Remember: It is your website, so special consideration ought to be paid to be certain the website design works well and serves its objective (please have a concrete idea what you are trying to achieve with your web site) . Here are six critical rules to comply with to make sure your website works effectively.
1) Clarity
Make every effort not to confuse your visitor. Limit the number of choices they can make when they get to your page. Guide them to the course of action you would like them to take. This can be to read further, sign up for your newsletter or recommend a solution to a problem. Remember, people like to be lead.
2) Avoid the use of splash webpages
A splash page is the initial page you see when you show up at a website. They ordinarily have an extremely attractive picture with text like “welcome” or “click here to enter”. Actually, they are just that — pretty containers with absolutely no true purpose. Do not give your site visitors a motive to click upon your “back” button! Deliver the benefit of your site at the start, without having a splash page.
3) Never use too many banner ads
Even the least internet knowledgeable people have educated themselves to dismiss banner advertisements so in using poor performing ads you will be throwing away precious website real estate. As an alternative, give more incredible subject matter and weave related links into your content. Let your visitors definitely feel that they would like to buy rather than of being pushed to buy.
4) Have an easy and crystal clear navigation
You better supply a simple and very clear-cut navigation menu so that even a young child will know how to use it. It has been shown that you should break up the navigation links to a maximum of four in a group. This makes it visually much easier to grasp. Start with four links then insert a space and then insert the next four links:
Visual Spacing of Navigation
Stay away from complicated Flash based menus or multi-tiered dropdown menus. If your visitors don’t know how to navigate, they will leave your site.
5) Have a straightforward indicator of where the user is
When visitors are seriously immersed in exploring your site, you will want to make certain they know which part of the site they are in at that moment. That way, they will be able to browse relevant information or navigate to any section of the site easily. Don’t befuddle your visitors because confusion means “jump ship”!
6) Use video, audio and the written word to convey your message
People absorb information best in different ways. Give them the chance to get the information in the method they prefer. If your visitor is going to stay a long time at your site, reading your content, you will want to make sure they’re not annoyed by some audio looping on and on your website. If adding audio or video, make sure they have some control over it — volume or muting controls would work fine.
7) What Not to Do
Sometimes it is easier to know what to do by seeing what not to do. I get a laugh from Web Pages That Suck some of those designs are so bad.
8.) Sign up for our newsletter
Do not miss a single newsletter issue for the latest tips in website design. Click here to sign up.
