Websites that work
When designing your website, your goal should be to get your
visitors to stick around, - and even to visit again, - not to
drive them away. The following points are well worth keeping in
mind, and maybe even referring back to, as you build.
Home Page Your home page is usually the 1st impression that
visitors have of your website, and all that is associated with
it, - you, your business, and your reputation. Remember - "1st
impressions last." Your home page needs to include your logo and
clearly indicate what the site is about. It should provide top
level navigation to your most important pages, and your
navigation should be situated where people would expect it to
be.
Your home page is the place where the visitor decides what he
will do, click on some of your links, and look around, - or just
leave. If you have product discounts, other specials or free
offers, be sure to provide links to them on your home page.
Appearance
A Professional Appearance is a must. Your website should be
perceived as legitimate, it should look as though it has been
built by someone who cares about the business and the site
content. The colors and graphics should blend well with one
another, and be consistent throughout.
Improper grammar or spelling mistakes make you look very
amateurish, take the time to proof read your work, and correct
these mistakes. Also any images on the page should enhance the
experience for your visitors, without distracting or annoying
them. Don't have too many. Make sure they are fast loading, or
if you can't do that make them optional.
Flash effects or dazzling visuals have their place, but be
careful not to have too much going on. Visitors on slower
connection speeds will probably not wait around for a heap of
fancy images and graphics to download Navigation
Make it easy to locate - whatever it is. That is the aim of
website navigation. Easy to use navigation means the pages on
your website will be well connected with a clear navigation
menu. If your site is attractive to your visitors they will want
to look around. Make it easy for them to do so by ensuring that
the navigation of your site is clear and remains constant
throughout the entire website.
Gadgets & Gizmos These include automatic music, voice
recordings, animated pictures, "flashing" or "blinking" banner
ads, Pop-Ups. These all take time to load which could lose you
visitors, especially those on slower connections. As for the
rest, they may not want to hear your voice right now, or agree
with your taste in music or whatever it is that you are forcing
on them. Have these things as optional. People are far more
likely to participate if you give them a choice. They are far
more likely to leave if you don't. Errors
Related to looking professional, you need to make sure your site
actually works for your visitors. Make sure your links work.
Check them often and keep them up to date. Nothing will turn
away visitors more quickly than a host of "404 page not found"
error messages. Another negative is the "site under
construction" messages. Your directive to please come back soon
is likely to be ignored. Try to have your site up and running
before your visitors turn up. You can always amend the smaller
details latter.
When it comes to good design, think about what you are trying to
provide for your visitors. Then make sure they can find it
easily. They need to think you are serious and know what you are
doing. If you show them otherwise, they will probably go
somewhere else.
On the other hand, a well presented site with quality content
will be appreciated. Visitors will come back & may even
recommend your site to others. If time is not on your side, or
other factors make it difficult for you to build your own
website it may well be worth trying design service such as Site
Build It!
If you would like more information about this subject, or about
the programs mentioned in this article visit our work from home
resource site at http://www.australiahomebusiness.com