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Webdancers

Hi <<First Name>>,

We’re digging back into the archives today for a piece written in 2016, that has lost none of its importance. For sites that have been online for awhile, it’s worth reviewing these items regularly (see item 6).

While it’s true that all websites have specific goals and audiences, there are common features that set effective websites apart. By effective, I mean those where visitors can easily do the things that they came to do and come away feeling good about the experience.

1. A clear and attractive home page

By clear, I mean that it answers these 4 questions:

  • What is this?
  • What can I do here?
  • Why should I be here instead of somewhere else?
  • What do I do next?

By attractive, I mean that the style should appeal to the intended audience. At least it shouldn’t cause people to run screaming from the room.

2. An About page

The About page is often the second most visited page on a site. People go there to find out who you are and why you do what you do. For the most part, they don’t go there to read your resume or learn your inner motivation for starting your business. Tell them a story that lets them know that they can trust you and that you understand their needs.

3. Contact information

First, consider how you want people to contact you. If you want them to fill out a contact form, make that very clear and provide lots of links to the form. Remember though, that it’s not entirely up to you. Most people want to be able to send an email or call a phone number, so make sure that this information is available on a clearly marked Contact page or maybe even on every page. The Contact page should also include a physical or mailing address. This promotes confidence in your business. Any business with a physical storefront should include a map showing their location on the Contact page.

4. Great photos and images

Professional images convey to visitors that you provide a quality product or service. If stock photography is needed, stay away from posed models showing too many teeth. There are interesting and beautiful images available from sites such as Unsplash.com and Pexels.com. And photos taken by government agencies are always in the public domain (meaning free).

5. Clear and simple navigation

People scan web pages and that includes menu items. Make sure that they have enough options to get to the information they need but be ruthless in pruning menus down to their essentials. Provide multiple routes to the same information. Some people will go straight to the navigation menu at the top of the page, while others might read further and use a “continue” button further down. Reassure the user that they’ve arrived on the right page by including the wording from the menu or link in the page heading. If your site has a particularly deep structure, consider using “breadcrumbs” that show the levels above the current page. There’s nothing worse than feeling lost.

6. Regular review

Take some time to look through your site and try to see it through your visitor’s eyes. Better yet, ask a customer to perform a specific task and report back on how easy or difficult it was. Making small, frequent changes in response to user input will pay big dividends in the long run.

Until next week.

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