Web Design Philosophy

Why does this website look so simple?

Could you figure out what my website was about in less than 2 seconds? I bet you could. Were you able to figure out exactly what this website contained after just quick glance? Probably. I am also guessing that your were able to determine what services I offered and where I was located just as quickly. In my mind, these are key features of successful website.

Keep it simple: easy to read, easy to navigate and easy to understand.

So what types of websites do you design?

The way a website looks depends entirely what its purpose is and the desires of the website owner. For this website, I wanted very a simple/clear site that focused on content. Every website is unique just like its owner. I work with my clients to build websites that match their exact needs and desires. I can also offer years of experience to help guide you towards a website that people will find enticing and easy to navigate. In addition to simple sites, I also design many quite complex and graphically-rich websites.

If you don't have a website, you don't exist

Suppose someone wants to find out how to contact you, or see if you exist. How do they do that? They could check the yellow pages, but do they know exactly what city you are in? If they are looking at 11pm at night, can they call you? Are they going to bother calling you? What if they call (at a more reasonable hour) but you aren't open - are they are going to try calling you again? What do you think the chance of that is?

A website is a 24 hour information service for you, your company and/or organization. It provides immediately available information on who you are, what you do and what you can offer. Plus as a bonus it can provide contact information so someone can track you down if they want to. It's easy to use, accessible from anywhere and it doesn't cost the visitor anything.

Your Web Address is Important

The address of your website is very important. You want something that people can easily remember and write down. Your address should be simple enough that you can say to someone over the phone and they won't have any problem writing it down. It should also be unique and fit within the name/purpose of your organization. It is through your web address (or addresses) that you establish your online identity so some careful thought is needed here.

The Two Second Test

Make sure people can figure out what your website is about in less than 2 seconds. If not, why can't they? First impressions are extremely important. Based on their first impression, people will generally decide if they want to bother reading the rest of your site. Having a well designed and professional looking website, goes a long way towards making people want to find out more about you.

Simplicity is Golden

Keep your site simple. Make it easy to navigate. Cut down the information to just what people need. Sites with a lot of clutter tend to just annoy people. If you have a lot to say, structure your website so that people can easily find it if they want it rather than trying to put all of it front and centre. On the other hand, make good use of space - excessive white space an also annoy people because they have to scroll too much.

For an example of simplicity, have a look at one of the world's most successful websites: www.google.com.

Content, Content, Content

Make sure your website contains important things like your organizations name, your location (including state/province AND country!), what the website is for, how people can contact you, and why they should (or shouldn't) contact you. If you offer something, describe it. You'll be surprised how many people visit your website.

Careful use of Graphics, Glitz, Etc.

Careful use of graphics can go a long way. The use of a nice header and border graphics can make a site look very inviting. The same goes for photos and illustrations. The trick is to use the graphics to support the content you have written.

Consistent Look/Feel

Make sure your website has a consistent look and feel. The fonts and menus should look the same from page to page. The writing style should also be consistent. The result is a website that looks much more professional and trustworthy.

Don't put Ads on your Website

Most people I know don't like advertising. They find it intrusive and annoying. So unless you are an internet portal that uses advertising as a major revenue stream, do not put ads on your website. Ads look tacky and detract from the focus of your website.

Accessibility

Did you know that many older folks have problems reading small text? Or did you know that trying to click on a small link with a mouse is hard if someone is tired? What if someone is easily distracted by animated graphics or has a slow computer? What about disabled people, or someone that is bind and has to use a text reader? You need to design your site so that people easily use it.

Web Standards

Websites need to be designed to conform to accepted web programming standards. Why? There are several reasons. The main one is that visitors often use different browsers to view your website. By confirming to standards, you can be sure that all of the visitors will be able to browse your site. The second reason is to future-proof your website. As the World Wide Web develops, new technologies will take these standards into account and adapt so that websites that comply to standards will still be viewable. Lastly, a lot of the software which disabled people use to browse the web is designed to work with these standards. By complying with standards, a website can be viewed by any browser, future-proofed and accessible to people with disabilities.

Keep it up to Date

If you have a website, keep it up to date! Don't have old/outdated information on your website. An archive section on your site is fine, but don't feature outdated information on the front page. Furthermore, don't put stuff on your website if you know you won't update it. Whenever you post something on a website you should make the commitment to keep the information updated on a regular basis. Outdated information will just misinform visitors of your site, and usually leads to disappointed and/or lost customers.

Think About Maintenance

How you maintain a website is something that people often forget to take into account. Once you have website, you need a plan on how often you are going to update it, and what you are going to updating. Take this into account when designing a site. It's not helpful to design a wonderful site, but then realize it is going to take 40 hours/week of staff time that you don't have to maintain it. You need to strike balance between keeping the website up to date and the organizational requirements to do so.

More Guidelines and Tips?

Interested in some more tips for designing your website? Please contact me for a personal consultation.