Anything that has to do with the company is referred as corporate. Corporate website refers to a website that represents the company. A corporate website serves different functions like presenting business of the company to target groups or as a platform for providing updated and relevant information of products of the company. Such a site can be designed from scratch or developed from website design template. With an increase in the span of web around the world, companies aspiring to reach out a global client base should be focused on developing a smart corporate website. Let us explore several intricacies relating to designing of such a corporate website.

Focus on content

Graphic elements are kept at a bare minimum and the focus is shifted to relevant and updated content. Trend in corporate website designing is to limit the pages to its bare essentials and provide only information that visitors are looking for. Anything that distracts, disappoints or confuses a visitor should be avoided. Layout should be smart and professional. Many companies are increasingly adapting website design template for simplifying the designing aspect of their site. Page layout should be helpful in highlighting the products or services of the company.

Use of color

Selecting an appropriate color scheme for a corporate site is very crucial. In most cases a company has its own set of colors that are predominantly used in the logo and other promotional campaigns. This color may or may not be a good choice for designing a corporate website. Colors used on a corporate site should evoke a sense of trust and stability. A large number of corporate sites play safe by using different shades of blue while designing their site. A company deciding to use a website designing template may have several color schemes as option. As for example, shades of green may be a good choice for companies promoting eco-friendly products and services.

Use of images

Images used on a corporate website play a vital role in attracting attention of the user and conveying the message of the company. As such, a website design template for insurance company can use picture of a happy family that is assuring and attractive to its target group. Similarly, companies selling consumer durables should display attractive images of their products to visitors. Visual representations of certain emotional needs are explored to great extent by banking, insurance and health care companies.

Technical information

Depending on the nature of business many corporate websites need to offer technical data and informative images to attract its visitors. In these cases evocative images are replaced with informative graphs, comparative tables and balance sheets. In some cases visitors may be interested in technical specifications of the products. A website designing template designed for such corporate site should be able to provide adequate space for such rich information.

Easy to navigate

a company may design a flash based or simple web site for promoting its brand depending on the product range. While designing navigation system of the site keep in mind the ease of accessibility. A website designing template targeting corporate clients should have necessary drop down boxes to show the subjects that are covered under each section. The basic idea is to guide the users smoothly and quickly to the desired information.

SEO perspective

Building a global client base is possible when target customers or clients around the globe can find your site easily. This can be done by optimizing the site for search engines. While creating a corporate website you need to plan and incorporate elements of SEO (search engine optimization). If you are designing a site from website designing template then the SEO aspect should be taken care of during developmental stage.

Inserting relevant keywords in the content, ensuring faster loading time and optimizing images are some crucial aspects of SEO. Make sure that Meta tags, URL and headers are enriched with keywords and keyphrases for drawing attention of search engines. Providing a sitemap with crucial links of the site is necessary.

Interactive

One of the major attractions of corporate websites is the direct interaction of customers with the company. Many companies use this opportunity to get feedback and reviews from the users. This helps them in upgrading their product range and provides ideas for new products. Several corporate websites developed from website designing template provide options of building interactive forums for users.

Integrating social networks

Building a global image online has got a new dimension with the advent of social networking sites. Companies are increasingly creating Facebook Fan Page, getting in touch with Twitter communities and using platforms like MySpace for reaching out a global client base. A website designing template that is created for corporate users should preferably include such integration within its design.

Corporate website designing should focus on relevant and updated content, use attractive colors and images and ensure smooth navigation. For attracting a global client base it is necessary to focus on SEO and social networking integration. Make sure to create an interactive site to get feedback from prospects and clients.

About the writer

The above article has been written by RP, who is associated with many online blogs and sites as their freelance writer. She is currently involved with various number of projects based on template and web designing including a project of Template Kingdom, the number template design company around the globe.