Comparative study between well structured and bad structured:
India:
A website, or Web site, is not the same thing as a Web page. Though the two terms are often used interchangeably, they should not be. A Web site is a collection of Web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet address known as a Uniform Resource Locator. For example, Amazon.com is a Web site, but there are millions of Web pages that make up the site.
India:
A web page is a document, typically written in plain text interspersed with formatting instructions of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML, XHTML). The pages of a website can usually be accessed from a simple Uniform Resource Locator (URL) called the homepage. The URLs of the pages organize them into a hierarchy, although hyperHYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlink" HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlink"linking between them conveys the reader's perceived site structure and guides the reader's navigation of the site.
History
The World Wide Web (WWW) was created in 1990 by CERN physicist Tim Berners-Lee. On 30 April 1993, CERN announced that the World Wide Web would be free to use for anyone. Before the introduction of HTML and HTTP, other protocols such as File Transfer Protocol and the gopher protocol were used to retrieve individual files from a server. These protocols offer a simple directory structure which the user navigates and chooses files to download. Documents were most often presented as plain text files without formatting, or were encoded in word processor formats.
features
Some essential features of websites are given below. These are generally applicable to both our basic and advanced websites.
· Construction
· Accessibility
· Navigation
· Contact
· Graphics
· Additional Features
· Security
GOOD Features
One of the elements of good photo design is a lack of the elements that make bad web design. If you stay away from everything listed in the below about dorky web pages, you've probably got a pretty nice web site. In addition, keep these concepts in mind:
Text
Background does not interrupt the text
Text is big enough to read, but not too big
The hierarchy of information is perfectly clear
Columns of text are narrower than in a book to make reading easier on the screen
Navigation
Navigation buttons and bars are easy to understand and use
Navigation is consistent throughout web site
Navigation buttons and bars provide the visitor with a clue as to where they are, what page of the site they are currently on
Frames, if used, are not obtrusive
A large site has an index or site map
Links
Link colors coordinate with page colors
Links are underlined so they are instantly clear to the visitor
Graphics
Buttons are not big and dorky
Every graphic has an alt label
Every graphic link has a matching text link
Graphics and backgrounds use browser-safe colors
Animated graphics turn off by themselves
General Design
Pages download quickly
First page and home page fit into 800 x 600 pixel space
All of the other pages have the immediate visual impact within 800 x 600 pixels
Good use of graphic elements (photos, subheads, pull quotes) to break up large areas of text
Every web page in the site looks like it belongs to the same site; there are repetitive elements that carry throughout the pages
BAD Features
Below are features that can make a web design look dorky.
Backgrounds
Default gray color
Color combinations of text and background that make the text hard to read
Busy, distracting backgrounds that make the text hard to read
Text
· Text that is too small to read
· Text crowding against the left edge
· Text that stretches all the way across the page
· Centered type over flush left body copy
· Paragraphs of type in all caps
· Paragraphs of type in bold
· Paragraphs of type in italic
· Paragraphs of type in all caps, bold, and italic all at once
· Underlined text that is not a link
Links
· Default blue links
· Blue link borders around graphics
· Links that are not clear about where they will take you
· Links in body copy that distract readers and lead them off to remote, useless pages
· Text links that are not underlined so you don't know they are links
..(If you're not going to underline your links, please make darned sure
..that each link is perfectly clearly a link! Don't make me wander around
..with my mouse checking to see if randomly colored text is a link!)
· Dead links (links that don't work anymore)
Graphics
· Large graphic files that take forever to load
· Meaningless or useless graphics
· Thumbnail images that are nearly as large as the full-sized images they link to
· Graphics with no alt labels
· Missing graphics, especially missing graphics with no alt labels
· Graphics that don't fit on the screen (assuming a screen of 800 x 600 pixels)
Tables
· Borders turned on in tables
· Tables used as design elements, especially with extra large (dorky) borders
Blinking and animations
· Anything that blinks, especially text
· Multiple things that blink
· Rainbow rules (lines)
· Rainbow rules that blink or animate
· "Under construction" signs, especially of little men working
· Animated "under construction" signs
· Animated pictures for email
· Animations that never stop
· Multiple animations that never stop
Junk
· Counters on pages -- who cares
· Junky advertising
· Having to scroll sideways (800 x 600 pixels)
· Too many little pictures of meaningless awards on the first page
· Frame scroll bars in the middle of a page
· Multiple frame scroll bars in the middle of a page
Navigation
· Unclear navigation; over complex navigation
· Complicated frames, too many frames, unnecessary scroll bars in frames
· Orphan pages (no links back to where they came from, no identification)
· Useless page titles that don't explain what the page is about
General Design
· Entry page or home page that does not fit within standard browser window (800 x 600 pixels)
· Frames that make you scroll sideways
· No focal point on the page
· Too many focal points on the page
· Navigation buttons as the only visual interest, especially when they're large (and dorky)
· Cluttered, not enough alignment of elements
· Lack of contrast (in color, text, to create hierarchy of information, etc.)
