Website design is at its best when it is built on as many aspects of customer service possible. Online business owners who create a custom website design that's focused on the concerns of their visitors can jump ahead of their competitors. Why? Because consumers in general are up-in-arms about the lack of quality in customer service; the general consensus of most shoppers on- and off-line is that businesses simply want to sell their products and services but have very little time to support them or provide information regarding their use.

Deciding what customer service is and what makes it sufficient seems to be a topic that many online businesses are having difficulty coming to terms with. For many the idea of providing customer service means incorporating a feedback form in their custom website design. From the visitor's perspective customer service begins with providing information about the company and a variety of ways to contact them: not just an e-mail address. Is it realistic to expect people to provide their personal information to buy your products or services and NOT provide information to them about who they are giving their money to? You may know that you are trustworthy but your website visitors need to be convinced. You need to tell them:

• who you are
• how they can contact you
• where your company is located
• how you will use the information they provide to purchase a product or service
• what they can do if they have a problem in using what they have purchased or want to return it

Your web pages should include a privacy statement, terms and conditions of website use and company information. In addition if you include internal hyperlinks to pages that give detailed product or service specifications, guidelines for using the product or service throughout yourcustom website design, you can increase the confidence level of the visitor to purchase what you have to offer.

A simple way to plan your custom website design to address customer service effectively is to think about the type of questions a visitor will have before and after they purchase your product or service. By looking at what you have to offer and the buyers that visit your website from this perspective you can work with your website designer to incorporate elements in the custom website design that will provide your visitors with quality customer service; create a knowledge bank of frequently asked questions or polls and surveys to rate customer satisfaction with the information provided on your website, as well as the products and services.

While there are many functions in customer service that can be provided electronically; e-mail forms, product or service documentation, polls and surveys, none of these can replace personal interaction. It is a good idea to incorporate at least one way for your customers to be able to "reach out and connect" with a live human being and to discuss the issues that may not be addressed to their satisfaction in the information you have provided on your website. Interactive chat applications are one way for customers to connect in real time with representatives that have in-depth knowledge of how the product was made, how it can be used, and the limitations of the product or service along with refund or return information. Or you can provide a "customer support hotline" telephone number for your visitors to use.

The main focus of a quality customer service oriented custom website design is to continually place the emphasis on catering to your visitor's satisfaction; this means showing them that they are valued throughout their experience with your online business.

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