| One of the most critical steps in creating a new web site is the design
phase. Many people skip this phaseentirely, and it's easy to tell
when you look at their site. The signs are everywhere and easy to see:
sitedifficult to navigate, purpose of site difficult to discern, too many
graphics and not enough text, bad colors,and other obvious errors.
Designing a web site is easy. Sit down at a table with a stack of paper
in front of you and think. Just think for a while. What is the purpose
of your site? What do you want a visitor to do? Buy something? Send you
emails? Join an association? Whatever your purpose, that's what your site
should be designed around.
If you want your visitor to purchase something, then you must make it
easy and convenient. Everything must flow to the purchase, and nothing
must stand in the way. If you want them to join your association, then
flow your site to that.
Now, get your stack of paper and a pencil and storyboard your site.
Draw it out, just like you were designing a house. Design each page, paying
particular attention to navigation, color schemes and, again, tying it
all in with your primary purpose.
When you have your entire site drawn out on paper, sit back and look
at it for a while. Go for a long walk.
Go to sleep. Do something else for a while. Then come back and look
at it again, paying particular attention, yet again, to ensuring it is
tied to your purpose and that the navigation works.
Some rules to follow:
1.ALWAYS link back to your home page. Remember other web sites
may link anywhere, and you want to give your visitor a way back to the
rest of the site no matter where he lands. This is critical.
2.Put a button on every single page which allows your visitors
to send you an email. A form is better than going to the email program
because you have more control of the format and what questions you can
ask. (Remember though, you MUST answer your emails if you allow visitors
to send them).
3.Make sure your color scheme works. You don't want to hurt your
visitor's eyes.
4.Pay attention to load times. Don't include big graphics, or
if you must then thumbnail them to be kind to your less patient visitors.
5.Stay legal - don't steal images, text or bandwidth.
6.Stick to the point. You want your visitor to do something -
don't wander around or you may lose him.
7.Design for search engines. Include meta-tags, ALT tags on images
and you MUST be sure to include a descriptive title. |
