If you've spent any time visiting
websites on the World Wide Web, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about.
Here is a short list of my website pet peeves:
- Having to search high and low on a
busy web page for what should be a very accessible and commonly
desired link or piece of information (hidden "Store Locators" on
the websites of national chains and franchises comes to mind).
- Having to watch a very cool, but
ultimately irrelevant and time-wasting animated Flash intro
that you cannot turn off or bypass.
- Really wanting to call the business, but cannot find
a phone number. This is the Internet version of looking in
vain for a salesperson at Wal-Mart during the holiday season.
- Having to use your mouse to hover the pointer over mysterious graphic links
in order to see the tiny little explanations that tell you what
the heck they are and where they lead (see
Rule 2 below).
- THE WORST: Wanting to buy something
on the website and not being able to figure out how.
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We can avoid these website
tripwires by following these 6 Simple Rules of Website Design
(they're not official. I made them up myself):
- We should constantly ask ourselves these
THREE GUIDING QUESTIONS:
a) Who are your visitors?
b) What do they want from your website?
c) How do they easily get that? (benefit, benefit,
benefit)
There may be multiple answers to these questions. For
example, there may be more than one type of visitor coming to your
website. They may want more than one thing. But we should be
constantly mindful of these questions, and use them to at least
prioritize your website features and functions.
- Just because we can do a thing,
doesn't mean we have to (cool Flash animations and
imbedded audio come to mind). Something is only
a good idea if it helps us address the questions posited in Rule 1.
- Make it as EASY and INTUITIVE as possible for visitors
to get what they want. If they guess at a thing, they should be
right at least 95% of the time. Don't make your visitors work -
mentally or physically - to get what they want from your website.
Connect the dots for them.
- A website is not just an online brochure. Think about it.
Websites are dynamic and interactive, so give your visitors
something to do. If you can, update your content from time to time
to keep it fresh. Give your visitors a reason to come back
and visit (benefit, benefit, benefit).
- Be careful not to make your website "all about you" -
except to the extent that talking about you answers the questions in Rule 1. What's in it
for the visitor? Benefit, benefit, benefit.
- What clients and customers think about your website is much more
important than what any other type of visitor thinks about it.
This includes other website designers, well-meaning friends, spouses,
family members and - least of all - your sister's friend who "knows
websites."
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Do these rules make sense to you?
If so, or if you have any
questions, CLICK HERE to contact me
right now. Working together, we'll get your website up and
running quickly and painlessly (by the
way, that was the interactive, benefit-oriented action item on this
page - see Rule 1).

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