this in an organic way, it will bump your website way up in search engine results. Talk to your web designer for more information on how to optimize for search engine success and make sure interested customers have access to your hard-won website.

Those of us who are list-makers often wish there was a handy way to access our lists from anywhere. Oh sure, there are numerous apps, but who wants to get out their phone every time they need to remember a grocery list? ToSimplyDo makes it easy to access your to-do list from a smartphone, computer, or any online device. However, we’re not giving awards for great ideas as you would for an award winning logo design; what we like about this website is its design.

The landing page is simply a sign-up page, and this may be the website’s major fault. You cannot look at or read about the services before signing up for them. However, we took a chance and opened an account. The mechanism is rather easy: you create a list and then can access it and mark items off from any device with online access. There is no spam, no complication; just your list. The whole site is as simple as the homepage suggests.

The website has a cool gray background with simple sketches of checkmarks and other list-related images in a slightly lighter shade of gray. Wording is in bright colors, which helps it to stand out against the gray background. This brings us to another major omission: a logo design and a brand. There is no brand, no links to social networks, and nowhere to interact with the brand. In short, this website is a design success and a branding failure.

However, the name suggests simplicity and the website definitely delivers. It is incredibly fast-loading and highly functional, which lives up to its promise. We hope to see a little more of those all-important business details as the website evolves.

Creativity: 3 stars. The site is not overtly creative, although the images are fun and relevant. The lack of a logo design and a brand were major and even potentially fatal flaws in our opinion.

Ease of use: 5 stars. In fact, we can’t think of a website that is easier to use. You just make your list and check items off as they are completed—doesn’t get easier than that. We actually like the lack of frills—in fact, any website with ‘simple’ in the name should be like this.

Functionality: 2 stars. People need to know what they are signing up for before they actually do so. We took a chance, but many won’t. In addition, there is a conspicuous lack of Facebook, a blog, or anything else to give this website credibility. Credibility is essential in a world where spammers abound and many are reluctant to hand out their email address for no reason.

Content: 5 stars. The content is well-written and error-free, although there is very little of it.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The images and the gray “chalkboard” background are very appropriate for this simple, easy to use website.

Overall: 4.0 out of 5 stars. There are only a few issues, but they are glaring and may actually prevent the website from taking off.

This website has a unique issue to deal with. While many businesspeople outsource writing, most students are much more reluctant—and with good reason. How do you know the essay will be top quality and meet your instructor’s expectations? The consequences for buying and turning in a shoddy or plagiarized creation are high: expulsion, a blight on your record, or a low grade that reduces your chances of life success.

Because the stakes are so high, Smart Essay has to have a professionally designed, well written, and highly trustworthy brand and a website that represents that brand. They must have examples of their work so students will understand what kind of quality they are buying. Moreover, they have to assure potential essay buyers that their purchase will completely unique—and completely confidential.

Smart Essay offers some assurance, although this is one area where they fall short. How can you be sure that your professor has not received this exact paper before? Will it even pass Copyscape? However, this says nothing about their design skills, which are obviously up to par. The site is easy to use, with intuitive design. You can see immediately what steps are necessary to buy or sell a paper, or to have your own papers edited. The wording suggests that you can have the essay of your choice today with an easy credit card or PayPal payment. The website offers a return policy, so you can get your money back if your purchase didn’t work out for you—although that won’t really help you if you are faced with an angry dean accusing you of plagiarism. Everything is crystal clear from the moment you land on the homepage.

Creativity: 3 stars. The website is well-designed and aesthetically pleasant. However, it seems to stop there. There were no nifty features or anything that made us say, “Wow!” There is nothing to inspire trust or confidence. It is as basic as it can be.

Ease of use: 5 stars. It is very easy to use this website and to see right away if this service is right for you.

Functionality: 4 stars. There are no Facebook links, but do you really want to have this sort of website on your list of Facebook friends? Because many people include classmates and professors on their social networks, we can overlook this error. The only contact information is a form on the appropriately named page, which won’t be comforting to a harried student who has been up all night and needs their answer in three minutes before English class begins.

