Effective web site design
Every good web designer understands the necessity for good site navigation, a professional looking site and good content. Fewer understand the reasons behind those needs. To design a good business web site means designing a web site that is effective… it should do what it is supposed to do.
After years of working with e-commerce and business sites across the country we have discovered the five basic requirements of a good web site design. They are…
Alignment: Alignment is the process of insuring that all processes in your business (including your web site) are aligned with your business goals. Simply put, you must make sure that each section of your web site works toward meeting at least one of your business goals. This is the basis for every section of your site and everything drives from it. Without alignment, it’s impossible to have an effective web site. Even if it works great, it’s not going to be much help to your business.
Clear Purpose: Once you have alignment, each section of the web site must have a purpose that is clearly understood by the site visitor. Purpose is the foundation of each site section. Purpose defines the look and feel (graphic design) and the content of the section. Having a clear purpose helps you create this content and it helps the site visitor understand what your site is about. Make sure your web site clearly defines its purpose. Don’t let your customers try to figure it out for themselves. They will probably get it wrong.
Create Action: Every web designer will agree that navigation is one of the most important aspects of good web design. However, most designers view navigation as only the links and buttons that allow people to find information they are looking for. The true importance of navigation is insuring that the site visitor knows what is expected… what action is required. This is NOT the traditional “direct marketing” call to action. Rather, it is insuring that the “purpose” of the site section is clear and that the correct action (the action you want them to take) is clearly defined. In other words, if you want the customer to contact you, make it obvious and simple. The vast majority of site visitors appreciate knowing what is expected. They enjoy having a path to follow. Even those who consider themselves free thinkers and prefer finding their own way appreciate it when the information they are trying to locate is clearly defined. You cannot increase the effectiveness of your web site if the visitor does nothing.
Relationship Focused Content: A relationship is required for any transaction to occur. In the physical world this relationship is taken for granted. Someone walks into your business, talks to a sales person, experiences the environment and makes a purchase. In the virtual world there is no person to help create a relationship. In fact, the virtual world is the home of non-relationship where a user can wander anonymously around your site, purposefully avoiding the creation of any relationship. This makes it absolutely necessary to focus your content on creating and enhancing a relationship… a connection between the site and the user.
Relationships are based on two criteria… trust and emotional context. A person must trust your business and they must feel good about doing business with you (positive emotional context). While their perceived level of need for your products/services has an effect on the emotional context, your content must work to build on that need by providing positive emotional support for that need. Providing them with the benefits of your products/services is only one of many ways to build on that need.
Measurement: Without measurement you cannot methodically improve your site. Without measurement you cannot know whether any change to your site improved or hurt the effectiveness of your site. How do you know you’re getting better if you don’t keep score? Effective measurement tells you if your web site is helping you meet your business goals.
Regardless of your business, products, services or customers, using these five requirements as a base for your e-commerce or business site will make the difference between a web site that occupies space and one that helps you meet your business goals.
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