What annoys an Internet user
the most? A quick
unscientific survey of a
local Internet café suggests
the top three turn-offs are:
- Sites that are very slow
to download;
- Ones that are confusing to
use;
- Sites that do not contain
the promised information;
The single most common
reaction to sites like these
is that the visitor very
quickly moves on to another
web site. Clearly, if you
get things wrong there is
usually no second chance.
How can you avoid this
happening to your business?
Well, here are twenty tips
to help you when designing
or redesigning your
company’s web site.
Start with a clear
understanding of the purpose
of your site
Is the aim of your site to
sell, entertain, or inform?
The design of your site
should be consistent with
its purpose. The
requirements for a site
selling software online will
be very different from say
the web site of a local
community newspaper.
Plan the site with the
customer in mind
Imagine how your customers
(existing and prospects)
will use your site. Consider
their reasons for visiting
and their needs. Something
that looks logical to you
may not appear so to a
first-time visitor.
Design for cross-browser
compatibility
Although Internet Explorer
dominates, do not overlook
those people who use
alternatives such as Mozilla,
Opera and Netscape. Make
sure your site can be viewed
in other browsers; that way
you will not unintentionally
reduce the number of
visitors to your site.
Choose simplicity over
complexity
Unless you are a design
company showcasing its
skills, keep things simple.
Visitors (especially
frequent ones) may not be
impressed by your complex
animated graphics especially
if they serve no apparent
useful purpose. Make it
simple for visitors to get
to the content – that is
what most of them are coming
to your site for anyway.
Make the navigation
intuitive and easy to use
This is probably one of the
two most important aspects
of designing a web site, the
other being content. Make
your site’s navigation
logical and clear. Ensure
the most important and most
often-accessed information
is easy to find. Link names
should be concise and
self-explanatory. Test
navigational links to make
sure they work and keep them
up-to-date.
Your site should be as
visually appealing as
possible
Visual appeal is subjective
but the design of your site
will undoubtedly influence
customers’ perceptions of
your business as a whole. An
uncluttered layout, careful
choice of font size and
colors and appropriate use
of graphics and images
should go a long way to
ensuring your site creates a
good impression of your
business.
Apply a consistent design
or ’look and feel’ to your
site
Keep design consistent
across your site unless you
want your visitors to ask
themselves whether they have
wandered into another
company’s site by accident.
Integrate your web site
design with your offline
branding
For many, the Internet is
still an alien environment
so reassure your customers
by applying the same
branding online as you do
offline. After all, if you
have spent a lot of money
building your brand why
spend more appearing to
build an entirely different
online brand (unless, of
course, this is your
intention).
