| Every website is trying to sell something, a | | | | Lots of further reading on this subject at >> |
| product, an idea, a service or information | | | | |
| even if they don't charge for it. | | | | |
| | | | Clear navagation It's essential that your |
| In a previous article we looked at the best | | | | users can navigate easily and logically |
| way to boost your profits whilst building | | | | around your website. Users expect certain |
| your credibility with your customers. As I | | | | navigation, the 'Home' button for example, or |
| read back over that article I realised that | | | | to be able to click on your company logo or |
| it led neatly onto website design. | | | | banner to get back to the 'Home' page. |
| | | | Basically don't confuse your users by trying |
| 'Think about it, when you are surfing the web | | | | to be clever with your navigation, it will |
| how many sites will you visit in an hour? | | | | only cost you customers and credibility, |
| More importantly how many will you remember? | | | | stick to what people expect and what fits in |
| | | | with your business. |
| Pretty few I guess. | | | | |
| | | | Scrolling When someone comes to your website, |
| Well it's exactly the same when your | | | | they should not have to scroll to see your |
| potential customers come to your site, they | | | | 'Primary offer' your primary offer being the |
| look around and leave, a lot of the time | | | | product or service you want to promote or an |
| never to return. Did you know that the | | | | action you want them to take, sign up for |
| average web user will only stay at a website | | | | your newsletter for example. If that is your |
| for 10 seconds unless it grabs their | | | | goal then your sign up box should appear at |
| attention or compels them to action?' | | | | the top of the page, it makes sense really, |
| | | | if it's hidden down at the bottom and can |
| All of which means you should look at ways to | | | | only be found by scrolling then you won't get |
| make your site more sticky, by that I mean | | | | as many people signing up. |
| ways to draw your users into your website | | | | |
| make them feel comfortable and ultimately | | | | Obviously there are some exceptions to this |
| convince them to take action, like... | | | | rule, if you have a catalogue site with |
| | | | multiple products you will only be able to |
| Join your mailing list | | | | display a 'best seller' or 'special offer' on |
| | | | the home page, if you try and put all your |
| Make a purchase | | | | products up there, then you could have a lot |
| | | | of scrolling to do. |
| Contact you for more information (leaving | | | | |
| their contact details) | | | | A long sales copy page is another exception. |
| | | | If you design a long copy page, simply |
| Remember that a website is never finished | | | | include links to buy your product throughout |
| there is always room for improvement, the key | | | | the page so customers can skip straight to |
| is to Build Test Improve, then test, test, | | | | the action if they want to. |
| test and test some more. | | | | |
| | | | Address your sites accessibility for disabled |
| Look and feel How a website looks will depend | | | | users This is a big subject, and needs more |
| upon its purpose, by look I mean how it is | | | | than 1 small paragraph in a newsletter to |
| laid out. Do you want to encourage someone to | | | | cover it in any detail, it is just very |
| dig deeper into your site and stay or do you | | | | important to take into consideration when |
| just want to persuade them to take action. | | | | designing or re-designing a website. |
| | | | |
| Even though website aims may differ there are | | | | For more information on this subject visit >> |
| some basic principles of site design that are | | | | |
| universal, we will be covering these in more | | | | |
| details in this newsletter. | | | | Information to include on your homepage Your |
| | | | potential customer want to quickly establish |
| Your website should display well at all | | | | what your site offers, how they can pay for |
| screen resolutions, from 800 x 600 upwards. | | | | it, how it will be delivered and what support |
| The Use of Liquid designs work best, this is | | | | or help is available they don't want to have |
| where the web page will stretch or rearrange | | | | to dig deeper into a site to find this |
| to fit the users browser. | | | | information. |
| | | | |
| Use CSS and validate mark up language to | | | | This simply means including some simple |
| build your website. | | | | elements on the homepage. |
| | | | |
| Provide clear navigation | | | | The credit / debit cards you accept |
| | | | |
| Scrolling, vertical is OK but horizontal | | | | Your courier |
| really should be avoided | | | | |
