The best way to build an effective website is to understand the psychology of web surfers.
Here are some things you should know about web surfers:
They are busy
They are impatient
They have short attention spans
They are turned off by a lot of text
Clutter on a webpage overwhelms them and is a turn off
They will more often than not leave a website without clicking past the homepage
What can you do to make your website more inviting to the average web surfer?
General Tips
Build an attractive website. Plain, cluttered and homemade sites are turn offs
Provide useful content. A visitor should be able to learn within seconds the products or services you offer. If they don't they may go elsewhere.
A majority of web surfers have a monitor resolution of 1024x768. Your website should be designed to fit this resolution
If possible, your homepage should not scroll. Everything on your homepage should fit in the average web surfer's viewing area, approximately 550 pixels in height for a resolution of 1024x768
Don't use frames
Homepage/Entry Page:
Don't use Flash intro pages
Always put text on your homepage, so visitors to your site will immediately know what products or services you offer
Don't clutter your homepage with lots of text, images and links
Text:
Be concise
Write short paragraphs
Make it easy to quickly scan your pages for relevant information
Write in an informational, rather than promotional, style
Use bold text and bulleted links
Have lots of white space (empty space)
Your most important and relevant information should be viewable without having to scroll
Navigation:
Links should be easy to find (no drop down menus)
Navigation menus should be basic and easy to use (avoid complex multi-level menus as much as possible)
Links:
Provide a brief description under links to your own articles
Provide a brief description under links to external sites
External sites should open in a new window, to avoid sending people away from your site
Joan Ahmed is a freelance web designer with four years of professional corporate web design experience. She builds affordable, professional websites for budget conscious individuals and businesses. Visit http://www.easyonyourpocket.com and http://www.eoypweb.info for more information.
