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Web marketing - Get Results!

 

DESIGNING FOR TARGET AND INTENT

What makes a good web site? Is it is design and flashy graphics? Is it the way their information is organized? Is it it's level of interactivity? Is it it's marketing budget that puts it in front of its target audience? These are some of the questions that you probably asked yourself. The answer is not simple. There are several key components that are tantamount to a successful finished product. They can be categorized into three components - technical , business process and visual. Each with their own set of standards. The overlying standard is this - Communicate it simply and quickly.

Here is the user perspective that should dictate your design solution - You basically have about 10 seconds or less to get your message across. This means that your homepage must load quickly, your visitor must intuitively know what to do and how to get there from your design cues, and that your content to direct and to the point. Content is key and design is the icing on the cake.

Is there a way to evaluate my web site. for its effectiveness? Yes it is called a usability study. Once the design is set and the programming is complete, it is appropriate to have your site tested for it ease of use and quality assurance. How does one go about this? Well for larger organization's sites this is what generally occurs: a research company who specializes in conducting these test would ask the client to choose a formulation for testing based on what they are interested in - content, architecture, interactivity or all of the above. So how do I employ some of these techniques? Simple - select a few colleagues that have different ISP's, connectivity levels - dial-up, DSL and cable, browsers and PC or Mac. Have them visit your web site. or beta site and then answer the following - did your homepage download quickly? Was my content easily understandable and in a pleasing fashion? Were you able to navigate to all my pages and find your way back? Did all my forms work? How did you like my design? Once you have received all their feedback you can decide to follow through the provided suggestions or be happy that your site met all your users requirements.

Do's and Don'ts of web design - Design for your purpose. Here are some simple don'ts:

• Have a splash page or splash page with music
• Have one long scrolling page instead of shorter intelligently labeled pages
• Require users to register for access to information if no ongoing benefit is provided
• Use flashing or scrolling text
• Bury your content
• Have under construction page

 

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