The Company Mission
Answering the question “what makes a website good?” is not easy to do because so many people look at a website from differing viewpoints. However, nearly every web designer would agree that the aim or mission of the site is of primary importance. Very often, it’s a company brand, logo or prominently displayed product illustration that determines the tone of the website so it needs to be taken into consideration from the very start.
User Experience
The next most important factor in website design should be the user experience, and it should probably be on a par with the company mission. The user, of course, is any individual member of the target audience. A good website has to offer them an agreeable experience because they are the very reason for the existence of the website in the first place. So what needs to be taken into account to ensure an excellent user experience?
Most people would agree that useful and relevant content should figure high up on the list. Next, layout (and consistency of layout) should be also be considered significant. Ease of navigation is crucial too, as is fulfillment of the website’s main purpose. In the next several paragraphs we will be looking at these factors individually.
Relevant Content
It goes without saying that well-written content is essential and that every article included on the site should be grammatically correct, as should the spelling, choice of individual words and so on. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case these days but failure to recognize the need for correct grammar and spelling often results in a misunderstanding of the essential points of an article and even sometimes renders it unreadable. The inclusion of illustrations and supporting videos can help tremendously, not only by reinforcing the meaning but, from an aesthetic point of view, by making the whole page more attractive.
Layout And Consistency
Layout, or the art of deciding what should go where, can help to make a page more attractive in itself. Consistency is the key, though. For example, if the position of the menus changes from page to page, it makes for a very confusing situation for the user. The choice of fonts, indents and so on is up to the website designer and needs to fit in with the overall theme but too many variables in this area tend to produce a somewhat disorderly result.
Ease Of Navigation
This is an area that a lot of less experienced website designers consistently get wrong but making the site easy to navigate should be a number one concern. All navigation menus should be easy to find, clearly labeled and should work in the same way throughout the site. The fewer the steps that are necessary to reach any particular page, the better.
Fulfillment Of Purpose
Anything that detracts from fulfilling the purpose of the website will be avoided by good website developers. For example, cartoon type animations or flashing text can be very distracting and therefore, serve no valuable purpose. Clean pages, on the other hand, which incorporate plenty of white space, can give an impression of confidence and purpose that can permeate the whole site. A good website will also be optimized for the search engines which will ensure that Google, Yahoo! and Bing, not to mention the other search engines, know about their existence and send relevant traffic whenever possible.
Summary
Good website design is all about presenting your company and its products or services in a way that the public, or more specifically, your target audience, will find most riveting. Your website is the online equivalent of your company’s front door and needs to reflect its dynamism in the market today. This ensures that your business, through the website, captures a continuous supply of new and repeat customers at an ever-increasing rate.
At CHRS Interactive we strive to meet the needs of our clients and know what is meant by a ‘good website’. We start by getting to know your target market and other business objectives. Once we have a clear understanding of these factors, we create a site that meets all your business objectives and incorporate them into the design of your site. The image of professionalism that results from our involvement will last for a long time to come.