by Theraisa K

Created on: January 22, 2009   Last Updated: August 05, 2011

"Design & Usability"

A great website combines efficient and eye-catching design coupled with a user friendly and accessible interface that is guaranteed to generate attention, traffic and return visitors. The way your site's content is presented (both in design and usability) means the world to how it is interpreted by its viewers, including those with disabilities.

The key to beginning a successful website, both in design and usability is to first know your service, product, purpose, as well as your target audiences. Generating a basic concept or idea of what you want to present to the world (product, service, etc.); as well as how you want to present it (visual aids, text, multi-media, etc.) will give you a great vantage point for creating an optimal website.

• Purpose

Before you begin swash buckling a website together with all the latest free gizmos and gadgets you Google on the web, you need to ask yourself one very important and key question: What purpose does your website serve?

Figuring out the purpose of your website will not only help you remain focused on what it is you're offering to the public, but will also help you find the right tools, services, designers and elements fitting of your particular website.

For example: Let's say I'm a professional oil painter with a catalog of hundreds of prints and original pieces that I'm looking to sell online world wide. The purpose of my website would be to sell my artwork plain and simple! The best type of site design that I'd need to use (to get the most profit from my site, services and products) would be to build an e-commerce style site with shopping cart or other online ordering capabilities.

Now that you have a purpose for your website in mind, you will need well thought out and planned content to enhance the pages of your site.

• Content

The content of your website refers primarily to the descriptive text and graphical images that are embellished within your website's design infrastructure.

Your content should create a positive and reactive response from your site's viewers. It should capture their attention while providing them with answers to all their questions about your site, service, products and purpose.

Within your content you should at the very least explain:  

1.) Who you are and how long you've been in business

2.) What you offer, provide, etc.

3.) How you can be reached or how your products can be obtained

4.) Where you're located or where your products can be

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