Content: 5 stars. The content is friendly and professionally written, although we would expect nothing less considering the website’s specialty.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website is comforting, with soft colors and easy-on-the-eye graphics that will soothe a frenzied student. Its format is professional yet usable, which is absolutely the right approach.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars. This website is well-designed, although we don’t really recommend using it. There’s nothing wrong with academic integrity.

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If you think about it, it is rather amusing that so many apps have their own website. After all, the whole point of smartphones is to replace traditional computers by offering the same tools in a small, handheld format. However, many of the app websites we have encountered are well-designed sales tools, and the Launch It site is a good example.

The Launch It app basically allows Mac users to create keyboard shortcuts to their favorite apps. The logo design is a cartoonish rocket taking off, a simple image that dominates the homepage. The rest of the homepage is inviting in much the same way as the logo. Sunny yellows, golds, and oranges dominate, and the basic function of the app is explained in large letters. It took us a minute to locate the small navigation bar, which is located at the lower right-hand side of the page. In low contrast light gray, this important feature is overwhelmed by the other elements and very easily missed.

No app is an island, so there are links to a blog and a contact page run by the app’s creators. If you are a fan, these features allow you to watch the company for their next apps. There are also easy instructions on the FAQs page for opening, installing, and running the app, which is a must for less proficient users but somehow overlooked by many developers.

App websites tend to be small because they are selling a single, easy to understand product. This one fits that description well. Overall, this website’s easygoing, straightforward nature makes the app appear even more attractive, which is important considering that this smartphone feature is supposed to simplify the user experience.

Creativity: 5 stars. We give this website full points for having a bright, friendly mood and also for making good use of negative space. The homepage is clean and bright, which will be inviting to potential buyers of this app.

Ease of use: 4 stars. This website is very easy to use, with a handy guide to actually installing and accessing the app’s features. However, it is difficult to find this important information due to its placement and lack of contrast.

Functionality: 5 stars. It is very easy to see at a glance what this app has to offer and whether you need it. In addition, there are links to the iPhone store, social networks, and a blog.

Content: 5 stars. The content on the website is rather sparse, but it really needs little explanation due to the use of graphics. The wording is easy to read and informal, making the app seem friendly and usable, but professional as well.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This bright, cheerful website is very appropriate for an app that is intended to save time and increase productivity.

Overall: 4.8 out of 5 stars. There’s not a lot to this website, but that’s okay considering its genre. It is overall easy to use and highly understandable.

Related articles

• Stone Skipper iPhone App Website Review
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Italian shoes have a definite brand. People expect sleek style, the latest fashion, and excellent workmanship. This Italian show brand offers less formal attire, but the expectation remains the same. This is a high bar that OXS must reach both with its products and its website.

To complicate matters, the website appears to be selling high fashion work boots. This makes their task a little more difficult, because they must convince potential customers and store buyers that a work boot can indeed live up to the glamor expected of Italian footwear.

The OXS website does a great job of showing their products to their maximum advantage. The website is completely black and white, as are many of the marketing pictures. The homepage features a video advertisement for the brand placed in the upper left hand side, which is where most people look first when they open a webpage. A sidebar makes it easy to interact further with the brand, such as looking at the current lines and seeing where they can be bought. As you scroll down the page, there are more navigation bars and, finally, links to social networking sites.

At first it seems a little silly to have several different navigation centers, but the links further down the page are actually duplicates of the ones on the navigation bar. Further, they are placed next to photos of the products. This organizational tactic works well for this brand, and because the photos are black and white with a film noir quality to them, they act as decoration and promote the brand at the same time.

This website does not just promote products; it promotes a brand as well. You can see this in the overall style of the site as well as the prominent placement of the logo design. After all, why would you buy clunky boots for high fashion wear if not for style?

Creativity: 5 stars. There are a few elements that we really liked. For example, when you hover over a link, it is ‘crossed out’ by a line. Clever little things like this add immensely to the memorability of the website. Further, the photography is professional and generally interesting to look at.