· Pages that look okay in one browser but not in another
Structure
Now we're going to look at the overall structure of a website. This is different from the individual pages within the site (i.e. content). A website's structure is the framework in which the information or content is presented.
structure and navigation
The structure of your site is composed of the different sections of your website and navigation within those sections. It is the framework that shapes your site and defines your navigation scheme. If you develop a sound website structure everything else will fall into place.
Developing
The structure of a website is like the skeleton or nervous system in the human body. Every joint or synapse is connected together into a network of mechanical or electrical links, which in turn makes us who and what we are. So should a website be connected through a network of links into something that provides form and function to your site. The website basic layout shown below is a simplified example of such a network.
Navigation
The key to the success of your website's structure is the ease with which your visitors can navigate the site. A general rule of thumb is that it should take no more than two clicks for a visitor to find what they are looking for.
Two click navigation
In the example above there are three tiers of content which can be accessed in two clicks. From the homepage to the main sections (click 1) and then to the subsections (click 2) is a simple and intuitive path. If necessary you can add a third tier of data but more than that will not only begin to confuse your visitors but also impedes the deep access of search engine spiders.
The Home Page
This is a visitors first impression of your site. It should tell visitors what your site is about. The homepage should answer the questions Who, What, and Why about the sites purpose.
Sitemap
A home page should also provide links to a sitemap or table of contents which can guide visitors to the information they need. If they can find the information they want quickly and easily, they will enjoy their visit. And if they enjoy their visit and find that the time spent there was worthwhile, they'll come back.
Limit your text and links
A home page should not contain a lot of text. 400 words should be about the limit you should shoot for. It should provide an overview of your site giving the visitor a clear idea of what is available and how to get there and also provides the search engines with something to go by when they index your site.
Also, don't present your visitors with a huge list of links to every single page on your site - that's why you have main and subsections. (see diagram above)
Keep your homepage short and to the point
It has been determined that most web users browse a website's homepage quickly. They look to see if there is any reason for them to go deeper into the site. They want to find this information quick without being confused by irrelevant distractions.
A large percentage of those using the web never scroll down past the first screen full of information. So, keep that homepage short and to the point. Have your links prominently displayed and make sure a visitor knows what your site is about on the first screen they see.
The main sections
The main sections of a website form the headings of specific bodies of data. In other words the main sections of a website form the gateway or entry point into particular areas of your site. For example if you are selling shoes your main sections might be mens shoes, ladies shoes and childrens shoes. The subsections would break down each category of shoes into color, size and style.
Developing your navigation scheme
Your main sections will form the backbone of your navigation system. These will be the links that take your visitors deeper into your website. Select them with care, keeping in mind that your website structure will be shaped by them. These pages should provide one click access to the subsections.
Links and themes
This tier of your website structure is primarily a collection of links that provide access to the main content (i.e. subsections) of the site. Each main section should cover a specific subject or data base which is focused on a single topic. Theme each main section to correspond to its subsection content.
The subsections
Once you have developed the main sections of your website and decided upon your navigation scheme group your data into subsections. Each subsection should contain all of the important data relating to a particular main section. Keep the topical information organized into its specific category for easy retrieval.
The content and central message
The subsections of a website form the body and central message of the site. This is where most of your content will reside.
Accessing your subsections
When a visitor decides to look further into your site it is into the subsections that they should be directed. Provide a navigation scheme that allows one click access to your subsections.
Comparative study:
7 Factors that Separate Good Websites from Bad
We all naturally form opinions about the websites we visit. Some of them we love so much that we come back several times a week, and others leave us with a bad experience that causes us to never return. But what is it that determines whether a website is good or bad? As individuals we each have our own opinions and we’ll never completely agree on which websites are good and which ones are bad, but most of us will base our feelings on similar factors. Here is a look at 7 factors that I feel are influential in this determination.
