What Your Web Site Really Needs
There is so much technology out there for web sites. It can be confusing and overwhelming to know exactly what to include.
In your opinion, what are the really important pieces to a web site? What is absolutely necessary and what isn’t?
April 7th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
If I am looking, I look for an explanation of what the person does–in their own words. Is it authentic? Is it real? I’d rather see typos with content that sounds like I am talking to an individual over smooth copy. I also want to know what your hours are. Where are you? What is expected of me?
An online contact form is nice but not 100% necessary to me but if you have one–YOU HAD BETTER RESPOND TO IT!!! I hate filling out contact forms and then never hearing again!
April 8th, 2008 at 11:49 am
oooo Bonnie - I love what you say about looking for authenticity in someone’s words. I agree… all the smooth-talkin’ text in the world can’t cover up authenticity.
April 8th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Yes, Bonnie I agree with that statement—you have to feel the authenticity of the person who is “behind” the website.
I think what a website should absolutely have in it…is to essence of my language. Talk “with” me as if you know what I am trying to search for and tell me how and why you are the one that I need to purchase from. I like when I go to a website and it speaks to me in my language as their potential customer. When I look on the site and read what they have to offer they are “there with me” to solve the problems I have and they tell me HOW they are going to do it. However, it needs to have the authenticity that Bonnie and Jenn talked about. And you can tell about the authenticity as well, when you contact the person(s).
I also enjoy a simple format….not too many things on the site and definitely not too many colors. The website color palette shouldn’t “fight” with itself.
Also, as I person who works on the computer, I like if the colors are soothing to my eyes and I don’t have to strain to see what I am reading. (Believe me, I am already near sighted, I don’t really want to have to get reading glasses too!)
I nice flow between the pages is nice as well for a website. I like it when the pages relate (even if slightly) to one another.
Once again, Jenn, you have created a wonderful topic of discussion.
P.S. As Bonnie said above, I am not a fan of the contact form either. It seems too impersonal to me. I understand the reasoning so you aren’t inundated with too many emails…however just like Bonnie mentioned…most of the time when I fill them out, I don’t hear back from there. And do you think I go back to the site?
Thanks again Jenn!
April 8th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Make sure you have contact details on your site. I know people are worried about privacy but chances are anyone can find your address in seconds on the internet anyway so I think it helps promote trust to have your contact details on a page.
If your site is RSS enabled(and if you want it found fast by the search engine spiders it should be) then make sure to have a subscribe button on your site and I would recommend giving the option to subscribe by email too. If you use feedburner they provide this option free and Aweber have a broadcast feature.
I would also recommend having easy ways for people to add your site to various social bookmarking site - I see Jenn has a button for technorati. If you have a wordpress blog there are several plugins for this - my favorite being the I love social bookmarking one.
Also to facilitate social networking, provide links to your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc pages.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
I agree with everyone that a website should feel authentic. I also like simplicity - both in the design and the text. I’m also a big fan of practicality - I don’t like it if I can’t easily find information on what services are offered and how much they cost! Simple but it will make a difference to whether I revisit the site!
April 10th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Simplicity is another good one Teresa! I know there is a lot of stuff out there that people want you to have on your site but a nice clean line is wonderful–that doesn’t mean it can’t have some graphics and such–but keep it nice.