Ease of use: 3 stars. The website has good overall design, but the front page is a little overwhelming. The use of several different links for any given page is a risky move, but there is definitely a cluttered feeling that could be easily remedied by moving things around and changing sizes slightly.

Functionality: 3 stars. It’s easy to access the footwear being represented, but there are no prices, material information, or ‘buy now’ links that would encourage impulse purchases. This may be losing sales and income for the company. Further, the links to social networking sites are placed at the very bottom of a rather long page, and they are less visible due to using the same colors and fonts as the rest of the site.

Content: 5 stars. There is not a lot of written content, but it is all well written and correct. The photography is used in lieu of words, and it does a fine job of representing the brand.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The OXS website is very appropriate for their product and their brand.

Overall: 4.2 out of 5 stars. This website has only superficial flaws and is otherwise very well designed.

We’ll say it right off the bat: we did not choose this website due to the beauty of its subject. However, the model in question deserves some serious props for having a website that is almost as beautiful as she is.

Professionally designed websites are a must for models and generally any type of freelancer. The time for paper is over. While it is good to have a few printed examples of your work, more and more employers are finding their employees on the internet, especially in the freelance world. Because this model is aiming for an audience and body of work beyond her immediate area, her website becomes her introduction.

The model in question is not typically proportioned for high fashion modeling, so she has to work hard to show she is up to the task. Simple fonts and a charcoal gray background create a professional mood that is made appropriate for the beauty industry with feminine touches such as swirling designs in the corner of each page and occasional pops of color. An “over-designed” or cluttered website would detract from the model’s portfolio, so this simple, functional homepage is definitely in order.

In addition, viewers can easily access a variety of pictures of Ania Olejnik as well as social networking, testimonials, and contact information. This site may appear to be ‘all form’, but it has a heavy dose of function as well.

Creativity: 5 stars. We’ve already discussed the website aesthetics, but it should be noted that a lot of creativity went into the design as well. The scrolling bar of pictures is much more accessible than a page of thumbnails.

Ease of use: 5 stars. Again, we see evidence of good design. The navigation bar on the side takes you just about anywhere you want to go. If you hover over a category, subcategories pop up to make every nook and cranny of the site accessible in one click without adding clutter.

Functionality: 4 stars. This website makes it easy to contact both the model and her manager by just about any means. In addition to numerous social networking links on the navigation bar allow viewers to interact further with the model’s brand. Branding is very important to models—crucial, in fact—so these are excellent additions. Our only suggestion would be to include more than first names on the testimonials. After all, anyone can write a batch of these, so a little more information is needed to build credibility.

Content: 3 stars. This is one area where the website falls a little short. The ‘resume’ has almost no professional information and a lot of grammatical errors. On one hand, few people hire a model for her writing skills. On the other hand, it takes away from the professional, streamlined feeling of the overall website.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. As we mentioned before, the website offers an attractive mix of aesthetics and professionalism.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars. This website will be an asset in a competitive business.

As a business owner, you have probably asked yourself this question. A website design seems like an excellent marketing tool, but many people wonder if the effort and expense are worth the reward. Here are a few things to think about when deciding whether you need a website to help promote your business.

• Do I need an online presence?

  Consider the prominence of the internet in modern lives. 500 million people all over the world are on the net, which means that you can reach more customers there than in any storefront. Even if you are a local business with no interest in expanding, your customers are likely dealing with a variety of online retailers. Why not yours?

• Do I need to network?

  If you are a business owner, you can likely learn a lot from other people in your industry. Further, you may want to make connections with suppliers, customers, and a variety of people within your community. Think of a website as a large brochure that you never have to re-print. You can direct people to this website, from whence they can find out more about your company, contact you, and generally interact with your brand without any effort on your fault.

• Do my customers need more information?

  As stated before, customers may need information about your company and your products. Your website is the likely place to look for information such as store hours, types of products, return policies, and phone numbers. This is also the place to post your product specifics and to give your customers instructions on how to make your products part of their lives.

• Do my customers need 24/7 customer support?