1 – Purpose
Every website needs a well-defined purpose. Website owners and bloggers who have a solid understanding of what they expect to get out of their site will be able to work backwards in order to determine how the site should be managed, what content should be included, what messages should be communicated to visitors, and really everything involved with developing and running a website.
Unfortunately, it’s pretty common for site owners to rush through the process of setting up a website and the true purpose is sometimes overlooked. Without knowing specifically what you hope to achieve, you will lack direction, your efforts will be scattered, and your chances of making a positive impact with your site will be poor.
A purpose should be fairly specific. Instead of saying “I want to improve my business by having a stronger presence online,” consider something like “My website will become the most consistent source of leads for my services and it will help me to improve communication with potential clients.” With the second purpose, you now know specifically what you want to achieve with your website, it’s just a matter of finding ways to make that happen.
The purpose of a website functions in essentially the same manner that a mission statement aids a business. It sets the tone for all of the activities and it gives a context that should be used to help in decision making. If your business already has a mission statement, I suggest also developing a separate purpose for your website. The website’s purpose should serve to support the mission and make the business more effective in achieving that mission.
2 – Clarity
Your website may have a purpose, but is it clear to your visitors why your website exists? It’s easy to get caught up in adding all kinds of new features and building fancy websites, but sometimes overload can produce a jumbled message to visitors that produces confusion.
One of the goals during development of a website should be to achieve clarity that will show visitors what they can get out of your website and why they should care. Clarity applies to all different types of websites. E-commerce sites need to clearly communicate to visitors what can be purchased and why it should be done through their particular website. Blogs need to communicate to new visitors what the blog is all about and what types of content they will receive if they subscribe. Service providers need clarity when they are communicating the details of their services to visitors.
Clarity is sometimes achieved through simplicity. Cutting out the noise and the clutter on a website can make the primary message more easily understood by visitors. One of the reasons for using a minimalistic design is to assist in the level of clarity.
3 – Usability
For any website to be successful, people need to be able to use it. Design and appearance will never replace the need for usability. The usability needs of a site will partially depend on the nature of the site. For example, a large e-commerce site needs to have an effective search function, logical categorization of products for browsing, a user-friendly shopping cart, etc. A blog or any type of website with lots of text will need to provide excellent readability, good navigation between articles, etc.
Any site that lacks usability will struggle to keep visitors on the site and to encourage repeat visits. Most of us internet users are impatient and if we find something that makes us work too hard, we’ll simply leave. For a more informative look at the topic of usability, see What Everybody Ought to Know HYPERLINK "http://www.blogdesignblog.com/blog-design/usablity-web-design/"AboutHYPERLINK "http://www.blogdesignblog.com/blog-design/usablity-web-design/" Usability and Web Design.
4 – Accessibility
Accessibility and usability often get lumped together because they somewhat overlap, but they are two distinct issues. An accessible website will not force visitors to use a certain browser, exclude handicapped users, etc. If users can’t access your website, it’s obviously not usable either.
Effective websites will be widely accessible. The difficulty with accessibility is the amount of factors that are outside of your control. However, it is possible to have an attractive, information, and helpful site that is still accessible. For more on accessibility, see 100 Killer Web Accessibility Resources.
5 – User-Focus
Because visitors ultimately determine the success of a website, they should be the focus during development. Often times, however, designers or website owners get distracted by their own wants and needs for the website, and the users are forgotten or put on the back burner.
A user-focused website will be both usable and accessible, but it will be much more than that. A website or blog that is focused on users will build content that interests and helps users, and the desires of visitors will always be important in any decision involving the development of the site. A poor website will do the opposite, it will focus on the needs of the owner and attempt to force visitors to fit in the same box.
6 – Navigation
Website navigation affects both usability and accessibility, but it is important enough to warrant its own spot on this list. When developing a new website or working on a redesign, navigation should be a primary concern. Unless you want visitors to view one page and then leave your site, you’ll need to make it as easy as possible for them to find what they are looking for.
