Best Practices For Web Sites Part 1

March 2010

Web Site Best Practices

Linda KolkerMarketing Communications & Web Site Usability

[email protected] lindakolker.com 434-984-6619

mailto:[email protected]

March 2010 Best Practices for Your Web Site 2

Just Who Does She Think She Is?

• Marketing Consultant• Direct Response Consultant & Copywriter• Helped launch CD-ROM technology• Wrote book HR Manager’s Guide to Internet, 1996• Worked on development of scores of business web sites• Teach • Board, New Media Society of Washington, Charlottesville

Business Innovation Council


Agenda

Introduction

InteractivityConventionsWhy Best Practices Matter

The Mile-high View: Five Core Questions

Best PracticesBusiness Strategy

Why Focus on sub-pages, too

Site Structure

Navigation

BREAK

Site Design

Content

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5Best Practices for Your Web SiteMarch 2010 lindakolker.com 434-984-6619

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https://www.bankofamerica.com/index.jsp


Web is interactive

People must DO something in order to discover what a web site is about

March 2010 8

Mostly Based On Conventions:The Things That Most Sites Do

Best Practices for Your Web Site lindakolker.com 434-984-6619

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Navigation Convention

Best Practices for Your Web SiteMarch 2010 lindakolker.com 434-984-6619

Why Best Practices Matter



We are creatures of habit, and rely on patterns to save time and energy of constantly learning something new



Most popular web sites have similar patterns




15

People are comfortable with what they already know


Most popular web sites have similar patterns


16

“Don’t make me think!”--Steve Krug



30 seconds to engage or lose

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Good for your business


Five Core Questions

1.What is this organization about?

2.What is this web site about?

3.How do I find what I’m looking for?

4.What can I do next?

5.How can I get back to where I was?


A few of the Web’s most-visited sites.

What common elements do you see?

How well do they answer the five questions?





http://amazon.com/


http://www.zillow.com/

Communicates the purpose of your business and your site

Tag line that explicitly summarizes what the organization and/or site does

Value proposition clearly stated Name and logo at top / in upper left corner


Best PracticesStrategy

lindakolker.com 434-984-6619


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http://www.kiva.org/


http://www.accenture.com/Global/Consulting/default.htm

Should be able to answer the five questions looking at ANY page on the web site

Home page

ALL other pages




http://google.com/


Hierarchy with 2 – 5 levels

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Home

Products

Product A

Product B

Services

Service A

Service B

Best PracticesSite Structure


Typical Site Sections

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Home

Products

Product A

Product B

Industries Served News About

UsContact

Us


Best Practices

Main navigation and local navigation

Both are available on every page

Deep navigation on home page

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Navigation




http://artsandsciences.virginia.edu/college/index.html

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Navigation links are underlined and in a different color

When you click on a link, you go to content that you expect to see

Best PracticesNavigation



http://www.thomasedison.org/main.htm



Best PracticesDesign

Home page is clearly different from other pages, but design is consistent throughout site

Looks like a recent site, rather than an old, out of date site

Name & logo are in upper left or across top, tagline at top

Site wide navigation across top

Local navigation down left or right side



http://www.gatesnfences.com/



http://accenture.com/


Subheads Bulleted lists Highlighted keywords Short paragraphs The inverted pyramid A simple writing style De-fluffed language devoid of marketese.

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Best PracticesContent

--Jakob Nielsen, Alertbox




http://www.accenture.com/Global/Consulting/default.htm







Measuring Success

Are you achieving your goals?

Is your site easier to use?

Are people spending more time on your site and returning more frequently?



Measuring Success

Are you achieving your goals?

Is your site easier to use? User testing

Are people spending more time on your site and returning more frequently? Site usage statistics – site traffic logs

50Best Practices for Your Web SiteMarch 2010


Resources

Don’t Make Me Think, Steve Krug

Jakob Nielsen: useit.com/alertbox, also numerous books

Usability.gov – covers many best practices for web site usability, with supporting research, (though site needs usability improvements)

Google Analytics: google.com/analytics



Technology

Best Practices For Web Sites Part 1