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Design of a Website - an Overview

By Vickie J. Scanlon


When designing a website you must remember four things: usability, functionality, accessibility and content. Why? These four elements will help you to please the search engines, the people who come to your site, as well as, build your  business. Trust me, if you don’t keep these things in mind-you’ll find more clicks from you than your visitors in your behind the scene stats. Let’s see why.

Usability

Usability - Usability is your navigation. If you look at most websites, you will notice that navigation is either to the side or across the top. If your visitor has to search endlessly for your navigation, expect one thing –your visitor leaving quickly in utter frustration-no matter how much they want the product, service or the information you offer. Thus, make sure your navigation is consistent across the pages, and easy for all to see and access.


Is Your Website Functional?

Functional- Is your website functional? If you have broken links- then you have a function breakdown. Make sure all links are working. Nothing can aggravate an individual more than a broken link. I know I’m always checking my web pages. If you update some of your web pages on a weekly basis, it’s always good to do another once over. Also, it’s always good to go through your pages, and make sure that your code is clean. Clean code helps keep the search engines coming. If the code is too cumbersome, the search engines will not even venture through the whole page-fearing they may get stuck in the code.



Is Your Website Accessible

Accessibility – Make your website accessible to all. That includes those who are disabled or impaired. This is where the alt tag and labels come in for images-use them. Not only is it important for the disabled or impaired, but also for the search engines. The search engines cannot read images but they can read the text in the alt tag. 



Quality Content

Content – quality content is important. If you’re new to the Internet, you may not realize the importance of content. I’m sure you’ve seen or heard the statement “Content is King”, but what does it truly mean?

Quality content can bring you targeted traffic, search engine visits and it can create quality links to your site. Remember, content is not limited to articles, but include your product and service description information on your web pages, or it may be an online tool that is useful to people online. 

Though these four elements may be simple, or seem simple, many who begin (myself included) do not realize their importance when building their website. Take heed early, you’ll save yourself a lot of grief, unnecessary revamping of your website, and a better, and earlier return on your investment.

About the Author:

Vickie J Scanlon  -- Visit her site at: My Affiliate Place for articles, ebooks, info on Starting a Website,  tech accessories, software, computers for personal or business use.