Is your website communicating what you want?

published 2002

The recent, sudden growth in websites is staggering.  They’ve gone from being a fairly rare add-on to a commodity item. 

In the rush to get a website up, many organisations leave out the most critical element - designing for usability.  Managers who enthusiastically ‘champion’ building a website, sometimes move onto other projects.  In some cases, they would be appalled if they saw how their site had turned out.

A website is part of your brand image. It markets your product or service to your customers and clients and sells your company’s strengths, such as your customer service focus.

However, a poor website can also discourage a potential customer from purchasing from you.  Too many websites look unprofessional, contain out-of-date information or are simply too hard to navigate, and end up alienating customers.

To avoid this, here are a few points to consider:

What makes a website good?

• A good website delivers what users want with easily accessible information.

• Think about your target market. Who will use your site? What do they want? 

• Plan what your website will offer.  Present information clearly and logically, making it easy for users to find what they want.  Label pages and buttons accurately. 

• Briefly explain your site’s security and privacy policies - on the same page. Not all users know the difference.

• A good website is responsive. Think about who will be responsible for responding to users’ suggestions and queries.  Test your website - do you get a response if you send an email to the address provided?  Also, consider customers who would rather contact you by phone or in person.  Are these details easily accessible?

Tip: Use the ‘email us’ feedback to improve the site. Add content to it. And always make sure that the information on it is current.

How do people use websites?

• Users approach sites expecting access to categories of information or pages. Common pages and buttons include About Us, Our Services, Contact Us.

• A good FAQ (frequently asked questions) page is useful.  You can also cover technical support topics here.

• Provide complete phone, fax, street address and postal address details. Many sites omit even the phone number! 

• Users expect to navigate around your site easily. Don’t disappoint them. Be clear.  Remember the golden rule of websites - allow people to access information with as few mouse clicks as possible.

• Since users may not enter your site from the home page, particularly if they have used a search engine to find you, display buttons to the most useful pages on every page. A button to a clear site map is also helpful.  

• Users expect responsiveness in a site.  If you request feedback and receive it, respond! No response gives the user who sent the email a negative perception of your company.

Tip: Thank the sender. Answer the question. And ‘sell’ another aspect of your site.

You can use any feedback to add questions to your FAQ page.

How do people read online?

• They scan text, skipping around the page.

• Headings make it easy for the reader to find what they want. Break text up with sidebars, summaries and tips.  Use pop-up menus sparingly.

• Put only one idea in each paragraph.

• Use clear, concise, inspiring language. Direct, active expression is easier to understand than convoluted, abstract and passive language.

Tip: Consult a Style Manual, such as that available at Government Info Shops: www.ausinfo.gov.au

What to avoid

• Graphics, animation and music that take time to download. A 3 KB page takes one second to download using a 28.8 kbps modem.  If you do have animation or music, give people the option to skip them.

• Rollovers that are difficult to manipulate. 

• Frames that hinder reading or printing.

• The mistakes your competition makes. Check out their sites.

What to think about

• Who’s controlling your website?  Is it in the hands of professional communicators or are bureaucratic administrators shaping its development?

• Who approves additional material that’s added to the website? Does a professional writer edit your material for clarity and consistency?

• Do you need an independent audit and review of how your website is performing - from a communications rather than a technical perspective?

Being listed and ranked on search engines is becoming just as important to many companies as prominence in other more traditional media is to them.