Website Design
[private].[/private]Before you leave your website’s fate in the hands of a designer, it’s wise to have a clear idea in mind of what you would ideally like to see, as detailed in the preparation page of this section.
If you have something specific in mind, don’t be afraid to show your designer (if you’re outsourcing) exactly what it is you want. You can do this as simply as drawing a picture on a piece of paper, detailing what you want in a text document or e-mail, or if you’re adept, using a suitable paint program (below). Failing to provide a clear outline for your outsourcing partner will result in much frustration for the both of you.
For the design and implementation itself, there are many issues to consider, and due to the rapid development of the Internet, new aspects may emerge. For typical commercial Web sites, the basic aspects of design are:
• The content: The substance, and information on the site should be relevant to the site and should target the area of the public that the website is concerned with. Your site, no matter how well-designed it is, will not attract anyone to it unless you have something informative or appealing to say.
• The usability: The site should be user-friendly, with the interface and navigation simple and reliable. Make it easy for visitors to navigate your site. Most companies now go for menu bars at the top to save space at the side. However, if you do go for a menu bar at the side, that’s at least a convention: please don’t put them in a really unconventional place (the bottom of the screen is a bad idea…)
• Consistency: The graphics and text should include a single style that flows throughout, to show consistency. This style should be applied throughout the site, not only one page. Remember, first impressions last.
• Stylish: The style should be clean, appealing and relevant. The easier it is for people to find what they are looking for, the more repeat visits you will receive.
• Net Visibility: The site must also be easy to find via most, if not all, major search engines and advertisement media. Our section on SEO will give you a helping hand with this aspect.
• Speed Kills: People, at the most, will generally only wait for around 15 seconds for a website to load – but that is an absolute maximum. If your page is taking a long while to load, your potential viewers will vote with their mice and click the “Back” button. Don’t overdo it with flashy scripts and applets.
Some other general points:
• Always provide a link back to your main or menu page. This will make it useful for people who become ‘lost’.
• If you have a very large site, if possible provide a search function. If people have a large or hard to navigate menu, often they’ll just search for what they’re looking for.
• Make it easy for people to find your contact details, in case they have questions/comments/praise. A feedback form could be useful in this aspect.
And finally…
• Put Yourself in your Audience’s Place. Look at your page as if you’d never seen it before. What are your first impressions? Is it easy to find what you want? If you get lost can you get back to the start page?
Remember, people usually won’t hang around to give your site a chance – if they can’t see very quickly what they’re looking for, they won’t stay. Design a site not for the sake of just designing a site, but for a purpose: if you’re 100% focused on what your audience wants, you’ll have little problem making your website a success.