Most websites and blogs today use fairly common navigational techniques that are expected by the average visitor. Typically, the site will have a primary navigation menu that will link to the most important pages on the site, and other links will be added to the body of the page wherever appropriate. Sitemaps, sitewide searches and FAQ pages are all very common and visitors will look for them when they don’t know where else to turn.
Blogs also have their own unique navigational trends that blog readers tend to appreciate, such as a list of categories, links to the most recent posts, links to the most popular posts, and links to related posts.
In addition to providing visitors with an easy way to move through the site, navigation is often used by designers to create more visually-appealing websites (see 45 Photoshop Tutorials for Better Navigation). Although navigation provides designers with a great opportunity to improve the look of the site, attractiveness should not come at the expense of usability and accessibility.
When developing the navigation for your website, think about what pages are most likely to be wanted by visitors, which pages are most critical for the purposes of your website, how visitors will want to move from one page to the next, what visitors will expect in terms of link location and pages linked, and how many clicks it will take visitors to get from your homepage to any other specific page.
7 – Appearance
Last but not least, the appearance of a website will be a determining factor in its success. Not every website needs to be an award-winning design in order to achieve it’s goals, but it should appeal to it’s specific audience and it should present a positive, professional image.
Trends in web design are constantly changing, and chances are if your site hasn’t been redesigned since 1999 it’s painfully obvious to your visitors. Most website owners prefer to freshen up their design or completely change it every couple of years to avoid this type of situation.
The design of the site should complement the content of the site, not overpower it. The design should also match stylistically with the message and the purpose of the site.
Example of “Good” Web Sites
Example of “Not So Good” Web Sites
Cnclusion:
Although the site is reasonable in some areas as can be seen from the analysis above, there is still a lot of room for improvement.The first obvious improvement is that the site needs to be updated. The site should clearly show when it was last updated and how often the information is updated. This should be clearly seen when the reader first accesses the site instead of putting the information under ‘Issues of Note’. By updating the site frequently, it will ensure no dead links are present.A very important and pertinent issue that the site needs to address is on its quality of information. The site should tell the reader who wrote the information and also provide a reference list. Telling the reader where the information comes from will gain the reader’s trust if the source is legitimate. The reader may therefore feel more confident in knowing the fact that the information is not just made up by anyone. By having a reference list, the reader can check a particular reference for further information if required
India:
A website, or Web site, is not the same thing as a Web page. Though the two terms are often used interchangeably, they should not be. A Web site is a collection of Web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet address known as a Uniform Resource Locator. For example, Amazon.com is a Web site, but there are millions of Web pages that make up the site.
India:
A web page is a document, typically written in plain text interspersed with formatting instructions of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML, XHTML). The pages of a website can usually be accessed from a simple Uniform Resource Locator (URL) called the homepage. The URLs of the pages organize them into a hierarchy, although hyperHYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlink" HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlink"linking between them conveys the reader's perceived site structure and guides the reader's navigation of the site.
History
The World Wide Web (WWW) was created in 1990 by CERN physicist Tim Berners-Lee. On 30 April 1993, CERN announced that the World Wide Web would be free to use for anyone. Before the introduction of HTML and HTTP, other protocols such as File Transfer Protocol and the gopher protocol were used to retrieve individual files from a server. These protocols offer a simple directory structure which the user navigates and chooses files to download. Documents were most often presented as plain text files without formatting, or were encoded in word processor formats.
features
Some essential features of websites are given below. These are generally applicable to both our basic and advanced websites.
· Construction
· Accessibility
· Navigation
· Contact
· Graphics
· Additional Features
· Security
GOOD Features
One of the elements of good photo design is a lack of the elements that make bad web design. If you stay away from everything listed in the below about dorky web pages, you've probably got a pretty nice web site. In addition, keep these concepts in mind:
Text
Background does not interrupt the text
Text is big enough to read, but not too big
The hierarchy of information is perfectly clear
Columns of text are narrower than in a book to make reading easier on the screen
Navigation
Navigation buttons and bars are easy to understand and use
Navigation is consistent throughout web site
Navigation buttons and bars provide the visitor with a clue as to where they are, what page of the site they are currently on
Frames, if used, are not obtrusive
A large site has an index or site map
Links
Link colors coordinate with page colors
Links are underlined so they are instantly clear to the visitor
Graphics
Buttons are not big and dorky
Every graphic has an alt label
Every graphic link has a matching text link
Graphics and backgrounds use browser-safe colors
Animated graphics turn off by themselves
General Design
Pages download quickly
First page and home page fit into 800 x 600 pixel space
All of the other pages have the immediate visual impact within 800 x 600 pixels
Good use of graphic elements (photos, subheads, pull quotes) to break up large areas of text
Every web page in the site looks like it belongs to the same site; there are repetitive elements that carry throughout the pages
BAD Features
Below are features that can make a web design look dorky.