  You can post information and FAQ’s on using your products on the internet, but this is not all. You can also offer 24/7 support, often by email support from you or an employee. If you have a larger business, paying someone to chat live with customers may pay off, as customers more and more expect this kind of service from companies of all sizes.  Another feature that is related is the ability to get feedback. Wouldn’t you prefer that customers who have a negative feeling about your company turn to you? With a company website, they can.

• Can I sell more products on the internet?

  In many cases, you will be surprised by how many people, even local ones, are interested in buying from companies like yours on the internet. Offering a variety of services and goods on the internet as well as a few perks like local delivery can make you an institution in your community without crowding your storefront.

• Do I benefit from a technologically savvy image?

  If you are running a business in an industry in which having a technologically savvy image is simply unimportant, then a website may be overkill. However, many people are trying to look as competent as possible in these areas to impress customers and colleagues. Having a website is no longer impressive, but it is almost a necessity for reaching audiences such as young adults.

There are few occupations less understood than that of an industrial product designer. What exactly do they do? Who do they do it for? A person in this industry must be prepared to give a lot of explanations, especially if he or she is a freelancer. The Alice Drougard website exists not just to explain exactly what she does for a living, but to function as an all-around freelance site with a portfolio and contact info.

We’ll say right off the bat that we hold people with the word ‘designer’ in their job title to much high web design standards. However, Alice Drougard meets and even exceeds our expectations. The color palette of the website is a straightforward black, white, and gray, but turquoise accents help to pull in and direct the eye. Pictures from the designer’s portfolio fill the home page, inviting visitors to find out what both industrial design and this artist are all about. Another page takes you through the process, and the last two are pages about the designer and where she can be contacted.

In short, this website is straightforward, easy to navigate, and very attractive—an homage to the creator’s talent. The pictures are incredibly professional, and the whole affair has a finished, very put together feeling. Because many portfolio websites tend to be a little too informal or to focus more on the person than their work, we give Alice Drougard top marks.

Creativity: 5 stars. Sometimes creativity comes in the form of simplicity, and this website is a good example of that principle. The main decorations are photos of the designer’s past work. Because these are professional photographs that were taken to match the rather stark theme of the website, this motif works very well. The use of a cool blue color to provide accent maintains the highly minimalist feeling while helping viewers subconsciously organize the information.

Ease of use: 5 stars.  It is very easy to access all parts of the website due to intuitive planning. The portfolio is the home page, so you can’t miss it. This is important for less understood, ‘niche’ professions. If you are interested in other parts of the website, a navigation bar makes it easy to find them.

Functionality: 3 stars. This may be the only area in which the website falls short. If you go to the contact page, there is some contact information as well as links to the designer’s LinkedIn and Skype accounts. However, as the designer is French yet living in China, she should make herself a little more accessible. Minimalism should never apply to contact information, after all! We think that a Facebook or Twitter account would be a good start—after all, many people don’t used LinkedIn—and that buttons leading to social networking sites should be conspicuously displayed on every page.

Content: 4 stars. The text is generally well written, but there are a few grammatical errors that suggest the artist is not a native English speaker.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The website shows off the designer’s ‘brand’ and sense of style in a very positive way.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars. Alice Drougard’s website is an excellent representative of her work and her profession.

Most people are interested in bed and breakfasts, but booking a night or an entire vacation at one is a whole other story. It can be difficult to find out which establishments have the amenities and general ambience that you want. Who wants to add several hours of research to their holiday planning? The task becomes even more difficult if you have special dietary needs or plan to bring your cat on vacation with you.

For this reason, there are many niche websites popping up that allow you to search for a bed and breakfast in your desired area that offers the features that you desire. However, these websites are usually pure function, with none of the fun features and handy tools that modern CSS web design has to offer. The Bed and Breakfast Compass offers the right mix of form and frills. The bad news for those of us who vacation mainly in North America is that this website caters to Australian. The design is still noteworthy.

The home page features a large map of Australia. The function is relatively easy to use: you merely click on the region that you plan to visit and get whisked away to a listing of all of the bed and breakfasts in that area. There are also text links at the bottom of the page for people who cannot figure out a map. From there, you can narrow down your search to a particular town or smaller area within the region. Each listing has prices, important details, a picture, and contact information. This makes it very easy to find the bed and breakfast that you desire.

