Custom Graphics
No single factor is as important to good website design as visual impact.  Studies from Stanford University have shown that the visual look of a site, including layout, typography, font size and color schemes, result in site visitors determining whether a business is credible or not before they even begin delving into the words and content of the site.  Bizhand.Com excels at custom graphics, but there is more to it than that skill alone.  Creating graphics that mesh with the overall goal of the site and help tie ideas together is what contributes to an effective site.

The Myth of "Cool" Graphics
Now, please keep in mind that, while graphics are important, it is true that too much of a good thing will spoil the end result.   The biggest example of this is the overabundance of "Flash" presentations on the internet.  Don't get us wrong, Flash is cool and has it's place on a site.  We just feel that it's used about 95% more often than necessary, and at times when it adds no value to the site.  We can do Flash and would recommend it when it's used to illustrate a process critical to your business.  But we'd also steer you away from it for mere splashes when you site loads or other non-essential tasks. 

If a designer is pushing you to use Flash animations it might just be because they can make 5 or 10 times as much money (it's a time intensive process) than if they use regular custom graphics.  Additionally, while not the issue it once was, Flash still requires a plug-in to run and there are still people out there that won't have it when they visit your site.

Our caution to you—if a developer/designer is so gung ho about graphics that they lose site of all the other elements of great site design, then you should be very wary.  Because a designer has the skills to do something "cool" doesn't mean your business is going to benefit from it.  In fact, it may hurt you.

When Graphics Matter Most
Here are two examples of custom site graphics that have been created by Bizhand.Com.  For this example we've left one static and one that is animated (in motion).  Here is a case where the animated graphic was the better choice.  Not because it is "cooler" but because it helps the goal of the client's program to sell gift certificates by drawing the eye to the fact that they are available.  The movement in this case on the otherwise static full page keeps drawing the eye back to a service that the client wants to promote above all the other services on that page.  For that reason, animation of the graphic made business sense.