By Sharon
Housley
http://www.feedforall.com
and http://www.recordforall.com
©
2008
When designing a website, it is important that webmasters
ask some general questions before they begin the design process..
What
Is The Purpose Of Your Website?
Many companies use websites
to establish their brand. Others use websites as a communication tool. Some companies
see websites as sales vehicles and "billboards". Still others use their
website as an educational tool. And some may be any combination of the above.
The website must have a purpose in order for it to be effective.
What
Is It That You Are Trying To Accomplish With The Website?
A
strong understanding of the website will allow a webmaster to emphasize the action
they want the website visitor to take on the website. By defining and understanding
the purpose of the website, webmasters and publishers can better structure the
information on the website. Information can be provided with the appropriate emphasis
and navigation. An ideal website will lead the web visitor to take the action
the webmaster wants.
Who Is Your Audience?
You
must identify and understand your target audience. Understanding your demographic
will allow you to cater content specific to that group.
What
Are The Objectives Of The Website?
You also need to determine
what the objective of your website is. What are you attempting to accomplish?
Are you trying to sell something? Are you looking for downloads, or is sales your
real objective? Is your website trying to promote a specific product or service?
Do you want your visitors to take a specific action? Is the intent to profit from
ad space in general or to have website visitor's click on specific ads? Are you
trying to build a brand? Do you want visitors to purchase a product, or provide
an email address?
When attempting to solicit a specific
action, there are some general guidelines that you should follow. Your website
should be designed to solicit the action you desire, so the navigation should
intuitively lead the visitor to take the desired action. If clicking a link is
the goal, then that link should be clearly indicated and prominent on the page.
This will not only help insure that the maximum number of visitors will be able
to adequately view and navigate your content, but it will also help prompt those
visitors to take the action you wish to have occur.
For
example: Many software companies struggle with the action they wish to solicit
from the website visitor. Software companies and eBook publishers are often guilty
of pushing users to download, at the expense of the actual sale. Some companies
prefer to have users download prior to making a purchase decision, while others
lose impulse purchasers by only pushing the download rather than the sale.
In
Order To Maximize The Websites Sales Purpose And Objectives, Follow These Simple
Steps...
Address Compatibility Issues
If
a website visitor is unable to view the website's content, they are obviously
going to be unable to complete the desired action. The compatibility issues could
be related to technology or usability. Avoid using technologies that require the
website visitor to download a plug-in before they can view the website content.
If providing content using flash is important to you, you should also provide
a flash-free version as well. Also, do not alienate website visitors who might
have a disability -- use proper web construct, provide alt tags for images, and
avoid using a color scheme that will cause confusion.
Define
A Clear Navigation Path
A website's navigation should provide
the visitor with a clear path. Information architecture is the organization and
categorization of online content -- the process of creating clarity and organizing
online information in a purposeful, and logical way. Prioritize and emphasize
the most important items on the website. Give visitors a clear path to what they
are seeking. Each and every page should intuitively provide them links to additional
information and purchase options.
Minimize Distractions
Minimize choices and other website distractions. Website
visitors should be provided a clear path of action. Do not provide the website
visitor an abundance of choices -- studies show that a large number of choices
often puts the consumer off. It is generally recommended that you provide no more
than 3 choices. Keep your message concise and on-topic. Website visitors will
often just scan a webpage rather than reading it, so bulleted lists and headlines
might be used to emphasize your message.
It may sound like
a cliche, but it's the little things that can make the biggest difference. Pay
attention to all aspects of your website. Defining the specific website objectives
and purpose will help to encourage the desired action or behavior from your website
visitors.
