Web Design & SEO Articles

I love getting involved in any article or mere snippet of information that lays out in black and white exactly how companies should be designing their websites.

I was fortunate to come across an insider report at WebProNews written by Jason Miller: Web Design when the End User is a Person.

For so many years I have tried to convince many customers that to just copy their printed brochure online is simply not enough. Even worse are the companies that concentrate their efforts in all the wrong places: using cheesy Flash Movies, unnecessary registration and bold layouts that have the average visitor reaching for the paracetamol before the page has even finished downloading.

And its not just advertisers or online newspapers by any means: This internet is a new concept (only 13 years old) and how long has the business world been printing on paper?

Jason states out the cold hard facts of what the people really think:

“In a nutshell, old world thinking plus intrusive content equals fewer, angrier eyeballs. That's because neither has the end-user in mind.”

What We Know About People:

1. People are judgmental and make judgments quickly.


2. Annoyance and inconvenience are people's chief enemies.


3. People have things to read, places to go; they're busy.


4. People don't like having to relearn navigation.


5. People don't really care what you're selling, but will listen if you approach them correctly.


6. For the majority, easier is better than harder.


7. People like things to work and keep working.


8. People have trouble paying attention.


9. 70% will abandon a site for any annoyance


10. Only 25% will say what the annoyance is

The Cold Hard Facts:

1. 83% dislike registration log-on pages blocking free content


2. 83% dislike slow-loading pages


3. You have four seconds to get that page loaded


4. You have 50 milliseconds to make a positive impression


5. 89% don't like installing extra software


6. 80% are annoyed by ineffective site-search tools


7. Whitespace is your friend


8. Sans-serif fonts are essential; it takes 25% longer to read from a screen than from paper


9. Nobody likes to be pestered, invaded, or obstructed


10. 93% are annoyed by popup ads


11. 86% hate dead links


12. 84% are annoyed by confusing site navigation

A lot of this we should already know. For example, how often do you tolerate a website that takes ages to load; uses migraine-inducing colours; adverts that pop-up unexpectedly and get in the way; impossible navigation that is full of dead links? Probably never I would guess. So why should your customers have to tolerate the same thing on your website?

So here are a few guidelines to a good website:

• Make an impression: Remember, you have about 50 milliseconds to make an impression. So its got to look pretty impressive to capture the attention of the visitor and make them want to read on. So concentrate on catchy and informative titles, good use of colours and general accessibility.


• Keep it simple: Despite everything I said above, it should also download pretty quickly. Furthermore the navigation should be easy to use, images optimized to keep the filesize low and there should be no need for the visitor to have to download extra software.


• Test any functions: Site search, forms e-carts, you name it. These should all work before your site even becomes live. The general rule of thumb is test, test and test again.


• Don’t intrude: Pop-up ads are intrusive, information that you have to register for is intrusive and windows that pop up when you try and leave a site are also intrusive. If you run a business website, there is a distinct possibility your visitor will buy from you. Seize that chance, don’t flog them Adverts or sponsors on the side. Most browsers have options that block pop-up windows, so if anything, most people won’t get to see it.


• Use Whitespace: Compared to print where more on the page makes an impact, when reading on the screen a bit of whitespace can go a long way. Line spacing makes text easier to read and space around images relaxes the eye and gives an overall lighter feel. Mark Boulton hits the nail on the head, in his article Whitespace.


• Easy to read font: Whatever font you choose for your site, make it clear and easy to read. Sans-serif fonts such as Arial, and Verdana are easy to read on screen whereas Serif fonts such as Times New Roman, and Georgia are more appropriate for print.


• Condense your Text: With print you can afford to waffle on a bit, on screen it is best to condense text down to just the important bits. The average visitor doesn’t read whats on screen - they scan. So get to the point quickly, emphasise the main point first and then elaborate, and use short paragraphs and bulleted or numbered lists.

Jason goes on to summarise all of the above in a rewrite of a simple acronym:

"To amend an earlier acronym, when designing a website or page for the people, remember the elements of the READ:"

Reliability
Ease of navigation
Aesthetics
Discovery speed

Labels: end user statistics, user-friendly, web design