The website brand is an integral part of the design. Throughout The Bed and Breakfast Compass, you find the same calming green and gray colors along with compass images. Because compasses help you find your way and are also part of the website name, the result is a well-branded and highly usable site.

Creativity: 5 stars. We love the sense of brand that dominates the website and the creative use of color and image. In addition, the images, such as those seen in the navigation bar on every page, are both aesthetically pleasing and relevant to the website.

Ease of use: 4 stars.  We like the way you begin your search by clicking on a map, but this actually adds to your steps if you are looking for a particular region to begin with. In addition, you cannot search by features, such as whether you can bring your cat or whether the establishment has a swimming pool.

Functionality: 2 stars. A website with such a strong and salient brand should have links to Facebook, Twitter, or similar sites, but we couldn’t find any here. The Contact page takes you to a form with only an email address for actual contacts.

Content: 4 stars. The content is well written and professional, except for a few errors.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This website makes bed and breakfasts look calm and relaxing, which is exactly what patrons of these establishments are looking for.

Overall: 4.0 out of 5 stars. This website is in dire need of a few extra features, but it’s a great start.

Creative Website – Most of the websites that we review are great in an ordinary kind of way. However, many are so well designed that it is a little mind-blowing. The website for graphic designer Coo-Coo Core is one of these. At the center of the homepage is a beautiful stylized tree in chocolate brown and hot pink. It swirls up into the sky, with one branch ending in the company name. At the center is a navigation bar. When you click on any of the links, the tree opens up into the appropriate information.

That’s easy to do with a small amount of text, but the designer even has her portfolio neatly fit into this format. The portfolio is separated into sections, and each piece of work comes up in a pop-out. This is clever and shows the company’s web design prowess.

One of the most striking parts of this website is the excellent use of negative space. If you look over the site, a large portion of the pages are empty. However, the feeling is not so much one of emptiness, but one of grace and minimalism. This is a sign of great design and is actually a very difficult effect to achieve. Further, it can be difficult to hone down material so you can convey the need information without leaving out something important. Coo-Coo Core has also accomplished this task well.

Creativity: 5 stars. Where do we start? This website is very creatively designed, from color choices to actual design elements. We love the tree especially, which is an unusual yet strangely fitting symbol for a company such as this. Of course we expect nothing less from someone trying to sell their creative abilities.

Ease of use: 5 stars. The information has been reduced to its most important points, and these are logically organized. Everything is very easy to locate and placed exactly where it belongs.

Functionality: 2 stars. This is where the website falls a little short. There are no links to social networking sites; indeed, there is nothing but an email address. Modern business demands that you have a web presence beyond a small, simple website, and this is one area where the designer falls woefully short.

Content: 4 stars. The content is also a little sparse. It is likely that this was done for simplicity’s sake, but we would like to see just a little bit more from the designer. She does not even indicate whether she is freelancing, working for an agency, or otherwise looking for work, which is usually the purpose of a website such as this.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. All criticisms aside, this is a really cool website that has been thoughtfully and artfully created. It is very appropriate for this artist and shows off her sense of style.

Overall: 4.2 out of 5 stars. We would love to give this gorgeous CSS website perfect marks, but the few flaws are too serious to overlook.

A surprising number of our best CSS websites are dedicated to an Android app website or iPhone app. Whether this is due to the superior programing skills of their creators or simply to an industry-wide preference for CSS websites, we cannot tell. However, here is another excellent CSS website dedicated to an iPhone app.

As with many apps’ websites, the homepage shows a screenshot. This one also offers links to videos of the game being played as well as the necessary legal stuff—credits, where to buy, etc. The main characters are shown in the header along with the usual navigation bar. The rest of the website is light blue to represent the water that the stones are being skipped across.

