When you’re looking to redesign your website, it’s a good idea to know what you want before you dive into the process. I find that it’s helpful to figure out what you want by checking out what others do. You can look at what others in your area are doing as well as your industry, and other great sites. It’s a good way to see what’s out there, and think of how you can do it better or even differently. I’m a visual learner so this is the method that helps me best. But I’ve found that my clients (even if they aren’t visual learners) know what they like and don’t like when they see it on someone else’s site, so it usually works out well for everyone.

Your Industry & Local Professionals

Gaining inspiration from others can be tough if you aren’t sure where to look. To find competitors in your industry and other people in your area, Google is a great tool to utilize. If I’m working on a site for a dentist in Iowa, I’ll use Google to search for other dentists sites in the area, as well as in other areas. Plus, I’ll also look at other professional sites in the area to see what might be working well in that region.

CSS Galleries

Those are important places to start. But some of the best places to look are in CSS galleries. They feature great sites that are worthy of showcasing, and you can find some really top-notch ideas here. There are tons of CSS galleries out there, so I’ve compiled a list of some good ones for you to check out:

CSS Mania
Best Web Gallery
Divine CSS
Best CSS Gallery
CSS Beauty
CSS Heroes
CSS Drive
CSS Elite

After your site is complete, it’s a great idea to submit your url to these galleries too. If it’s picked up, it can mean a huge boost in visitors, so make sure you’re ready for it. But it’s a great way to spread the word and find some great visitors and possible new fans for your site.

What are some of your favorite places to search for inspiration for a new site?