Backgrounds
Default gray color
Color combinations of text and background that make the text hard to read
Busy, distracting backgrounds that make the text hard to read
Text
· Text that is too small to read
· Text crowding against the left edge
· Text that stretches all the way across the page
· Centered type over flush left body copy
· Paragraphs of type in all caps
· Paragraphs of type in bold
· Paragraphs of type in italic
· Paragraphs of type in all caps, bold, and italic all at once
· Underlined text that is not a link
Links
· Default blue links
· Blue link borders around graphics
· Links that are not clear about where they will take you
· Links in body copy that distract readers and lead them off to remote, useless pages
· Text links that are not underlined so you don't know they are links
..(If you're not going to underline your links, please make darned sure
..that each link is perfectly clearly a link! Don't make me wander around
..with my mouse checking to see if randomly colored text is a link!)
· Dead links (links that don't work anymore)
Graphics
· Large graphic files that take forever to load
· Meaningless or useless graphics
· Thumbnail images that are nearly as large as the full-sized images they link to
· Graphics with no alt labels
· Missing graphics, especially missing graphics with no alt labels
· Graphics that don't fit on the screen (assuming a screen of 800 x 600 pixels)
Tables
· Borders turned on in tables
· Tables used as design elements, especially with extra large (dorky) borders
Blinking and animations
· Anything that blinks, especially text
· Multiple things that blink
· Rainbow rules (lines)
· Rainbow rules that blink or animate
· "Under construction" signs, especially of little men working
· Animated "under construction" signs
· Animated pictures for email
· Animations that never stop
· Multiple animations that never stop
Junk
· Counters on pages -- who cares
· Junky advertising
· Having to scroll sideways (800 x 600 pixels)
· Too many little pictures of meaningless awards on the first page
· Frame scroll bars in the middle of a page
· Multiple frame scroll bars in the middle of a page
Navigation
· Unclear navigation; over complex navigation
· Complicated frames, too many frames, unnecessary scroll bars in frames
· Orphan pages (no links back to where they came from, no identification)
· Useless page titles that don't explain what the page is about
General Design
· Entry page or home page that does not fit within standard browser window (800 x 600 pixels)
· Frames that make you scroll sideways
· No focal point on the page
· Too many focal points on the page
· Navigation buttons as the only visual interest, especially when they're large (and dorky)
· Cluttered, not enough alignment of elements
· Lack of contrast (in color, text, to create hierarchy of information, etc.)
· Pages that look okay in one browser but not in another
Structure
Now we're going to look at the overall structure of a website. This is different from the individual pages within the site (i.e. content). A website's structure is the framework in which the information or content is presented.
structure and navigation
The structure of your site is composed of the different sections of your website and navigation within those sections. It is the framework that shapes your site and defines your navigation scheme. If you develop a sound website structure everything else will fall into place.
Developing
The structure of a website is like the skeleton or nervous system in the human body. Every joint or synapse is connected together into a network of mechanical or electrical links, which in turn makes us who and what we are. So should a website be connected through a network of links into something that provides form and function to your site. The website basic layout shown below is a simplified example of such a network.
Navigation
The key to the success of your website's structure is the ease with which your visitors can navigate the site. A general rule of thumb is that it should take no more than two clicks for a visitor to find what they are looking for.
Two click navigation
In the example above there are three tiers of content which can be accessed in two clicks. From the homepage to the main sections (click 1) and then to the subsections (click 2) is a simple and intuitive path. If necessary you can add a third tier of data but more than that will not only begin to confuse your visitors but also impedes the deep access of search engine spiders.
The Home Page
This is a visitors first impression of your site. It should tell visitors what your site is about. The homepage should answer the questions Who, What, and Why about the sites purpose.
Sitemap
A home page should also provide links to a sitemap or table of contents which can guide visitors to the information they need. If they can find the information they want quickly and easily, they will enjoy their visit. And if they enjoy their visit and find that the time spent there was worthwhile, they'll come back.
