business site aesthetics
by Scott Greiff, 18 August 1998There are many unique aspects to the World Wide Web that make designing a Web site different than designing for other media. Below are some points that we recommend you follow when designing for the World Wide Web.
you don't have to copy your direct competitors
Business people often ask, "what are our direct competitors doing?" If the competitors are not Web savvy, they may be doing a bad job with their sites. Instead, emulate what the most successful sites are doing, regardless of product category or company size.
a Web site should be non-linear
People should be able to enter and leave the site at many points, and shouldn't be forced to take a pre-determined path through information they aren't interested in to get to the information they really want.
navigation should be straightforward and intuitive
Visitors should have clear indication of where they are in the site, and how to navigate through the site. Site design should be consistent throughout. Visitors should not have to learn a new
interface each time they go to a new page in the site. Because the Web is so new, many of the conventions for navigation are in flux. You should however try to adhere to such conventions as do exist (i.e. link colors.)
successful sites create a sense of community
Serving the needs of a group or community is one of the best ways to achieve success. Identify your target audience, and provide them with content of perceived value, so that your site becomes a preferred destination for them. Further, "netizens" have their own culture and "netiquette," which you must respect. Viewers will avoid sites that are a non-stop ad campaign, but will embrace commerce-oriented sites that offer content of value.
content is king
Successful sites provide viewers with great content, created especially for the Web. This means that you must not simply attempt to re-purpose existing content into Web content. Instead, you must adapt and recreate content in a form that is appropriate for the Web.
good Web copy is concise
In general, Web copy should be shorter than print copy.
make other Web sites extensions of your own site
Viewers do not access Web sites as a set of separate publications one at a time, like traditional books and newspapers. They move back and forth between many sites as part of a single web-surfing experience. Take advantage of this unique Web property to extend and enhance your site, by including links and content from complimentary sites.
download speed is important
Viewers have little patience for Web pages that take forever to load. Initial pages should forgo too many fancy graphics in favor of faster download times. Once a viewer has decided to stay, he/she may tolerate long download times to get specific content, i.e. games, video or audio.
design your site for "Graceful Degradation."
The world of viewers that access the site will be using a variety of platforms, browsers, and connection speeds. Site design must ensure that all viewers get the same message, even when they cannot view some elements of the design because of technical limitations. "Graceful Degradation: means that you provide alternate representations for viewers with less capable browsers so that they still receive a useful page, without requiring them to click on a different link or take any special actions. Don't expect viewers to download a new browser or reset their monitor resolution just to view your site.
a site must be fresh, and flexible
To maintain viewer interest in the site you must continually update and freshen it. Sites should be flexible enough to have frequent changes and updates. In a site with multiple authors, tools should be included that will allow individual authors to create and change their own content.
the Web is global
Currently, most Web sites are U.S. oriented. Your site design should be sensitive to viewers from around the world, and have appeal for all markets, even if you do not translate from English.
web sites are accessible 24x7
Your Web site is a valuable sales and public relations tool 24 hours a day. You need to provide good customer service around the clock. Create automated tools for the site that can provide answers while you sleep, or take advantage of company locations in other time zones to give round-the-clock customer service.
e-mail is nearly free
Once you are connected, sending e-mail, site update notification, order status updates, coupons, surveys, order reminders and more is virtually free. Automatic reply generation should be part of your site. As long as you adhere to the rules of Web Etiquette, and do not Spam, you can use e-mail to generate a significant amount of traffic and business, at little or no cost.
viewers want instant gratification
You should provide requested information to viewers immediately, in response to viewers' actions. This means that when a viewer fills out an online form for a coupon or other item, it should be delivered to him/her instantly, on-line. Of course, samples of product cannot be sent through the wires, but some token should be sent immediately after the request.
begin selling now
Setting up an effective order taking system is less difficult than it seems. You should start to conduct business on the web, even in this first version of your site. The world is moving to "E-Tail" more quickly than one might have imagined. A variety of socio-economic factors drive this, including the phenomenon of "Cocooning," where suburban Tele-commuters conduct business, interact with peers, and purchase goods and services, all without leaving home.
You should learn as much as possible about doing transactions on the Web before it is a critical business component. You will be rewarded by having the knowledge and experience needed to capitalize on the web's inevitable growth!
I hope that these rules have helped to generate ideas, and give
direction to the readers. If you find them useful, please let me know! Write to rules@sgwebdesign.com.
Scott Greiff is Technical Director of SG Web Design, a web design firm in East Windsor, NJ, USA.