Regardless of how visually appealing or uniquely original the graphic look and feel of a website is, it is meaningless if it does not meet the expectations of the target market. Is your site about branding? Is it about sales? Is it to be used as a tool to support off-line activities?

Start by defining your target audience and their purpose for visiting your site. A web solution that is designed for a manufacturing company whose target audience are information seeking engineers will have a different “flavor” than a branding site designed for the 18 to 24 year old hair care demographic. Whereas the hair care crowd might be impressed by MTV-like sound and graphics, the engineers would most likely be more impressed with the ease in which they can find the information they are looking for with minimal distractions.

Ask yourself “what is the image I am trying to convey to my customers?” 

Professionals in the financial, medical or legal fields might consider a more conservative approach that conveys a sense of confidence and reassures the consumer that their issues will be handled with the utmost dignity. On the other hand, creative specialists such as advertising agencies, graphic designers and entertainers have the luxury to experiment with a more flamboyant design, whereas printers may want to lean toward a more colorful, graphically intense style without the hype.