It's easier to notice what doesn't work in a Website than it is to
articulate practices worth doing. Many firms first websites are designed
as a brochure and use the computer screen as a glowing piece of paper. It
is a mistake to put equal or greater weight on information about the firm
behind the Website, than the services they provide.
When I go in the front door of a department store, I notice the store's
name, but I've never had the mission statement or policy manual handed to
me as I arrive. What I encounter is the store's quality merchandise,
selection and service. Sometimes, they blow it and I don't return for a
while; at other times, the store gets it right and captures a larger
portion of my discretionary income as a result. They never bore me with
their goals, aspirations, internal politics or visions. It simply provides
me with merchandise and service.
Just as my interest in the store is limited to what the store can do
for me, most users' interest in a Website is based on how well it meets
their needs, not the needs of the firm responsible for the Website.
The services that are provided are the most important item on your
site, the other information exists to provide the visitor with the
assurance that they are dealing with a professional firm that will provide
them with the level of service that they require.
Usability
Usability means ease of use. There are three areas to consider in
evaluating the usability of a Website's design:
Clarity of Purpose/Meaning
There is a saying that sums up the impact of usability: The clarity of
purpose, or meaning of your communication is reflected in the results that
you get.
A great Website is one that has been fine tuned at several levels
through repeated testing and adjusting to ensure that the combination of
text, graphics and links creates the intended message. As one Website user
put it, "The more well-organized a page is, the more faith I will
have in the info."
Shoddy construction and bad graphics are easy to generate; precision
and clarity are difficult. The hardest design concept to master is
"less is more." It is the responsibility of the Website provider
to prioritize the information presented.
Website users routinely skip over material that they deem to be fluff.
This includes introductory/welcome messages. They almost always
immediately scan for a Link to the information they are seeking.
Speed
Speed is function of four variables:
- The size of the files in the Website (bigger equals slower),
- The capabilities of the server (computer) the Website files reside
on,
- Traffic volume on the Internet at the time the Website is visited
and
- The capabilities of the Website visitor's computer.
While it is not possible to control the visitor's equipment or Internet
traffic, it is possible to manage the other variables.
Website file-size problems are generally due to the use of graphics.
The ability to integrate striking pictures into the dreary text of
employment advertising leads to large graphics files. Complex corporate
logos, multiple icons and fancy backgrounds all have the effect of slowing
a Website's performance. Many users' experiences with Websites are an
ordeal of waiting.
Before you launch your Website, review sizes of your graphics files. A
good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that file sizes of 10K or less per
Website page will cut down on the waiting time. That's 10K total for all
graphics on each page. Using larger graphics files generally results in a
terrible first impression for Website visitors.
The server is the computer on which your Website resides. Your service
provider should be able to give you routine evaluations of the performance
of a Website. Make sure that these evaluations of server performance are
presented to you in language that you understand.
Information Design
Information design is the art and science of ensuring that your message
is communicated to the user. Information design includes laying out the
information that the user wants in a way that makes it very easy to get.
One way to accomplish this is to minimize the number of mouse clicks that
users must execute to get the information they need or want.
Remember, even though the Web allows for seemingly endless amounts of
information, the usability design rule for a Website is less is more.
Marketing
The integration of marketing strategy into the initial design is a
critical and often overlooked component of great Website design.
As in real estate, part of what makes a Website great is location,
location, location. By carefully designing a network of reviews, links and
pointers that provide solid value to a Website's user, it is possible to
create a great location on the Net.
A user's impression of a Website is molded, to some degree, by the
information found on the path to it.
Content, Content, Content
At a Website, graphics interest, but content rules.
In the on-line world, value is equated with relevant information. In
other words, the content of the information at a Website is one of its
most important elements.
A user-centered Website that is effective provides valuable information
to its target audience. To keep the Website effective means developing a
routine method for refreshing its information. It also means that, to
cultivate the audience you want, you need to provide it with the
information that it needs.
The jury is still out on standard design principles for Websites. As is
the case with many aspects of the technology, Website design guidance is
evolving along with the rest of the on-line industry. One thing is sure,
great design in a Website has the user at its priority.