One of the things that we like about this website is that it tells us exactly how the app in question is being used. It is a game played by holding your iPhone like a rock and then flicking your wrist as though you are skipping a stone across water. The ‘About’ page humorously reminds you not to throw your iPhone in the process, a reminder that the less intelligent among us might actually need. However, knowing the mechanics of the game made us more interested because our thumbs and forefingers are getting sore from all that Super Mario Bros.

Most apps don’t give nearly enough information, even on their websites. We have to give this one props for giving more than enough and organizing the product website in such a way that we could easily access all of the material quickly and easily. This website was made for the modern technology consumer.

Creativity: 3 stars. This website is more about function than creativity.

Ease of use: 5 stars. Not only is the website designed so you can easily access information, the information itself is easy to use. How to play the game is shown in several ways: through screenshots, video, and written instructions.

Functionality: 4 stars. This website offers a link to the iPhone app store for purchasing the game as well as a link to iTunes for those who are interested in the soundtrack. However, very little other information is provided. While credits are shown on the appropriate page, you cannot find Facebook or other social networking links for the creators or the game itself. Some of the names on the credits link to personal websites, but a larger web presence for the game itself would help build the brand—an important step as the designers claim that more games with the same characters are in the works.

Content: 5 stars. The content is easy to read and contains just the right amount of information.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The theme of the game as well as the personality of the characters is shown throughout the website’s design, making it easy for people to see at a glance whether this is the right app for them.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars. Overall, this is a great CSS website that hints at the quality design of the app it represents.

Upon entering the Minding Monsters website, we were a little confused. Is this website for a cartoon? A children’s book? A character illustrator? Or perhaps is there really an organization of benevolent monsters living on an island called Leviatha? The Minding Monsters website’s greatest flaw is that it is not clear about its intent. However, good design and fun features are in abundance.

Here is a fast lowdown on the Minding Monsters, in case you are interested but not enough to visit the website. Each monster is in charge of minding a different part of life, from finances (the domain of Subsi) to love (talk to Aduri). They are kind of like guardian angels with horns.

The creators obviously take their monsters seriously. Each one has a bio that rivals those found on social networking sites, and a variety of iPhone wallpapers and prints are available for fans. In addition, you can read bios of select monsters and view a map of their kingdom. Again, we don’t really understand the purpose of this site, but we are already interested.

The monsters are well connected to the outside world as well. In addition to the usual social networking links, there is a Tumblr page of ‘Likes’ with links to things individual monsters find interesting on the net. What’s next? A blog authored by the imaginary creatures? We aren’t sure, but we suspect there are many new adventures in store for the Minding Monsters.

Creativity: 5 stars. Monsters that ‘mind’ us and watch over us? Yes, we’ll give them full points for creativity. In addition, the site has many creative aspects, such as the map of Leviatha and the brief monster anatomy lesson. The colors are fun and the monster theme is integrated into almost every part of the website.

Ease of use: 5 stars. The website is easy to use and fast to navigate. If any parts of the site or its features confuses you, there is a Help Center to answer your questions. In fact, just about every question is answered except the obvious one: Why?

Functionality: 4 stars. The monsters are surprisingly well connected for imaginary creatures, with a Facebook page and a Tumblr site for their internet faves. However, the purpose of the monsters and their site is not clear, and this is definitely a needed function. If the creator(s) is looking for a book deal or another corporate interest, noting this on the contact page would certainly expedite the process.

Content: 4 stars. The monsters are well explained but there are a few typos that suggest the creator was not a native English speaker, such as “it is most likely that you will find the answer there.” On the other hand, maybe this is simply part of the monster’s charm.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. This site is certainly appropriate for its subject, with monsters incorporated into every corner of the site.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars. If you have ever wondered which monster is watching your cat, Mindful Monsters is the place to find out.

If you are into fanciful drawings and curious platypuses, Moonbeam Illustrations has a lot to offer. This website is the home of a freelance illustrator who works in magazines, children’s books, and just about anywhere her field takes her. As you would expect from an artist, the Moonbeam Illustrations website is heavy on look-pretties. However, we love that it is also designed well.

