Consider these 10 crucial issues when building ANY website

Whether you have a website or are looking to start a web presence in Calgary or anywhere else around the globe , you will need to consider these 10 top web design usability issues:

1. Make A Great First Impression
Studies have shown that the human eye generally reads a webpage in an “F” pattern, from top left to right. Therefore, the hottest screen area on your corporate web site is the top left area. Post your essential information there, especially your corporate logo. The only exception to this may be to center the logo in the top area if the logo is symmetrical. Overall, your website needs to create a great first impression and establish confidence and trust in your visitor. A Web design should not hinder or overwhelm web site content or branding on any page, including the home page.

2. Keep Navigation Clean & Consistent
It is ideal to have consistent and universal navigation on your Calgary business website . This means having top menu that can access all pages at any time and this menu is “above the fold” – see notes below for that. . This makes it easy for viewers to find the information that they need quickly and smoothly and also maintains confidence in their experience with your company. Having supporting menus such as breadcrumbs or contextual “previous” and “next” buttons or links to related items will reinforce the web site ’s overall usability. Consistency is critical , and remember that navigation, such as text links and a site map, is also used by search engine robots when indexing your web site pages for their search results.

3. Make it Easy to Contact You
Make it easy for visitors to contact you by displaying your Cochrane office address or phone number clearly on all pages of your website , or at least on your key pages. You can also have a contact us page that has details , such as different branches, key contacts or a contact us form. These days it is also popular to see live chat options so a visitor can connect with your staff as they surf!

4.   Get Visitors to Act on Something
Even if it is just to get a visitor to fill out a web form , a website needs a “Call to Action” – this is an action that is defined by a combination of site navigation, content generation and site functionality, including e-commerce processing. What do you want visitors to do on your site? Where do you want them to go? What is the next logical step once they have found your web site ? Is it simply to call you? Buy a product online or learn something ? Or perhaps pass on information to a co-worker in the form of an e-book or pre-recorded video.

5. Keep it Above the Fold
Keep the critical information in the top area of your website , above the fold where someone has to scroll down to read more . This is why logos, menus and the main calls to action appear in the top part of the site design – they need to be top of mind and easy to see , without the person having to scroll down the page to find the web content they want . Of course, when indepth information is needed pages can be longer , however, as an alternative consider using a PDF document for more passive content , as it keeps the web article concise and easier to manage , plus you can brand your PDFs as a source of viral marketing, with Web links back to your home page on your website . Google and other search engines also index PDFs similar to Web pages, so your PDFs will also turn up in the search engine results.

6. Web Content as a Relationship Builder
A relationship is an ongoing commitment from both sides, it is not a one way street. While the visitor is looking for a product or information, your Calgary business is looking for that new customer and the sale they hopefully will bring – and as it has been said, it is so much easier to make a sale to a person who has already bought from you before. So, when I say “offers a return” I mean it’s a return for both sides, the returning customer finds continual value in your offers and you retain them as a repeat customer . So keep content fresh , updated and consider adding a blog or Content Management System to your Calgary Web site.

7. Keep Content Organized
Organize your site so the visitor can easily flow from one web page to the next. Make sure that information is prioritized in a hierarchy of need (both for them and you) and provide the information or product to them as efficiently as possible.  Consider the home page as the gateway to the site and lead the visitor to what you can offer them (e.g. latest deals, latest information package, latest blog entry, etc.) and then give it to them. Ensure that each page follows a consistent layout for navigation and branding and that the content area is organized in a clean manner so the overall web design of the site does not interfere with content delivery.

8.  Looks Do Matter
A web presence ’s impression is made not only by what is included in the web site, but what is left out. Bypass banner ads, third party advertising, non-interactive flash animation and overwhelming colour schemes that blatantly fight for the visitor’s attention. Your targeted traffic is generally looking for one thing on your site, so make it easy to find by keeping the overall web structure and design layout of the site simple, clean and direct.

9. Trust & Security
With billions of Web pages online these days, your web traffic needs to know , more than ever, that they can trust their valuable time and money to what your site has to offer . Get security seals and trusted third party endorsements, a 256-bit SSL Certificate tells your visitor that you have planned to secure your Calgary web site properly. However, there are subtle, yet effective, ways to show your visitor that they can trust your site: include properly written privacy policy, terms of use, shipping and returns policy, unique logins for their registration , state clearly you will never sell or share their information with a third party unless they agree and only send emails to them at realistic intervals, making sure every email sent is justifable of their time and energy .  A sure way to ensure trust is to have your site professionally developed as this will create a professional site that is visually unique and properly organized and functions to your specific needs .

10. Triple Check Every Web Page
Errors happen, it is technology after all, and while we all want to believe that technology can deliver 100%, 24/7 – is that reality? The reality is understanding errors do occur , glitches happen and once in a while things need to be fixed . The reality of the Web is that technology is expanding and those tools made to make your life easier do take efforts to learn . As technology progresses we must be prepared to update, upgrade and expand along with it . By fixing even simple errors such as broken links (this requires ongoing maintenance), spelling errors, broken images , browser inconsistencies , etc. you can present a well-polished gem to your website visitor , which will inherently carry its worth in its visual appeal, optimum functionality and delivery of relevant, needed content.

Please consider the above 10 key points to improve your Calgary Web site or if you are looking to start your own Cochrane or Calgary Web Design site .

For more information about Calgary Web Design and Calgary Graphic Design Services, please visit www.blinddrop.com.