One of the perks of the Internet is the convenience and easy access to information it offers people without them having to leave the comfort of their own homes. There is something attractive in knowing that there is access to information at literally one's fingertips anytime and anywhere. Even groceries, banks, shopping malls and services/product suppliers have all made their way on to the information super highway via web sites and through web promotion.
What ever plans or use you may have for your website, one thing is certain, if you're planning for people to view it, it should be made as efficient, easy to navigate and attractive as possible to generate maximum site traffic.
Here are some things you may want to watch out for in designing your website:
Website Structure & Navigation
Only the most basic websites with only a couple of pages can do without proper structure and navigation. But even if your website is simple it is best to start with the right sort of structure to be able to accommodate site expansion should there be a need for it in the future
There are 3 basic structures in web design: linear, hierarchical and matrix-based. (Kerr, 2001, p.20)
The linear structure is characterized by pages that follow a strict sequence much like that of a book. This structure gives you the most control on how users use your site. The downside is it is not very interactive. Though limiting in nature, this structure is ideal for text heavy content or in laying down processes or complex explanations.
In a hierarchical structure, you would have parallel menus or directories which in turn contain sub-menus and sub-directories. This structure allows more information to be readily available from the homepage. Movement between sub-menus and sub-directories is not so necessary in this structure except in the top level pages. A good example of use of this structure is a news website like CNN.com. When you click on the entertainment link you are taken to the entertainment stories page from where you can choose specific stories or jump to other main menu choices such as U.S. or world news.
Web sites for business, sales and commerce apply the menus and sub-menus system in organizing their wares. Having clearly designated categories make it easy for the consumer to see the products that you have as well as access the products that they are interested in without having to spend time going through your entire inventory. Good examples of this would be the web sites of Best Buy, Ebay and Barnes and Noble
In a matrix-based structure, all content in the website is treated with equal importance with no strict hierarchy of content. A rule of thumb for this structure is to be able to access any part of the site from any part. In this structure, a well organized directory system is important since you give users maximum interactivity as they decide which part of the site to go to at any time.
Mixing them all up
It is important to note at this point that in the real world of web site design, most sites use a combination of these structures. There is no right or wrong structure but what is important is understanding how these structures work which in turn will help when you begin designing your navigation options (menus). The menus make up the user interface which in turn is core of the appearance and functionality of a site. (Brush, 2001)
Labeling Links
Make link labels more descriptive or use floating tags which show more information when you hover the mouse pointer over the links. Links labeled such as 'FAQ', 'News' or simply 'click here' does not help the end user. It is better to label them or have specific tags such as 'Company News,' or 'Frequently asked questions.'
Selecting a theme
Have you ever tried decorating your home from scratch? Chances are when you got to the paint store you had quite a challenge deciding which colors to get. But hard as it is, you simply have to select a motif or theme, lest you run the risk of having a house with a hodgepodge of colors. The same goes with your website. You have to have a theme of some sort to tie in together all of your web pages. A theme may be found in your use of color, having a similar layout in all of the pages, the use of a particular picture or design all throughout, or a combination of these. A theme gives your website identity. Not having a theme will surely confuse your site visitors and your site will come off as cluttered.
As a conclusion to this article, it has to be noted that there are many overall factors involved in a good web design. These factors are more than the above mentioned points. These factors will be discussed further in the next article titled "Effective Web Design Strategies".
About the Author
Eugene Yeng is a professional Malaysia Web designer. He likes to write about Web design.
