Nine ways anyone—yes, even you—can make a Web site better.
You don’t have to know how to program to make your site more effective and user-friendly.

by Marty Kramer   Your Web site is not like Field of Dreams. No one will come simply because you built it. And if they do show up and find a site that confuses or annoys them, they will leave in a hurry.

Fortunately, there are many easy steps you can take to make your site easy to use and valuable to those who visit it. No need to learn Web programming or take a design course—these suggestions are basic concepts that you or your Web expert can employ.

Focus on visitors
Many companies and agents when they build their Web site will ask, “What do I want to tell people about myself/my company?” As with all marketing communications, though, you should instead start from the perspective of what’s in it for the consumer. Sure, your Web site must promote your business and explain what differentiates you from the competition, but not at the expense of making consumers hunt for what they really want. What do they want? Most research points to listings (with photos) as the most sought-after information followed by information about the area.

Keep up to date
If you plan to include content on your site that requires frequent updating, make sure someone can do so, or don’t put that information on your site. No one will stay on a Web site once they find it has stale information.

Don’t deviate from standards
Web programmers can put all kinds of customized features into your Web site, like disabling browsers’ back buttons or making links orange instead of the standard blue for links (red or purple for visited links). You might think these features are neat, but if you saw how many visitors get lost and confused with these unconventional techniques, you probably would change your opinion. Stick with the standards.

Make it easy to contact you
Every page on your site should have a Contact Us link or your contact information or both. The easier you
make it for people to reach you, the more who will succeed.

Don’t overwhelm visitors
Some sites cram pages so full of information and links that users have trouble finding what they want. Other sites overuse graphics, font styles, sizes, and colors. Throw in a few animated graphics or blinking links and you’re practically begging people to leave. Keep your site focused, simple, and consistent in its design.

Limit long, scrolling pages
Though there’s some research that indicates people are more willing these days to scroll down a page, it’s still best to keep pages as short as you can. Use bulleted lists, links, and headings, and avoid long text blocks when possible. Also, avoid setting up your Web site so pages display so wide that many users are forced to scroll left and right to see all the material.

Cutting edge may hurt you
Sure, Flash animations are impressive, but any time
you rely on these technologies for key information, you risk losing your audience. Also, if your Web site is
designed only for the latest versions of Web browsers and plug-ins, many users will have trouble viewing your site.

Keep pages light
Just because you have blazingly fast Internet access doesn’t mean all your visitors do as well. According to a recent Pew Internet Project report, about 45% of adult Internet users do not have broadband access at home or work. So your site will appeal to a wider audience if pages load quickly even on a dial-up modem.

Test it
One tricky aspect of Web-site design is that what you see is not necessarily what everyone else will get. A site can display differently depending on the monitor, software, and settings of individual users. Look at your Web site from as many different setups as possible. Ask friends to look at your site and let you know if they discover any hitches. Then report any problems to your Web programmer. Also, make sure to check your site periodically to make sure there are no broken links.

Photo © Stockbyte.

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