PropserO knows that your main page is the storefront for your business, and should your visitors know exactly what you're offering. If your potential customer can't find your product or service, they definitely won't waste a lot of time looking for it. They'll go on to the next site and probably never return. They're visiting your site for a specific purpose. They want something your site has to offer. Provide them with what they're looking for, and you'll reap the benefits. The appearance of your web site is one of the most important aspects of your success. Your product or service will literally be judged by the appearance of your web site. Poor web design is one of the leading causes of small business failure. There are literally thousands of home-based internet businesses struggling to make a living online.
Branding will play a major role in your success. ProsperO looks at incorporating UCD and market research into the design of your website. This will not only assist your visitors in remembering your site, but it will also give your pages the same look and feel.
Instead of trying to force all your content into your main page, consider creating sections. These sections can contain highlights of your information with a link to further information. You can set your sections up in tables with coloured heading sections for information such as articles, products or whatever you'd like.
ProsperO’s 5 top tips to consider when designing your website:
- Title - Make the title interesting and rememberable. A Web site title like "John's Web Site" is not very catchy. Without an eye catching title for your website, they won't click on it. If your readers find a link to your website on search engines, or other lists, they probably won't click on it. Use a thesaurus to help you find unique, intriguing words to use in your website's title.
- Columns - The number of columns you use in your web pages, change your whole website. Usually when someone creates their first web page their website design is something simple and plain. A lot of people like to use two column web pages for their website design so they can have their writing on one side of the web page and their navigation on the other. This website design looks much better than the plain web page and it makes your website easier to navigate. Then there's the 3 column web page. This website design is not better or worse than the 2 column web page. It's used if you have a lot of navigation or if you want an extra column for special writings or links on your web pages.
- Colours - Colours are very important in website design when it comes to looks and having people read you’re website. If your website design colours are boring, people will think your website is boring. If you use colours on your website that make your website's readers feel at home or as if they are at their favourite restaurant, you will have readers that feel like they're going to find something they like and feel comfortable with.
- Navigation - An important rule to follow in website design is that every web page on your website should link back to your homepage. If you want to keep people on your website then you need to provide them with a way back to the beginning so they don't get lost and move on to another website. Next you should create an index of some sort. You want people to be able to find what they are looking for easily on your website. Some styles of website design put their navigation above the title, others put it at the bottom of the web page, and many creates a column especially for navigation. What will work best for your website is up to you, as long as you make sure people can see it without really having to look for it.
- Content - Content is one of the most important things when it comes to website design. If you don't provide good, valuable content on your website then no one will have a reason for visiting your website, not to mention read it. Your homepage should have information that will tell people about your website and why they should read it. Use this web page to convince them that your website is worthwhile.
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