The homepage shows you a little of the artist’s most recent work along with the latest news about her. We notice that a few things are not exactly up to date—the Twitter is from this spring even though the artist has posted more tweets since then, and the blog is not yet operational. However, web design portfolio, biography, and contact information pages are information, fast loading, and endearing thanks to a heavy dose of the illustrator’s talent.

The website design is full of personal touches that compliment Moonbeam Illustrations’ brand and show off the artist’s sense of style. The background appears to have been fashioned from rustic papers. Instead of ‘Email Me’ or another dry command, you can click on a button that reads, “Think my style is for you?” These and multiple other fanciful touches might not be right for a corporate accountant, but they are simply perfect for a children’s book illustrator. Here is how we rate this website:

Creativity: 5 stars. What else would you expect from an artistic website? As we noted, this website is full of whimsy and fun. We especially like the way the links to various social networking sites appear to be peeking through tears in the paper that lines the pages. Numerous hand drawn touches show off the artist’s abilities to their best advantage.

Ease of use: 5 stars. The Moonbeam Illustrations website is easy to navigate thanks to a logically organized navigation bar. We especially like the way pop-out windows are used both for contact information and for the portfolio. These details make it easy to explore the website without having to “find your way back.”

Functionality: 4 stars. At the bottom of every page you can find links to the artist’s various social networking sites. However, we were disappointed to find that the Twitter feed is not up-to-date and that the blog is nonexistent almost a year after the website was designed. We docked a single point here because we think these details are very important. Why link to untimely information?

Content: 4 stars. The content is cute and friendly, which is a perfect blend for an illustrator of this sort. However, the “Who?” page has several run-on sentences and other grammatical problems. While this is a website dedicated to art, it is also here for business purposes. These tiny errors may make prospective clients worry that the business is not up to professional standards.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. For all its flaws, Moonbeam Illustrations is certainly true to their art in every way.

Overall: 4.6 out of 5 stars. We love the way this site appeals to the child inside.

If your community’s annual battle of the bands just doesn’t come often enough for you, we just may have a cyber-solution. Songclash is a CSS website that offers an ongoing virtual battle of the bands in just about every genre you can imagine. This presents the ultimate win-win combination for new bands needing exposure and listeners on the lookout for the next big thing.

Not only can you listen to the latest new bands and rate them, there are functions that all types of music lovers can enjoy. There is a free song giveaway, reviews of the latest artists and hits, and places to buy the music that you love. Intuitively designed with interesting details, this site has the potential to be a one-stop source of entertainment and news for those who are into the music scene.

However, Songclash comes with a few disadvantages as well. First and foremost, there is a marked lack of bands to battle or rate. In fact, when we looked, there were none. This could pose a problem, because bands are unlikely to volunteer to battle at a website without competition or even spectators. We can only hope that the creators have a plan for enticing traffic. Until then, here is our rating of the website’s actual design.

Creativity: 5 stars. There are a few creative aspects of this website that we simply love, including the way the homepage appears to be a stage. This ties into the website’s name and purpose, but it also sets the tone for the rest of the website. If you look around Songclash, you will notice that the charcoal and fuchsia of this stage are used in the logo design and throughout the rest of the site. We love how well branded this website is, with the colors and fonts working together to give an edgy yet approachable feeling.

Ease of use: 3 stars. This website is intuitively designed, but there are a few issues. First, the process for choosing a band battle to vote on should be much easier when there are no bands to begin with. In other words, you should not have to go through the time and trouble of choosing a genre and other aspects only to find out that there were never any choices to begin with. Second, the navigation bar should be on every page. As it is, you have to press ‘Back’ several times to return to the homepage.

Functionality: 5 stars. We were unable to try the process of actually rating a band or voting in a battle due to the dearth of battling bands. However, there are links to a variety of social networking sites that will make it easy for interested parties to keep tabs on Songclash just in case they suddenly get up and running. In addition, the website runs not one, but several blogs for those who want to stay up to date on the music business in general.

Content: 4 stars. The content is great for explaining, but there are a few errors and ambiguous sentences that keep us from calling it a five.

Appropriateness: 5 stars. The color palette and images are perfect for the subject.

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars. This website has a lot of interesting features and huge potential.