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How to Avoid Creating a Bad Website
by Mackenzie Fogelson, M.A.
Printable Version
Currently, there are more than 100 million Websites on the Web. As you’ve probably experienced, it would be a stretch to classify the majority of them as good. Learn how to avoid the “Web Pages That Suck” list by understanding and implementing some general design and usability principles.
Think Navigation Before Design
A good Website is so much more than design. One of the most important characteristics of a good Website is being easy to understand and navigate so that visitors can find what they need, quickly and easily.
Creating a Website that is easy to use starts by planning the structure and organization before conceptualizing the design. Create a wish-list of items that you would like your Website to have (content, capabilities and materials) and then decide how best to organize the navigation. This will help you to maintain a more global perspective of the site not only for the purpose of development, but also to allow for growth once it is up and running.
Avoid a Navigational Mess
As the site grows, pages should be added as minor categories to already established major sections. If the new page does not fit into any of the existing major categories, or should be created as a major category in itself, be sure to revisit the global navigational structure rather than dumping the page where it doesn’t belong or won’t be found.
Leave Yourself Out of It
It’s difficult not to include yourself (opinions and all) in the company of your target audience. Because you are passionate about your business and the value that your company offers, it’s easy to get caught up in what you really want (and think is cool), and forget about what your target audience truly needs. Certainly, the best solution would be to find a balance between the two.
When defining your target audience, think about the goals that you have for your Website. Do the two match up? Will your audience appreciate all of the bells and whistles that you are planning on incorporating? Enhancing the experience that your visitors have when coming to your Website should be one of your most important goals. Avoid user frustration by utilizing technology that is audience appropriate. This will most likely save you some money as well.
Stay Off the List
The success of a Website depends not only on how good it looks but also how well it works. Spend some extra time on effective design and usability principles and hopefully you will never make “the list”.