TOP TIPS - DOES YOUR WEBSITEWORK?

Dos and Don'ts for effective website optimisation

With the internet and internet-users now reaching a new level of maturity, there are certain elements that no site should be without in order to engage with their visitors. David Chan, Creative Director at digital agency 3rd Time Media, identifies how to optimise your site to get the best returns.

Businesses are now spending more money than ever driving visitors to their websites, but when a visitor lands on your website can you be sure that the user has a good brand experience?

Many companies invest money into the design of their website competing with each other for ever more quirky graphics and flashy intros but aside from the creative experience the user experience can often be far more opaque.

Here are a selection of dos and don’ts that any website should comply with. This list can be used to benchmark your current site and is also useful to use in discussion with a design agency looking to sell you a new website.

Using these guidelines consistently will mean that visitors can intuitively find their way round your website and avoid confusion or frustration. These are not comprehensive but highlight what we believe to be the most important considerations.

Do: Make navigation intuitive

As the internet has developed, a number of 'website' conventions have evolved. For example, putting the logo top left and making it link to your homepage. These conventions are now subconsciously engrained in the minds of web visitors, so it is important to abide by them. Other examples include placing the navigation bar at the top or left of the screen; or a search bar at the top right.

Don't: Clutter the homepage

It sounds a simple one, but it is amazing to see how many websites try and cram as much information as possible onto their homepage. Play to the percentages and analyse what most of your visitors are most likely to want when visiting your site. Ensure there are appropriate links to guide visitors deeper into the site, but don't try and place everything on the home page. Users will explore further into your website to find more information.

Do: Use calls to action

A call to action is essentially a marketing message that encourages the visitor to 'do' something – either click a link, send you some information or get in touch. It must encapsulate what you offer as a company and helps users instantly recognise what you do and if you can help. It is the one aspect that should automatically stand out, grab a visitor’s attention and push them further into the site. Always position your main call to action above the fold, but don’t forget to put additional, smaller calls to action further down.

Don't: Put important elements 'below the fold'

The portion of a website that you can see in a browser without having to scroll down is 'above the fold', anything that requires a visitor to scroll down is 'below the fold'. Elements that appear above the fold are guaranteed to be seen by every visitor, so don't make your users work hard. Make sure your key message and main call to action are above the fold and allow the lower section of the page to reinforce your site's purpose.

Do: Build a sitemap

A sitemap is a simply a list, or 'map', of every page on your website. There is usually a link to a sitemap at the bottom of every page, in the footer. The most important benefit is that it allows your visitors to locate any page on your site quickly and easily. It is also very important for SEO and will often be used by the spiders to ensure they don’t miss out important pages.

Don't: Assume your visitors know all about you

It's easy to think that every web visitor will understand what you do, but this is not the case. Structure your home page to talk to every potential visitor; for example, your site may attract current customers looking for a particular service or product they are using, prospects that are aware of your business but need more information to compare against competitors, or users that are looking for a business that is offering what you do, but have not heard of you before. Your homepage should cater for each one in a clear, uncluttered way.

Do: Embrace search engine optimisation (SEO)

In order to rank your site in listings, search engines send out 'spiders' who read your site and then, based on what they find, decide where to place you. There are certain aspects that spiders look for in order to inform their reading of your site. Generally speaking, this comes down to identifying keywords and how they are used in titles, links and in the body text. With the dominance of search engines, this is a crucial aspect for any site to consider.

Don't: Ignore font line height

Website typography is a crucial aspect of website design that is often overlooked. It is important that your website typography is legible and aids readability. Line height - the distance from one line of text to the next - is a good example of how to do this. If your website contains large amounts of text it is important to increase the line height to make it easier for visitors to read.

These are all simple steps, most of which take very little expertise or money to put into practice. If your website doesn't include these then it is worth asking why. Once in place, test the site regularly and monitor your web analytics to see how your site is performing and whether it is converting visitors. Don't rely on your customer to be your online diagnostic tool.