| | | | Live support if available |
| Address your sites accessibility, for | | | | |
| disabled users. | | | | Contact us link |
| | | | |
| Include information on your payment provider, | | | | Privacy policy link |
| payment types you accept, your courier, any | | | | |
| trustworthy organizations you belong to on | | | | Any organizations you belong to like, Hacker |
| your home page, (basically re-assure your | | | | safe, Verisign etc |
| customers) | | | | |
| | | | It is worth testing different home pages over |
| Provide a link to your privacy policy | | | | time and measuring the response and |
| | | | conversion rates of each then, refining like |
| Include your contact details | | | | this will lead to the best number of visitors |
| | | | / customer conversion. Testing could involve |
| Resolution Although current thinking say that | | | | simple changes, moving your offers, moving |
| sites should be designed for 1024x768 with an | | | | your shipping info from the bottom of the |
| estimated 60% of monitors being set at that | | | | page to the top, making a bigger point of |
| resolution, we still need to consider the | | | | your 'Free shipping' policy. Like I have said |
| other resolutions from 800x600 to 1280x1024 , | | | | before test and improve then test again. |
| 17% of users still view at 800 x 600, and | | | | |
| depending on the number of visitors you have | | | | A great resource to help you with this kind |
| to your website that could be a lot of | | | | of testing is Crazy egg, check out the FREE |
| people. | | | | version here >> |
| | | | |
| The best way to achieve this is to use what | | | | Privacy policy In order to build credibility |
| is called 'Liquid design' designing a website | | | | and ease any potential fears people may have |
| this way allows users at different resolution | | | | about giving you their personal information, |
| to have the best visual experience when on | | | | you should include a link to your privacy |
| your site. | | | | policy, ideally from each page on your |
| | | | website. By doing this you are letting people |
| There are three main things to consider when | | | | know that you care about this issue and that |
| designing; | | | | you will protect their information. |
| | | | |
| Visibility: Is your main content / offer / | | | | Your privacy policy should lay out exactly |
| product / call to action visible without | | | | what information you collect and how you use |
| scrolling. (We cover this in greater detail | | | | it. Your privacy policy should contain |
| below in Scrolling) | | | | contact details of an appointed member of |
| | | | staff dealing with customer data, and provide |
| Readability : Does your layout allow the | | | | them with a way of viewing their data and a |
| content to be read easily | | | | way for them to request that it be removed or |
| | | | amended. You can find details of specific |
| Aesthetics: How does your page look at | | | | legislation from your local government |
| different resolutions, do all the columns, | | | | website, trading standards and data |
| content boxes, images etc line up and flow as | | | | protection agency relevant to your own |
| originally intended? | | | | country. |
| | | | |
| CSS and mark up Thankfully designers have | | | | Contact details Quite simple, just have a |
| mostly moved away from using table and font | | | | nice clear link to your contact details, |
| tags and are now embracing CSS (cascading | | | | which should include a phone number and a |
| style sheets). This is a way of controlling | | | | proper address, this will help in building |
| the look and feel of your website that helps | | | | the credibility that is crucial. |
| make it faster, smarter more accessible and | | | | |
| easier to maintain and update. | | | | OK let's wrap this up, in this article we |
| | | | have looked at some factors that will help |
| CSS seems to me to embrace the way the web | | | | improve your website and your customer's |
| should be moving, uncluttered, clean and | | | | experience of using your website. The |
| functional. CSS allows you to design | | | | potential to attract more people to use your |
| beautiful, usable websites, whilst keeping | | | | site and then convert them to customers |
| page size's very small, making them load | | | | exists, whether or not this happens is |
| faster. | | | | ultimately down to your effort and |
| | | | creativity, but once you start to see the |
| Search engines love clean valid code. Could | | | | results I know that this will give you the |
| this be a factor in the ranking algorithms? | | | | determination to carry on increasing your |
| It's been hinted that it could be and it | | | | sales, so good luck and let us know how you |
| certainly seems logical. | | | | get on. |
| | | | |