- Keep it simple.
This rule is number one for a reason - it’s the most
important. A simple site is one that is easy to use and navigate. Simple is good, simpler
is even better.
- Design your pages for your target audience.
Before starting, determine who your intended audience will be, what types of information
they will want, and what message you want to convey. Design your pages with this in mind.
Keep your message on target by asking yourself, "Will visitors to my site need and
understand this message?"
- Make your site informative and useful.
Give your visitors the important information they need, and make it easy for them to get
it. If you have new or important info, put it up front so people see it first. Remove out
of date information.
- Tell visitors who you are.
Put your contact information, email address and some kind of identifier on every page of
your site. If visitors to your site need to reach you, the contact information will always
be right in front of them. Also, visitors do not always enter a site through the front
page, so have your identification and contact info on every page so visitors will always
know where they are.
- Be consistent.
Keep your message and presentation consistent. Use a consistent layout scheme to make your
site easier to navigate and use. When a visitor clicks on a web page link, using
the same design and layout elements on every page will make it clear to visitors that they
are still on your site.
- Be considerate to the visitor.
Make browsing your site fast, easy and convenient. Most visitors to your site will have
slow modems, so don’t make them wait to see your pages. Keep audio, video and even
graphics to a minimum, and keep the file sizes as small as possible. Always let your
visitors know where they are on your site and give them the option to go back to the
previous page or to jump to other pages.
- Make it attractive.
You want to keep your site simple, easy to use and fast to load, but that does not mean
that it has to be boring or ugly. Balancing
style and functionality is one of the biggest problems to overcome when designing a
site. If you don’t have a good sense of style and design, get help.
- Keep it current.
If your visitor doesn't see new information, they're gone and they won't be back.
All of the information on your site should be current. Regular updates will give visitors a
reason to come back to your site. Old or out of date information will drive visitors away.
continue to Color proofing your web site
