Jun 15 2007
Effective Web Design
Your electronic store window. How does it look?
According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project Tracking February-April 2006 survey, 73% of American adults use the Internet. At the time of the survey this represents approximately 147 million people. 91% of those Internet users used a search engine to find information online. Are you ready to develop business and leads online?
There are four important components to an effective website:
Esthetics: How does your website look? A finished website must have a professional appearance. The branding elements and color scheme should be well coordinated and visually appealing. All individual visual design elements must fit into the overall design and be presented within a visual hierarchy. Clear visual cues and accents identify key content and help the user navigate the site.
Content: What is this website about? The message must be clear and concise. All text should be fine tuned for the web as its own form of media. Brochures and other printed media must be converted into a format that engages users to action on the web.
Usability: Is this website easy to use? All websites should follow the established set of standardized best practices for building websites which enhance accessibility and intuitiveness. For example, does a web link look like a web link? Sounds like an obvious statement, but far too often this web standard is neglected and replaced with over-styled elements. A usable site is one that provides consistency in experience without making the user wonder “how do I do that?”
Marketing: Will they find us? People must find and use your site for it to be effective. The most elegant website that goes unused is worthless to its owner. Marketing a website has a technical and traditional facet. A website must be developed in a specific way in order for search engines to easily index its content and determine what categories and keywords apply to it. This is extremely important because the majority of Internet users use a search engine to find what they are looking for. Traditional marketing is equally important. Advertising your business or website should not be limited to the Internet only. ourmonmouth.com believes that any marketing campaign should use multiple media channels to effectively deliver your business message.
Regards,
Howard
