What Goes Into Designing A Good VA Web Site

By Karthik Sampath

So, you are the CEO of a VA, you managed to make a good fleet, you have a nicely coordinated management and what else? Yes, of course, you need a good web site! That's exactly why I'm here. I'm here to tell you how to lure pilots to join your VA and make sure they stay by making a good web site not too flashy, not too bland. Due to the large number of VA's, pilots have become very choosy these days and having a good web site is very essential to ensure its success.

Now what do you need to make a web site? Yes I know you haven't got any money to spend on getting your dotcom address or an expensive server. Well you actually don't need any money to make your own web site. There are lots of sites out there which offer free hosting or even your own dotcom address!

Firstly you need a server to host your web site. Companies like Tripod, Homestead, Fortunecity just to name a few offer free hosting. You can make a web site offline (less expensive) or build it online with their web site building tools.

OK, I have registered a web site at one of the web hosting companies, what next? Next comes your imagination, your sense of creativity, good skill in color contrasting. Firstly, choosing the right colors for your web site is very important. Use the colors that you have on your aircraft. If you have used just two then choose a couple more colors that mix well with them. Make them your official colors and use them in your logo, fonts, backgrounds, etc. Don't use any color except them, otherwise you'll end up with a multi-colored web site which few would like to visit. For example you wouldn't find KLM using Swiss Air colors on their web site, would you?

The same thing goes to the type of fonts as well. Stick to one font for your whole web site. Or if you want to use two then don't use very different styles like Arial and Times, use something like Arial and Arial Black or something similar. Like one for the heading and one for the body.

Choosing the right colors and the type of font are two very essential elements that go into making a good professional looking VA web site.

After choosing your colors and fonts comes the real test of your creativity, i.e. putting those colors and fonts into use. Just putting a background and a border on the left isn't what a web site is all about. Neither can you have each web page looking totally different from the others in your web site. There should be some consistency in your web site so that a visitor knows that what he is seeing is part of the rest. Like a cleverly designed border with links that can be applied to all web pages so that a visitor does not have to needlessly go to the home page to find a link. Use various combinations of your official colors to get that look you always wanted for your web site.

Using your imagination is the key to success. There are millions of web sites today, each having its own unique identity. What makes them unique is their design. When designing web sites one must make sure that it is different from the rest but this is not happening in the case of VA's. Each VA tries to copy from the other and words are exchanged between the CEO's. Use your imagination and try to be original in your work. Imagine your web site first and then put everything into place.

Using your imagination and creativity will go a long way in getting that 'unique' web site which you always wanted.

So by following these simple steps, I assure you that you will end up with a great looking web site! I hope from now on people will design their web sites well and make it presentable. This also goes to those who already have one.

Remember, a web site reflects everything about your VA, so make it look good.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about this Op-Ed, feel free to email me.

Karthik Sampath
Bangalore, India
karthik@virtualairways.net

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