As the world virtually shrinks into the window on your computer screen,
the web site is the best and a must-have tool for any business. Not
only can it reach a global audience, it will boost your local exposure
exponentially—at a minimal cost.
However, your business web site isn’t, and shouldn’t
be, just an electronic version of your product/service brochure. It
could also be another potential revenue-generating source.
Just like a printed brochure, your web site doesn’t get read
by your visitors from top to bottom. At least not initially—and
not until you get them interested in what you have to offer.
First Impression
As the saying goes,
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
And nowhere is this truer than on the Web. Your prospects form an
instant impression of you and your company the moment your home page
displays onto their computer screens.”
In a mouse click, your prospects determine who you are, how they
feel about you, and decide if they want to do business with you. Is
your web site creating the impression you want? Your business web site
acts as a silent salesman for your business. Knowing this,
wouldn’t you want to “dress” it to WOW your
customers?
Web Design vs Web Creation
Being able to draw doesn’t make one an artist. Just as having
written an essay doesn’t make one a novelist. At least not
without years of practice and training. Similarly, and with the
widespread availability of professional software, you as a small
business owner may choose to design-it-yourself (DIY). You may think
you could create your own artwork, “design” a promotion
flyer, build a web site.
However, to design something to visually communicate effectively
and compellingly, you have to consider its clarity, font usage,
readability.
Other things to consider are:
* Your business communications
* Branding and marketing mix
These are business communication problems to be addressed. You also
need to consider its consistency, identity, colour, professionalism,
integration, innovation and emotional impression.
Usability
Have you ever gone for a drive with a map someone else made and it
is poorly drawn or just wrong? We all hate the frustration of getting
lost. A difficult or inefficient navigation would break your web site
as quickly and easily as it was created (by yourself). We evaluate the
consistency, innovation, linkage, usability and presentation of the
design.
We also evaluate the resolution requirements, complexity,
consistency, usability to test the effectiveness of the web site
layout.
How We Really Use the Web
In his book, Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, web usability guru, Steve Krug, writes:
“When we’re creating sites, we act as though people are
going to pore over each page, reading our finely crafted text, figuring
out how we’ve organized things, and weighing their options before
deciding which link to click.
What they actually do most of the time (if we’re lucky) is
glance at each new page, scan some of the text, and click on the first
link that catches their interest or vaguely resembles the thing
they’re looking for. There are usually large parts of the page
that they don’t even look at.”
How we really use the web site
Krug adds that if one wants to design effective Web pages, there are three facts about real-world Web use to consider:
1) We don’t read pages. We scan them.
Why? Because:
* We’re usually in a hurry.
* We know we don’t need to read everything.
* We’re good at it.
2) We don’t make optimal choices. We satisfice.
Why? Because:
* We’re usually in a hurry.
* There’s not much of a penalty for guessing wrong.
* Weighing options may not improve our chances.
* Guessing is more fun.
3) We don’t figure out how things work. We muddle through.
Why? Because:
* It’s not important to us.
* If we find something that works, we stick to it.
About The Author
Pagethinker is all about web design tips for online marketing.
Helping online marketers create effective websites using simple design
principles; increase the user experience of your visitors to your
website; attract customers and links; sell something! http://www.pagethinker.com
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Distributed by Hasan Shrek, independence blogger. Also run online business , matrix, internet marketing solution , online store script .
Beside he is writing some others blogs for notebook computer , computer training , computer software and personal computer
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