Site
Design 101
The most
important thing to keep in mind when designing
a website is to clearly defined your objectives
(the purpose of the website) and create a user
experience which leads them to those objectives.
If
your site is ecommerce, make sure there is a quick
and easy way to navigate to the desired product,
review information and purchase securely. If your
website is informational in nature, make it flow
naturally and guide visitors to the resource on
your site that best suits their needs.
Keep
your content on topic, using short sentences and
paragraphs. Write like you speak. Not only is
it easier to understand, but people will trust
you more when they feel like you are talking to
them directly -- and not just to a general audience.
As
people become more and more familiar with the
Internet, they develop certain preconceptions.
They are more inclined to make snap judgments
based on the way your site looks. Much like the
real world, first impressions are often the most
important. Keep your design clean and professional
with concise content and it will be much better
received than a competitor who tries to make their
site “all things to all people”.
Be
sure to use a font that is easy to read. Avoid
using more than three different font types. Keep
the colors dark and large enough to read comfortably
and do not type in ALL CAPS. This is the equivalent
of screaming online.
Photos,
graphics and other images are terrific for dressing
up a page and the right one really can “speak
a thousand words”. Just remember to keep
them professional, complementing your theme and
above all... avoid a cluttered look.
Things
to avoid:
1)
Anything that may turns your target audience off:
Pretend you are fishing. Do you want to use a
fishing lure which looks good to you... or one
that appeals to the fish?
2)
Music in the background: Unless
you are promoting your own band, most visitors
will find this annoying and anyone still on dial-up
will probably leave long before your page loads.
3)
Pop-up windows of any kind: It
may work in the short run, but if you want to
develop a favorable reputation and traffic from
word-of-mouth... don’t frustrate your users
with extra steps. Besides, most search engines
don’t like pop-ups either.
4)
Oversized or tiny text: Again,
you want to create a welcoming environment for
you visitors. Don’t make them uncomfortable
and they’ll be more inclined to like you
and your service.
The
bottom line: Your website is the face of your
organization. Make it inviting and trustworthy
and visitors will respond accordingly. Make it
confusing and unprofessional, not only will you
lose visitors... you will lose your reputation
as well. Take your time and do it right. The Internet
is here to stay.
About
the Author: Ken Watson is the lead designer
for Premium
Web Services, a web services company based
in Delaware. If you have questions or need help
with website design, please call us at (302) 838-4232
or email through our website. |
