1. Make Sure the Visual Elements Reinforce Your Company or Brand Identity
The essence of your company can most likely be summarized using words; but your identity is also
accompanied by many intangible qualities. Brands are as much about attitudes, feelings, and
emotions as they are about factual information. The overall look of your Web site must support
these defining factors. Is your brand identity best served by hard edges or softer, rounded shapes? Do
primary colors capture the company philosophy or would earth tones be a better match? Experiment
and find the right fit before settling on a design scheme.
2. Forget Cool, Think Useful
You can’t compete with TV, you can’t compete with movies, you can’t even compete with
entertainment Web sites. Luckily there’s no need to compete, though, because what really counts is
making your site useful, not cool.
3. Lead Visitors Where You Want Them to Go
While your content may fulfill the needs of your visitors, your site design should guide them
naturally to the places you want them to go. For instance, before visitors can download a sample
chapter of a book, they might be shown a page that makes them aware of the full-length version and
how to order it. Determine your goals and find a way to deliver value to your visitors while also
getting what you want.
4. Offer Clear, Limited Choices
Some Web sites are so cluttered with navigation bars, banner ads, links, promotional blurbs, image
maps, and the like, it’s difficult to choose what to do first. Make it too hard for your visitors and
they may decide to go elsewhere. Decide what information is most important for your visitors,
particularly on your home page, and resist the urge to add more information.
5. Let Visitors Know What Your Site is About
The worst thing you can do is promote your Web site, get curious people to take a first look, and
confuse the heck out of them when they arrive. View your home page through the eyes of a new
visitor. Does it spell out exactly what you offer and what your brand stands for? If not, redesign it so
it does. Also, remember that many people will arrive at your site through a secondary page, especially
if they hear about it through a search engine or recommendation. Therefore, every page needs to
explain what your site is about.
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