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| 9/24/2002 | | | How can a website be designed so that it stands out among the competition? | |
Strategy: This is the first step. Ask yourself the following questions: Is there a single, clear, definable purpose and strategy for this website? What's memorable about it? Does your product have a specific message or position? Is it one that your customers care about?
Design: Don’t underestimate how important it is to keep your website streamlined. Overcome the temptation to include every possible graphic, animation, and audio file possible onto your site. Your customers are coming to your website for information, and thereby to feel empowered about their choices, not to be entertained by the latest accessories available in website design. Dazzling the visitors with visual and audio effects treads a very thin line with being distracting at best and annoying at worst. It is crucial, therefore, to make sure that the colors, the typefaces, the graphics, and the overall visuals ADD to (and NOT detract) from your message. Good and effective website design keeps your visitors’ attention on the message, instead of overloading them with stimuli.
Content: You need to present your message in your own voice. If what you are communicating through your website touches real human concerns and needs, you will touch a chord in the public. This is infinitely more important than how you "dress up" your product (see above). Begin by reminding your customers what their need is, and then show them the solution you offer. Avoid patronizing language. Unless visitors to your website believe that their concerns are authentically being met, or if they feel preached to or – worst of all -- victimized by a hard sell – you will lose them to your ready, willing, and able competitor.
Navigation: It is absolutely essential that your website be easy to get around. Everything necessary to navigate your website should be easily accessible. If a visitor to your site needs to stop and use up his or her time in order to figure out how to get around the site, you will be tempting them to click on to the competition. Have the locations appropriate, and the commands and directions consistent.
Organization: Common sense should guide the website’s organization. Imagine being a first-time guest in someone else’s home, with the host allowing you to explore and settle in on your own. Would you be able to easily find what you need? At MZInc., this is what we mean by making the organization of the website logical and intuitive. If visitors to your website need to be redirected (worst of all, several times) in order to find what they’re looking for, you will probably lose them.
Interactivity: Websites are NOT online brochures! Brochures serve as an important marketing and promotional tool, but simply transferring one online is a waste of time and money. Offering a website allows your customers to interact with and get personally involved with your product, service, or idea. Time spent interacting with a website gets visitors involved with the product. It’s been shown in research that involvement leads to purchases; and, in turn, familiarity with and loyalty to your product. Can visitors to your website ask you questions? How can they contact you? Many websites offer an interactive aspect, and a site that is merely an online brochure will be disappointing.
Programming: Be ready to accommodate every visitor. Don’t forget that different visitors will be using different browsers on different computers systems. For example, a website that is optimized on Netscape will be disappointing to AOL/Internet Explorer customers. Are you reaching them all? How does your site look on your home IBM? How about your neighbor's laptop iMac? Have you optimized the use of metatags, to generate hits with the major search engines?
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