Effective Web Design

Jamie Nottingham

Effective Web Design

The point of any website is to communicate some kind of message or information. Although flashy effects and appealing design can increase your chances of communicating that message but they can also distract, confuse and frustrate the viewer. Thus the primary aspect of a website is its functionality and aesthetics must be dealt with secondarily. Before you can communicate a message you must get people onto your site, this can be harder than it seems. With millions of websites it can be hard for someone to find your page even if it’s exactly what you are looking for. Search engines are the most common tool for locating the information or service that you are looking for and being listed on Google and other search engines is key to having a successful website. Processes like search engine optimization (SEO) help bring more traffic to your website through search engines. Another method of directing traffic to your site is through advertisements and links from other websites. It almost goes without saying that a good website is free

                Although the ability to communicate message is central to the function of website aesthetics play a large role in turning traffic to leads. Good design has a clear message and feel. The overall quality or feel of a website should be coherent with its message i.e. if the message is that you want people to buy a product then the website should be appealing and stimulating so the will see the product like it and then want to buy it. Websites with conflicting messages and aesthetics are confusing to viewers and don’t provide the impetus to for the viewer to do what they are on the site for. Currently many websites are overly embellished and don’t provide ease of access to information. Creativity is however a valuable tool for making your website more interesting and appealing so long as it’s not distracting.

                Websites serve a number of business and economically related purposes. The ability to actively provide access to a product or service by means of the internet is key for any modern company or business person. More and more things are only available through internet as it is not efficient for stores to stock huge numbers of specialty items. Thus the most important thing for such a website is making sure that you are able to be found by people who want to buy your product and that it is easy and simple to do so. Which is not a small order given the complications of working with code or your graphic designer’s excessive creativity. Business must choose designs that are coherent with their interest and should avoid having other interests being pushed by their website. Websites should also flow smoothly from topic to topic with and ease of navigation. People should be able to view the full range of products and services offered without going through too much trouble.

                Some websites serve as markets themselves. They allow people to buy and exchange goods and provide access to product that may not be available in a physical store. The aspects of a good website stressed earlier in this essay apply in the same ways to marketplace websites like eBay or amazon.