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Web Design
Some
Organizational & Design Guidelines
 nce
you know what sort of content you want and who
your intended audience is, you'll need to figure
out how the site should be organized. You could let your web-designer
do this but I wouldn't suggest it. You know your audience much better
than a designer does. What makes sense to the designer may not make sense
to your intended visitors. A designer's input on navigation methods would
be helpful but shouldn't be the basis for the site's structure.
A good way to start is to use index cards or small pieces of paper. This
way, you'll be able to begin to organize your site in sections and figure
out what sort of information should go in each section.
Once you have that figured out, you can begin to write and describe the
site's over all look. Here's a few guidelines to help you get started.
- Take a look at other sites that you believe work well and that accomplish
similar goals to your site's.
- Put important information towards the top of your pages, including
the purpose of the site and, if possible, ways to navigate through the
site.
- If your site is extensive and has several layers of information,
be sure to add a site map. A site map should outline a website's organizational
structure with convenient links.
- Add a search engine to the site if it's extensive. If it's not immediately
apparent to a visitor where to get the information they need, they will
leave in frustration. I look for a search box immediately on large sites.
- Write briefly and to the point. ‘Nuf said.
- If creating a corporate site that will serve as a marketing tool,
that's great. However, few will visit a site to read a bunch of sales
literature. Try to make your site a useful resource that visitors can
use to make their lives easier. A site can build up significant traffic
and some will make it a habit to visit your site. When the time comes
to purchase a product or service like yours, who are they going to think
of? The company that they already benefit from.
- Don't overload your website with big graphics and scripts just for
the sake of having them. They clutter a page, hide information and take
a long time to download. Everyone is busy and it's important not to
waste people's time. If you waste their time once, you can be sure most
people won't be back for a second time.
- Keep each page short and to the point. If a page is getting too big,
break it out into a few pages.
- Keep your navigation style simple and consistent. Don't use icons
unless they're clear and easily understandable. Icons are very popular
for navigation but, if they're not quickly understandable, they aren't
working. Text can work very well for navigation.
- Avoid using blinking text and ALL CAPS whenever possible. They are
annoying and are hard to read. Use bold and italics on
an as-needed basis.
- Provide your e-mail address and other contact information in a consistent
and easy to find place. Too many companies hide this vital information.
The whole site is trying to sell a product but they then hide the contact
information. What the hey? You can't buy from someone you can't find.
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