The biggest mistake firms make when designing a website is thinking that the visual design is more important than the informational design. (Class Lecture)
Graphics are an important part of the website, however if it lacks content than the website is useless. There are many components that make up a good website. To make a good web design you must be able to think like your customer, understand their needs and build an attractive and interactive web presence.
Think like Your Customers You must put yourself in the customers’ position. “Whenever you’re doing anything electronically in terms of messaging or marketing, always get into the mindset of the audience you’re trying to target,” he said. Think about who your customers are. Are they young web savvy educated individuals or are they older, more traditional and slower to adapt to new technology. If you’re targeting the younger generation you should make your website more flashy and appealing. However, if you’re targeting the older baby boomer generation, then a clear, simple, easy to use website would be better suited. “Failure to understand what constitutes an effective website will result in dissatisfaction from both the business and user perspective”. Understand Your Customers Needs
Understanding users and their information needs are critical elements in the success of a website. “If users are not satisfied, cannot complete a task or are frustrated by their experience, the next website is only a click away.”
Attractive and Interactive Web Presence It also important to develop a lively and attractive web presence, Mr. Patrick said, and to update it often. “You want to have an active and ongoing online discussion with your customers and suppliers,” This is very important for an e-commerce business because people do not get the same interactive experience as would by going into a physical store. It is very difficult to build a relationship with someone browsing your website. Allowing the customers to post blogs on the web site will increase sales and customer satisfaction. This is a great way to get direct feedback from the customer and allow the firm to make any necessary changes and or improvements of their product or service.
Firms need to carefully consider all aspects of a good web design because it can make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful business.
Resources
A paper for the Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand 16th annual Conference: The Importance of Information Design for Small Business Websites
The Frederick News Post: Internet Marketing Secrets
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/business/display.htm?StoryID=65245
The New York Times: Strategies to Succeed Online
