Introduction
Usually we don't build web sites just for the fun of it. Usually
someone requests and pays a lot of money to have a site built for a
specific purpose. The reason companies and organizations are willing to
pay the price for a web site is because it returns a value greater
than the investment. However, the value is only as great as the
effectiveness of the site.
Site Objective. Web sites are built to sell products and services, to offer education
and training, to share information, and to provide entertainment.
Rarely is a web site's primary purpose to show off technology and
fancy tricks. What ever it's purpose, a web site exists for the
sake of getting something done. Technology, gimicy tricks and
cool graphics are all appropriate, but only when they are used for
enhancing the primary purpose of the site.
To optimize its effectiveness a web site must be quick, easy and
obvious on how to achieve the user's purpose for being there. For
example, it is probably not a good idea to cause long delays and
force the user to jump through complicated hoops when you're trying
to convince them to spend money at your site. Human behavior
indicates that the longer it takes, the more likely the buyer is to
have second thoughts or change their mind before completing the
purchase. Likewise, someone trying to complete training or obtain
information may decide they're not really that interested when faced
with a lengthy and cumbersome process. Such issues make components
such as download times, navigation, processing errors, and graphical
composition important to deal with.
WEB DESIGN: What to incorporate into the site
Graphics. "Eye candy" can be good - really good - when it
enhanses an emotional value. People make decisions based on
emotional pulls more than they do based on features. Emotional
selling is what made life-style commercials so effective in the '80s.
The graphic quality of a site will communicate the professional
level of the organization presenting the site - a professional
layout gives users a feeling of trust and confidence that the
material is legitimate and reliable. The converse is also true.
It's not worth the few dollars saved with a "cheesy" looking,
unprofessional site if you lose customers and users in the process.
Graphics can give a sense of something that is hi-tech or
hometown, sleek or fun, fast paced, adventurous or serene. It sets
the stage for the user's experience. Since people make decisions
based on emotion, what emotion are they buying from you? And,
provide the appeal of that feeling in your graphical layout.
Graphics can also influence how hard or easy it is find what
you're looking for or to interpret what you're reading. Architects
use a concept called, "wayfinding", that describes how natural and
instinctive it is for a user to understand how to access and
interact with the built environment without regard to signage.
Signs and text are helpful in telling people what to do, but
wayfinding should be obvious even without it. Information
Architects design the wayfinding in a web site through the graphical
layout. It tells a user what to do and what they can expect from
the site.
Download time. Graphics are an important component of web
design, but need to be balanced carefully with download time. Since
graphic files are data heavy, they can take longer to download. How
long it takes to download will depend on the connection being used,
the user's hardware, browsing software and ISP (Internet Service
Provider). This is what makes it important to know your audience.
Download times are getting faster every day with new technology in
all arenas. IT professionals may have at their disposal top-of-the-
line equipment, the latest software, and expensive connections,
while some users may be using a hammy-down computer with an old
browser and a 28.8 modem over their home phone line. These
compatibility issues have a big impact on the user's experience on
your site.
Navigation. Graphical emphasis on wayfinding within a
site can be a great asset, but the navigation within a site is also
a reflection of the site's organization and describes how a user
accesses the information from page to page either guided sequentially
or to zero in on the desired information. Clear, easy-to-understand
links need to be designed to enhance the most meaningful method of
access for the user. The best navigation design is so intuitive that
the user is hardly aware of it.
- Including a site overview or a site map helps orient users when
they first arrive at the site. It should be plain for the user to
see what to do and where to go to get what they want. Here is where
the simplest solutions can be the best solutions.
- Consistency in the site's layout and how the links appear helps
the user navigate more quickly and easily, and tells them what to
expect.
- Click Depth: How many clicks is required from the user before
they get what they want? The easier and quicker it is for a user to
get what they want, the less likely it is that they'll change their
minds about wanting it. A good guide to strive for is to provide
access to what the user wants within 3 clicks.
- Test the site. Make sure all links work properly. A broken web
site is as effective as a stalled car … it gets you no where. It is
also important to beta test a site with a third-party user not
already familiar with the site. Sometimes what's clear in our minds
is not as clearly communicated as we thought, and test users can
give us feed-back on their initial impressions.