Limit your text and links
A home page should not contain a lot of text. 400 words should be about the limit you should shoot for. It should provide an overview of your site giving the visitor a clear idea of what is available and how to get there and also provides the search engines with something to go by when they index your site.
Also, don't present your visitors with a huge list of links to every single page on your site - that's why you have main and subsections. (see diagram above)
Keep your homepage short and to the point
It has been determined that most web users browse a website's homepage quickly. They look to see if there is any reason for them to go deeper into the site. They want to find this information quick without being confused by irrelevant distractions.
A large percentage of those using the web never scroll down past the first screen full of information. So, keep that homepage short and to the point. Have your links prominently displayed and make sure a visitor knows what your site is about on the first screen they see.
The main sections
The main sections of a website form the headings of specific bodies of data. In other words the main sections of a website form the gateway or entry point into particular areas of your site. For example if you are selling shoes your main sections might be mens shoes, ladies shoes and childrens shoes. The subsections would break down each category of shoes into color, size and style.
Developing your navigation scheme
Your main sections will form the backbone of your navigation system. These will be the links that take your visitors deeper into your website. Select them with care, keeping in mind that your website structure will be shaped by them. These pages should provide one click access to the subsections.
Links and themes
This tier of your website structure is primarily a collection of links that provide access to the main content (i.e. subsections) of the site. Each main section should cover a specific subject or data base which is focused on a single topic. Theme each main section to correspond to its subsection content.
The subsections
Once you have developed the main sections of your website and decided upon your navigation scheme group your data into subsections. Each subsection should contain all of the important data relating to a particular main section. Keep the topical information organized into its specific category for easy retrieval.
The content and central message
The subsections of a website form the body and central message of the site. This is where most of your content will reside.
Accessing your subsections
When a visitor decides to look further into your site it is into the subsections that they should be directed. Provide a navigation scheme that allows one click access to your subsections.
Comparative study:
7 Factors that Separate Good Websites from Bad
We all naturally form opinions about the websites we visit. Some of them we love so much that we come back several times a week, and others leave us with a bad experience that causes us to never return. But what is it that determines whether a website is good or bad? As individuals we each have our own opinions and we’ll never completely agree on which websites are good and which ones are bad, but most of us will base our feelings on similar factors. Here is a look at 7 factors that I feel are influential in this determination.
1 – Purpose
Every website needs a well-defined purpose. Website owners and bloggers who have a solid understanding of what they expect to get out of their site will be able to work backwards in order to determine how the site should be managed, what content should be included, what messages should be communicated to visitors, and really everything involved with developing and running a website.
Unfortunately, it’s pretty common for site owners to rush through the process of setting up a website and the true purpose is sometimes overlooked. Without knowing specifically what you hope to achieve, you will lack direction, your efforts will be scattered, and your chances of making a positive impact with your site will be poor.
A purpose should be fairly specific. Instead of saying “I want to improve my business by having a stronger presence online,” consider something like “My website will become the most consistent source of leads for my services and it will help me to improve communication with potential clients.” With the second purpose, you now know specifically what you want to achieve with your website, it’s just a matter of finding ways to make that happen.
The purpose of a website functions in essentially the same manner that a mission statement aids a business. It sets the tone for all of the activities and it gives a context that should be used to help in decision making. If your business already has a mission statement, I suggest also developing a separate purpose for your website. The website’s purpose should serve to support the mission and make the business more effective in achieving that mission.
2 – Clarity
Your website may have a purpose, but is it clear to your visitors why your website exists? It’s easy to get caught up in adding all kinds of new features and building fancy websites, but sometimes overload can produce a jumbled message to visitors that produces confusion.
One of the goals during development of a website should be to achieve clarity that will show visitors what they can get out of your website and why they should care. Clarity applies to all different types of websites. E-commerce sites need to clearly communicate to visitors what can be purchased and why it should be done through their particular website. Blogs need to communicate to new visitors what the blog is all about and what types of content they will receive if they subscribe. Service providers need clarity when they are communicating the details of their services to visitors.
Clarity is sometimes achieved through simplicity. Cutting out the noise and the clutter on a website can make the primary message more easily understood by visitors. One of the reasons for using a minimalistic design is to assist in the level of clarity.
