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What makes a web site effective?

Have you ever watched Alice in Wonderland? Remember the signs? Go Here. Go there. This way. That way. Up there. Down here. The sanest thing in that scene was the hookah-smoking caterpillar. Surrounded by a haze of smoke, he asks, "Whooooo are YOU?" Good question, caterpillar, especially on the Internet! After all, on the Internet, no one knows you're a dog! Nor does anyone know your age, gender - or your ethics, for that matter.

In a study by Consumer Web Watch, over 2,600 people were asked to rate the credibility of commercial Web sites. The two most important factors, to the consumers, when trying to decide if a site was credible were; "Design Look" (46.1%) & "Information Design" (28.5%).

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The Internet has been dubbed "The Great Equalizer." It's true. With an effective web site, it is virtually impossible to differentiate between a corporation and a home-based business. The operative word, of course, being "effective." On the Internet, you don't get a second chance to make a good first impression. If your web site fails to please your visitors, odds are, they'll leave - and they aren't coming back.

"Bye Bye" or "Buy, Buy" - What makes a web site effective?

A successful website is designed for the customer, with the customer's needs in mind. The majority of web sites on the Internet suffer from "Queen of Hearts" syndrome. Remember the Queen of Hearts hollering at Alice? "MY way," she bellered at the top of her lungs.

• How many times have you seen a web site that states "best viewed in Internet Explorer," "best viewed in Netscape Navigator," or "best viewed at 800x600?"
  
  
• How many times have you seen a website that used "I," "me," "my" more often that "you" and "your?" Most business owners instinctively want to talk about themselves.

Your web sites visitors are not likely to change their browser or resolution choices to view your web site - nor should they be expected to. Your web site visitor, frankly, doesn't really care about you. They care about what you can do for them.

The sheer volume of websites that don't load properly in all browsers, don't load properly in all screen resolutions, and don't provide an enjoyable experience for the visitor are indication that far too many sites are not designed with the customer in mind. They are written based on the preferences and knowledge of the developer and the ego of the web site owner.

To make matters worse, there are many web site owners who are completely unaware of the fact that their web site has problems loading in other browsers, platforms or screen sizes. If the web site does not please the visitor, the reaction you are more likely to get is "Bye Bye" instead of "Buy, Buy!"

Next; Should you design your own web site?

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