According to Boehm’s First Law, errors are most frequent during requirements and design activities and get more expensive the later they are removed. In order to avoid paying the very high price, it should be noted that there are many steps to be taken before a website design could be considered effective. It is important for companies to design and maintain an effective website because a mere website wouldn’t succeed in acquiring an extensive customer base and establishing a strong bond between companies and their customers. These are the reasons why as one takes all the important pointers towards an effective website, it is necessary to consider the convenience of different kinds of viewers.
Web Navigation: Keep it Simple, Friendly, and Organized
The amount of time and attention a customer spends on a website largely depends on the effectiveness of the navigation menu. The homepage is the main landing point where an effective navigation is critical to take the visitor to the areas of his interest, and back. It follows that the navigation guide must be visible and structured to allow visitors to surf easily from one page to another and get back easily without getting lost in the process of discovering your web’s contents.
The web is not consistently linear. Some users might be more systematic in their browsing approach. However, there are also users who are more unpredictable and they should also be considered. To cope with non-linearity, remember:
a. Every page on the website must contain the company name, logo and contact details, to inform the user where he landed and how to reach the company, and the link back to the homepage;
b. Make the website title and company description specific instead of just using the default text;
c. Consider including a site map/search features which would further help the viewers in the navigation, and;
d. A page tracker or history map will be helpful for viewers to identify how far he has gone into your website and to allow him to return easily where he came from, aside from clicking the back button.
e. Check all your links to prevent error messages.
Web Design: Should Always Visually Communicate
An appealing website is necessary to make a good and lasting impression on site visitors. There are competing websites everywhere so it becomes more urgent to hold the viewer’s attention. However, there must be a balance between aesthetics and functionality. The overall design must not detract attention from the actual content and must consider the following factors during the design process:
a. Effective color scheme – The text and background colors must complement each other. As branding standard, the company colors should be prominently used in your web. Heavily patterned backgrounds should be avoided as that would sacrifice the readability of the text.
b. Consistency in design – All of the pages must look like they are part of the same website. Consistency in design helps promote brand and corporate identity, making it easier for viewers to remember your website and return at their ease.
c. Carefully selected and positioned images – Good quality images should be consistent with the web theme and deliver a powerful message. The inclusion of appealing images is a strategy that should not be overused because of the risk also known as graphics overload which would: (a) overwhelm the important text content of the website, and (b) slow down the page loading time considerably.
d. Use of one, common, and readable fonts– Use one font type for all pages – you wouldn’t want your website to be a catalog of various font types. Also, to further lessen the chances of distorting the appearance of a website use the common and readable fonts such as Arial or Calibri. Doing this would also help the customer read and understand the text content better.
e. Use of alternative text (alt tags) for images - Some users switch off graphic-loading and prefer text-based browsers.
f. Caution with columns and frames – Use them only when necessary. Not only will they potentially damage the physical appearance and interfere with the loading time of the page, websites that contain frames are also more difficult to be indexed by search engines.
g. Audio and video presentations with informative descriptions – Considering they take longer to load, the users should be informed about their content in order for them to decide whether they want to load them or not.
Layout: Follow the F-Scan
Behaviorally, web visitors scan your homepage following the direction of the letter “F”. Viewers scan from the top leftmost and down, then top leftmost towards the right, and from the leftmost center of your page to the right. Having this in mind, it is important to always have the critical elements along the path of the F-scan. Your logo ideally should be at the top leftmost, with the navigation bar below or beside it, and call-to-action buttons (or buttons that lead to featured pages of your site) at the center of the F-scan.
Web Content: Keep it Clear and Optimize with Keywords
Avoid the toilet roll effect. It is recommendable to assume that site visitors quickly scan the text contents and visit the different areas of a website in a short amount of time. An overwhelming amount of text would not encourage them to stay on a particular page and most likely urge them to leave the site. It is best to employ a writing style that is concise and informative. If possible, use subheadings and bullet points to break down the text contents to make them more readable. Emphasize the keywords through use of bold text, and the links by using a different color and informative link text.
A journalistic style writing style, compared to the academic, is more effective for websites. The words should be direct, intense and structured. In this way, the information is quickly accessed and understood by the viewer. The ‘inverted pyramid’ technique seen in newspapers is an ideal example. The headline and the first paragraph answer the essential questions (who, what, where, when, why, etc.) while the next paragraphs expand on the answers.
Remember that your content is vital to search engine results. Use strategic keywords in your web copy that will help your site land on the search engines. Put yourself in the shoes of the searcher who needs your products or services, and use these keywords in developing your web content.
Loading Time: Make it Quick
Graphics, flash presentations, and scripts that are not minimized will significantly affect a website’s overall file size. Hence, the HTML and the script codes must be optimized. Eliminate unwanted tags and unused scripts because they cause browser delays. Utilize Server Side Include (SSI) files, defined as
files that are once called from the web server and reside in their cache, which make them load more swiftly. Putting style tags into a style sheet would make also help the page load faster.
It is also important to be wary of Java applets as some browsers like Netscape freeze for several seconds, which might lead to the user assuming that his computer has crashed, or just make him weary of waiting.
Remember, your website is not the only result from the search engines that can provide them quick and reliable information the moment they needed them.
Stay Compatibile with Different Resolutions, Platforms, and Browsers
A website’s code and design must be scalable. The success of a website heavily relies on its flexibility. A good website should meet minimum accessibility standards.
Fortunately, one of the benefits of technology is that it makes it possible for one to test a site’s usability in different screen sizes, platforms, and browser.
Usability tests are always helpful. Design, test, and fix are three repetitive processes that a web designer should keep in mind. In addition to this, it is important to bring to mind Weinberg’s Law, which states that a developer/designer is not suited to test his own code. The task of testing should be left to viewers who could be objective and not loaded with all the knowledge the developer/designer has.
Be in the Top Search Engine Results
Search engine optimization does not necessarily come after the website design process is finalized. It could be done before or at the same time as the design process itself. An effective website’s meta-tags should contain page descriptions, keywords, and other helpful information that would direct browsers to it. It is imperative to finalize meta-tags with related information during the designing process in order for them to be integrated directly into the design.
Keep Attuned to the Web’s Marketing Components
As the online visual representation of a company, the website design should speak of corporate identity, professionalism and marketability.
Your logo, color scheme, and the manner your layout, content, and navigation tools are organized creates your overall identity online. All these website elements should convince the viewer that the company is credible and capable of providing high quality products and services.
In essence, web design is one of the integral factors that contribute to the success of online presence. As first impressions last, your visual appeal to web visitors becomes a critical point in achieving that superlative level of effective websites.
References:
Web Design Fundamentals
Developing a Website
The Process of Creating a Website
Developing Effective Website Content
Developing an Effective Website Strategy for Success
Developing and Managing Website Success
Effective Web Design
Smashing Magazine - 10 Principles of Effective Web Design
Useful Tips for Effective Web Design
