Carroll County Times Articles
Getting the Most Out of Your Website
by Jeannine Morber– July 17 2007
It takes less than a few weeks of surfing the World Wide Web to end up with a list of websites that are helpful, interesting and easy to navigate. It also takes just as little time to experience a long list of websites that are unappealing, confusing and difficult to get around. Most people don't think too much about what it is about a website that makes it appealing or easy to use. Until that is, they need to design their own website.
Just what makes a website good or bad? The answer to that question somewhat depends on the purpose of the website and the needs of the intended users of the site. In general though, a 'good' website has two key features: One, an abundance of relevant information and two, the information is organized so that it can be accessed easily and quickly. It sounds simply but in reality it is not as easy to accomplish as it sounds. The key is that both features must be present to get the desired result.
Basically, the main page of your website should contain an overview of the purpose of your website and links to the pages that fulfill that purpose. It is usually a good idea to have those links available on all other pages since users tend to avoid returning to sites where they must remember how to get from one page to the next.
For instance, if the purpose of your site is to sell specific products, users should be able to link to pages to search, view and purchase the products from all pages on the site as well as the main page. If your website is not intended to sell a product but to provide information, then the same concept applies; the main page states the purpose, the links provide that information and a user can get from one page to the next without any difficulty.
Often knowing what not to include in your website is just as important as knowing what to include. For instance, unless you have a video or movie business, avoid animated splash screens or graphics. These slow down the loading of your web page which often causes users to hit the back button without ever seeing your website. Avoid very long pages that require users to scroll down excessively to read the content. It is better to reorganize the information and create separate web pages for it. It's also a good idea to avoid blinking text, scrolling text or high contrast colors which are extremely distracting and many even consider highly annoying.
A good rule to follow is that if a snazzy design or technique interferes with the purpose of the website rather than adds to it, then don't use it.
Although there is a ton of information available about web design techniques for the do-it-yourselfer, probably the best advice for someone who desires a high-quality user-friendly website is to hire a professional Web Designer. A professional can ensure that your website will attract your target audience and keep them coming back again and again. For information about Web Designers in the Carroll County area, visit our website .
About the Author
Jeannine Morber is the Director of the Carroll Technology Council. Questions are welcome and may be addressed in future articles. Email mail@carrolltechcouncil.org or go to www.carrolltechcouncil.org to learn more.
