5 Keys to an Effective Website

By now, most businesses realize the importance and value in having a website. Even if you they may not have a site, they at least see it as another marketing opportunity.

Just like traditional print material, your website serves as a vehicle to promote your goods and services and should result in increased sales and exposure. The key word there is should. Simply building a site does not guarantee anything. So, when embarking on the development process for your web project, there are 5 of the key issues to keep in mind.

These key points will not only help you and your business, but will offer your designer/developer the crucial information they need to make your project a success.

1. Establish an overall goal or set of goals for your site. What is it exactly you’re trying to achieve online? From product sales to information distribution, each goal may require distinct technologies, site planning, and even additional costs. Setting quantifiable goals for your project also allows you to gauge its success by measuring the results. From increased sales numbers to reduced support inquires, the only way to tell if it really worked is to follow up on the goal and see how it performed.

2. Content is still king. Good design and nifty technology can only go so far. Web users have millions of options online, so it’s imperative that you engage them with clear and concise messages and text. And don’t think that you can just use that same old brochure text or ad copy that you used last year. Having a professional copywriter review your content and adjust it for use on a web page can sometimes be the difference between users spending 10 seconds or 10 minutes on your site.

3. Take advantage of the medium. The web is ever changing and users are always looking for new information, so make sure your content is updated frequently to show users that you take your site seriously. Even if it’s as minor as a news article once a month to inform users about an upcoming special, new product, or document, it will keep your users coming back for more.

4. Don’t worry about ‘the cool technology’. Flash is cool... when used properly, and the same can be said for the plethora of other technologies and plug-ins available online. Keep focused on your goals and your content and only use additional plug-in required content if it really adds something substantial to the site. And no, a super cool flashing text and loud music intro is not substantial. However, using a quick loading animation to illustrate how your product works may be.

5. Remember your users. Keep in mind that the site is not just for you. It’s the millions of online users who will make or break your site, so while you may love the colors, layout and content, it needs to be tested with real users to really gauge how it will be accepted.

There are a lot of other considerations to keep in mind, but by ensuring you’ve considered the above 5, you should be good shape. And if your web developer or designer doesn't pose any questions or provide any suggestions on what you should or should not be doing, you might want to take a pause and ask some questions yourself.

This article was provided by Michael Wynn of Active Image Studios.

Active Image Studios provides interactive design and web development services for a wide range of local and international industries and business sectors.

Article reproduced with permission.