The Virtues Of Sound Website Design

29/03/2007 10:38:00

The use of the website in the modern business world is as multifaceted as any other commercial tool around. While many people feel that the website is simply an expansion of the storefront to the Internet, it can act at various points as a calling card, a branding tool, and a means of communicating with customers. Websites, especially those that are impeccably designed and maintained, have replaced the business card and the newspaper advertisement as ways of building trust with consumers. Innovative websites are great for creating a strong brand name and identity, with familiar colours, music, and services providing a pleasing shopping experience. Finally, for corporations that often don’t get an opportunity to speak directly to consumers, blogs and chat forums are great ways to stay in touch with the public.

All of these elements of the website require that the website be designed, built, and maintained with the consumer in mind. Website designers need to assume the lowest levels of understanding of the Web, as many people around the world are new to Internet technology. Therefore, websites need to blend strong design, ease of use, and sound structure to be effective for a business.

One way of drawing in people to a website and creating a site that will survive long term competition is to use multimedia elements. Companies that have familiar music in their stores or have developed music for their website need to utilise simple media players and make sure that the music works across gender, age, and income groups. As well, promotional videos, slide shows, and pop ups need to be considered only if they are the best tools for their purpose. Indeed, having too many of these elements on one site can be overwhelming.

Another draw for Internet users is a site with specific channels and interactive menus. Some sites provide an unwieldy amount of information on a few pages. In these cases, they need to categorise the content, create channels or separate pages for specific content, and create an organisational tool for shoppers that can go to any number of other sites for a similar product. As well, interactive menus and advanced search options on a site allow a person to utilise the website more effectively.

The most important part of a website is the contact feature. Websites that are soundly constructed need to have a mechanism for contact with the web designers and company representatives. While many companies are going with online chat and instant message options for their sites, a simple forum or “Contact Us” page can do wonders.

www.optimalinternet.co.uk

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