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. |
