Tmgi,

Congratulations on begining the process of designing a web site.

Be forewarned, it is a tediious and complex process though.

Graphics and layout are essential to any audience you may have online. Content is very important, however, if your layout, color scheme, and/or graphical images are not of quality you will loose your audience rather quickly.

The best advice I could give you for finding some good websites, is to sit with your customer and show them 2-3 of the competitors sites. Find out what your customer likes, what they dislike, and how they want to be different.

From that conceptual image, you can begin the process of developing a site that satisfies your client (very important) while at the same time using your professional ability to make their web site as effective as possible. Remember there should be no cookie cutter web sites out there, just as every business is different you should provide customers with a different web site as often as possible. You want to maximize the "company image" and give them a site that will help them to stand apart.

I am not sure what you mean by your tools question. Are you asking for a tool to help you find effective web sites, or are you asking for the tools you will need to build them?

As for rating your web site, you can always do a Google search and find sites that will review your web site for you. If you design what you believe to be a truly great site, then submit it for some web site awards.

Feedback on your site?
1. Ask your customer
2. Utilize sites that other web designers use that offer feedback
3. Ask your family (mine always have an opinion about everything)

I hope some of this helps out. If you further clarify the tools question for me, I can offer better suggestions/advice.

Michael

Lots of good advice so far. I'd suggest that you visit the following forum:

http://www.webproworld.com/viewforum.php?f=4

You will learn a lot just reading the critiques of other sites, and when you're ready for your own site to be reviewed, its a great place for that, also.

I think the site will appeal to your target customers if it is a good site.

And, certainly polling some members of your target market is a good idea. But, I am sure you will find many differing opinions. I would suggest that you avoid trying to please all the people all the time. You know how that turns out!

Another idea is to decide what keywords you will use. Then, do a search using those keywords on the major search engines. Look at the sites at the top of the search listings.

Certainly the designs will be different, but there may be consistencies in terms of topics covered and usability.