I must admit that I have the dance ability of a mashed potato. (How would a mashed potato dance? Not sure, but probably better than me.) My daughters both love to dance, however, and they have been practicing their routines around the house for months now, preparing for the year-end dance competitions and recitals. It truly is impressive to see how all of the practice pays off. While the dance studio that my daughters attend is near and dear to us, this same level of practice and commitment can be found at numerous dance studios in the area. Last weekend we witnessed one of the first competitions of the year, and we were blown away by the performances of our daughters’ dance teams, as well as the competition.

Yet as I watched the competition, one dance team in particular stood out for me—but not in a way intended. The team’s outfit looked incorrectly sized and stuffy for the dancers. As I glanced around the audience, I saw others who also had quizzical expressions regarding the choice of outfit. As the team’s routine was being performed, I found myself paying more attention to the frumpy, dated outfit than the dance performance itself. All of the dancers’ hard work was a secondary component.

As I surfed the internet at the hotel that evening, I started thinking about that team’s outfit and how it relates to the website design work we do at Dwaiter.

What does an outfit at a dance competition have to do with website design? Well, if I am a business owner, I want any potential customer or client who visits my company website to be immediately engaged. All of the hard work, preparation and effort that goes into building a business—a website should be a natural extension of that. A website visitor never should be confused, or quizzical, about a business due to the look and feel of the site. There should be no misunderstanding as to what the business is about, what message it intends to get across, or how the business performs.

A website needs to be an enhancement for a business, never a distraction. If a site has an outdated design, or seems "frumpy," potential clients might leave it without learning anything about the company. The firm’s capabilities could get lost in a less-than-optimal visual message.

At Dwaiter, we start by striving to understand your business. Then, we take that knowledge and leverage our experience to design the best visual site possible. We work with our customers to design a site where potential customers or clients are immediately pulled in and engaged. Engagement is vital. A clean visual look that easily and quickly promotes the desired content, and grabs the attention of users, goes a long way to turn prospective clients into true clients. The components of a successful design display your expertise and get clients comfortable with your business. We are here to help you create that perfect design.

I never thought I would have the opportunity to write a blog tying my daughters' love of dance to my workplace. Dance costumes and websites. Frumpy and dated, bad. Crisp and engaging, good.

Cheers,

Andy