There are some easily overlooked facts about websites that sometimes doesn't get all that much attention, but could be the difference between your website being okay or fantastic!. They can make all the difference to your user who is visiting your website. We certainly don't want to hinder their experience nor confuse them, so how can we make sure their experience will be a memorable one for all the right reasons?

Easy Navigation is the primary concern of many websites right now. If it takes more than 2-3 clicks to get to somewhere, then it's not going to be seen. Navigation needs to be easy, self-explanatory, without need of a manual. If someone needs a manual to learn how to use your website, it's time to re-think your navigation. A main central menu is common, with or without sub-menus. The basic Home, About Us, Products, Services, Contact is your basic 5 page linked menu. Just build upon that. It'll make maintenance easier and is faster for your customer to get where they really want to be, instead of treating your website like a Rubik's cube!

You need to have consistent design. Without consistent design, your website could look like a child designed it. Can you imagine visiting a website, where it has a beautifully laid out design on the front page, then you click on a link to delve further, and the colour scheme has completely reversed, the menu has changed it's position and instead of everything flowing say, vertically, it's now all flowing horizontally? You would be confused to say the least and think that whoever put it together must be nuts. Don't give your audience an opportunity to think that way about you. Your online reputation depends on it.

Last, but certainly not least, you WILL need up to date content. I don't think I need to explain how your website visitor would feel if they found an article on your money saving website that mentioned Money Saving Tips for 1995 which is not only very out of date, but also mentioned items that are no longer for sale, or lists common things you can do which actually make you spend more money in the long term. Your visitor would feel that you don't have enough confidence in your website to keep it fresh and up to date, so why should they have the time to make a repeat visit? If your website is about online business, remember that certain search engine optimisation tweaks only apply for a certain period of time, and many need re-doing as other new future search engines become more popular. Now it doesn't matter how you get the content i.e.: hire a writer or join an articles directory, you need that fresh content and update your main content page at least every week. If necessary and if you have the skills, re-write your exiting content to include the latest relevant ideas.

Remember to keep these ideas in mind as you next plan to perform some maintenance on your online estate. Keep your navigation simple and flowing, consistent look and feel on every page (create and use your own template if need be, it'll help!) and regularly updated content. Implement these and your website visitor will have a much, much more enjoyable experience and will return the favour by making repeat visits! Which is, after all, what you want.

Martin Coleman

Martin has had experience in the computing industry for nearly 15 years. Having extensive knowledge in computer programming and having operated a retail computer shop, his knowledge and skills span nearly every topic available in the information technology industry. He is a qualified teacher and loves to enhance, improve and tweak hardware and software for maximum efficiency.