3 – Usability
For any website to be successful, people need to be able to use it. Design and appearance will never replace the need for usability. The usability needs of a site will partially depend on the nature of the site. For example, a large e-commerce site needs to have an effective search function, logical categorization of products for browsing, a user-friendly shopping cart, etc. A blog or any type of website with lots of text will need to provide excellent readability, good navigation between articles, etc.
Any site that lacks usability will struggle to keep visitors on the site and to encourage repeat visits. Most of us internet users are impatient and if we find something that makes us work too hard, we’ll simply leave. For a more informative look at the topic of usability, see What Everybody Ought to Know HYPERLINK "http://www.blogdesignblog.com/blog-design/usablity-web-design/"AboutHYPERLINK "http://www.blogdesignblog.com/blog-design/usablity-web-design/" Usability and Web Design.
4 – Accessibility
Accessibility and usability often get lumped together because they somewhat overlap, but they are two distinct issues. An accessible website will not force visitors to use a certain browser, exclude handicapped users, etc. If users can’t access your website, it’s obviously not usable either.
Effective websites will be widely accessible. The difficulty with accessibility is the amount of factors that are outside of your control. However, it is possible to have an attractive, information, and helpful site that is still accessible. For more on accessibility, see 100 Killer Web Accessibility Resources.
5 – User-Focus
Because visitors ultimately determine the success of a website, they should be the focus during development. Often times, however, designers or website owners get distracted by their own wants and needs for the website, and the users are forgotten or put on the back burner.
A user-focused website will be both usable and accessible, but it will be much more than that. A website or blog that is focused on users will build content that interests and helps users, and the desires of visitors will always be important in any decision involving the development of the site. A poor website will do the opposite, it will focus on the needs of the owner and attempt to force visitors to fit in the same box.
6 – Navigation
Website navigation affects both usability and accessibility, but it is important enough to warrant its own spot on this list. When developing a new website or working on a redesign, navigation should be a primary concern. Unless you want visitors to view one page and then leave your site, you’ll need to make it as easy as possible for them to find what they are looking for.
Most websites and blogs today use fairly common navigational techniques that are expected by the average visitor. Typically, the site will have a primary navigation menu that will link to the most important pages on the site, and other links will be added to the body of the page wherever appropriate. Sitemaps, sitewide searches and FAQ pages are all very common and visitors will look for them when they don’t know where else to turn.
Blogs also have their own unique navigational trends that blog readers tend to appreciate, such as a list of categories, links to the most recent posts, links to the most popular posts, and links to related posts.
In addition to providing visitors with an easy way to move through the site, navigation is often used by designers to create more visually-appealing websites (see 45 Photoshop Tutorials for Better Navigation). Although navigation provides designers with a great opportunity to improve the look of the site, attractiveness should not come at the expense of usability and accessibility.
When developing the navigation for your website, think about what pages are most likely to be wanted by visitors, which pages are most critical for the purposes of your website, how visitors will want to move from one page to the next, what visitors will expect in terms of link location and pages linked, and how many clicks it will take visitors to get from your homepage to any other specific page.
7 – Appearance
Last but not least, the appearance of a website will be a determining factor in its success. Not every website needs to be an award-winning design in order to achieve it’s goals, but it should appeal to it’s specific audience and it should present a positive, professional image.
Trends in web design are constantly changing, and chances are if your site hasn’t been redesigned since 1999 it’s painfully obvious to your visitors. Most website owners prefer to freshen up their design or completely change it every couple of years to avoid this type of situation.
The design of the site should complement the content of the site, not overpower it. The design should also match stylistically with the message and the purpose of the site.
Example of “Good” Web Sites
Example of “Not So Good” Web Sites
Cnclusion:
Although the site is reasonable in some areas as can be seen from the analysis above, there is still a lot of room for improvement.The first obvious improvement is that the site needs to be updated. The site should clearly show when it was last updated and how often the information is updated. This should be clearly seen when the reader first accesses the site instead of putting the information under ‘Issues of Note’. By updating the site frequently, it will ensure no dead links are present.A very important and pertinent issue that the site needs to address is on its quality of information. The site should tell the reader who wrote the information and also provide a reference list. Telling the reader where the information comes from will gain the reader’s trust if the source is legitimate. The reader may therefore feel more confident in knowing the fact that the information is not just made up by anyone. By having a reference list, the reader can check a particular reference for further information if required
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