subject: 5 Factors That Contribute To Good Website Design [print this page] Good website design is important because you want to be sure that you provide quality content so that you achieve your goals for designing the website. The content should be easy to read and easily searchable and the website should be aesthetically pleasing. As human beings we make opinions on websites based on first impressions and this is how we determine if the website was effective and if we plan on visiting the website again in the future. There are several major factors that make a website good or bad.
What are you trying to say? What is the purpose of the website?
o You have to first clearly define the purpose of the website design so that you can creative and effective website design. It is important that while designing the website that you not rush through and make hasty decisions just because you want to finish because you will not get any virtual traffic to your website because of careless mistakes that dont get your point across as the designer. Make the purpose specific and then make a plan for the design and content of the website and then stick with it.
It is all about Aesthetics!
o How does your website look to others? The theme of the website should represent the central idea. How a website looks can determine if a viewer will ever view the website again. The theme should apply to the audience that you are trying to attract and it should be redesigned at least yearly to keep the look of the website modern and appealing.
Is the Website easy to navigate?
o One of the most frustrating aspects of web surfing is coming to a website that could hold some valuable information but not being able to navigate through the web pages to find that information. You must be sure as a designer that you make every effort to make your website user friendly and easy to navigate. What is the point in having great information if no one can find it. It is important to include a site map for this purpose.
Focus!
o You have to focus on the person or type of person you expect to use the website. Make sure that you are adding information that will apply to that type of person specifically.
Users must be able to access the website!
o This can sometimes fall into the idea of navigation but it is not the same. A person has to be able to access your website before they can navigate it. Dont make exclusion for access to the website. Be sure that you have recognizable name so that there is ease of access.
Not all people will agree on what makes one website good or the other bad so it is important to stay focused on the purpose of your website so that you are a forerunner in that area of website design. You would not design a website if you did not want people to use it so keep these guidelines in mind to make yours a success.
