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Aug
2002 Article - Making Your
Web Site Useable
Want to create a Web site that will
attract visitors, keep them there -- and keep them
coming back for more? Then give attention to the
usability of your site.
Many Web designers construct
difficult-to-navigate sites overloaded with beautiful
graphics and technological gizmos. Such sites often end
up confusing users and making them wait too long for
pages to load. Anyone who designs a Web site should
follow a few basic rules to keep enticing visitors in
instead of driving them away.
Keep It Simple
The most important rule in designing a
Web site is to keep it simple. Whether users are
researching a product, shopping or just surfing,
information is what they're seeking. Slow download
times, confusing page layouts and poor navigation
features all serve as obstacles in their quest for
information and, with hundreds of thousands of other Web
sites beckoning, users will quickly leave your site for
greener pastures.
You can follow several basic rules to
decrease the download time of your site and make it
clear and appealing to users. The first step is to avoid
unnecessary graphics. Too many graphics make a site look
cluttered. In addition, the graphics often pull a user's
attention away from the more valuable aspects of your
site (e.g., the product you're selling, special sales,
links and other such information).
However, avoiding unnecessary visuals
does not mean abandoning them altogether. The
conservative, creative use of graphics will help
decrease the time it takes your site's pages to load and
make it easier for users to find what they are looking
for.
A second step: Avoid the use of fancy,
often unnecessary technology. It's extremely tempting to
load up on such technology in an effort to construct a
cutting-edge site. However, doing so may render your
site inaccessible for a significant portion of Web users
because their browsers cannot support such features. If
you avoid the gratuitous use of the "latest" gizmo or
plug-in, you avoid putting demands on the user's
browser.
When considering a Web site's usability
it's important to remember that the majority of users
aren't concerned with graphics or the latest technology.
What they care about the most is the quality of the
content on your site, the range of services you provide
and how good your customer service is.
Always Let Your Users Know Where They
Are
A surprising number of e-commerce and
corporate Web sites are as difficult to navigate as the
streets of Washington, D.C. Users who cannot easily
navigate your site will often abandon it without finding
the desired information or product. Consumers who cannot
find what they are looking for on your site become
frustrated and agitated just as they would in a large
department store. However, in a department store they
have store clerks to ask for help or store maps to
reference. On your Web site, they must go it alone --
unless you take measures to help them.
An important measure to take is to
include a link to a "site map." A site map is a page
that maps out your entire Web site, with a brief
description of what each page contains -- a virtual
equivalent of a "you are here" map.
When dealing with site navigation
issues, remember to always leave the user in control.
Specifically, do not disable the "Back" button on your
users' browsers. The Back button is the second-most used
navigation feature (second only to hypertext links). If
users are unsure of where a link will take them, they
aren't afraid to click through because they can always
use the Back button to reload the previous page.
Web site designers sometimes render the
Back button worthless by redirecting users when they
attempt to use it (subsequently returning them to the
undesired page). This serves no purpose other than to
alienate the user. Another ploy is to spawn a new window
when a user clicks on a link, therefore hiding the
original page. Many designers mistakenly believe this
will keep users on their site. However, many users do
not realize that a new window has opened, so they never
return to the original site anyway.
Pack Your Site With Information
This may seem like a contradiction to
the "keep it simple" rule. However, you must not
sacrifice essential information in a misguided attempt
to keep your site uncluttered. A perfect example is your
opening page, which should adequately describe your site
and convey an accurate sense of what lies within your
site. Jamming your opening with information is fine as
long as you don't overdo it. Altering font size,
ensuring that there is enough white space and writing in
a clear and concise manner should all help you to avoid
packing in too much information that can bog down the
site.
Another important rule to remember when
evaluating a Web site's usability can be borrowed from
the newspaper world; it's the old "below the fold/above
the fold" maxim that newspapers follow. In a newspaper,
the most important information appears "above the fold"
of the paper and the same should hold true for your Web
site. The most important information and navigation
tools should appear at the top of the pages within your
site.
It is also critically
important that you keep the information on your site up
to date. Links that no longer work -- a condition known
as "linkrot" -- or information that is no longer current
or accurate should be updated. If updating the
information is not an option, it should be removed or
replaced. An added benefit of updating your Web site
frequently is that it entices users to return on a
regular basis.
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This article may be reprinted at no
charge, provided it is printed in its entirety
(including this message) with the URL/link to
www.tophosts.com.
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