You make your money from your regular visitors. You Web site should be designed to give them a good experience.
It's tempting to load up your Web site with all the best techno-goodies and great looking graphics. Don't do it. Those kinds of sites impress web designers, artists, techies and the folks who give out Web site awards. But most visitors don't like them. If you want to be popular with folks who will buy what you're selling, you have to keep things simple.
Make your site simple and fast-loading. Design those entry pages so the pop up in ten seconds or less for a first-time visitor using a dialup connection. I know you've heard about how fast, broadband connections are surging in popularity, but they still account for less than twenty percent of users. Eighty percent of your visitors will probably be using dialup.
Make sure navigation fast and easy. Put a site-specific search engine on your site. Web users love that. They also like simple, easy-to-understand categories. Do your homework with your customers to determine what words and phrases they use. Then use that language on your site.
Make your site easy to read. That means that text should be high contrast, like black text on a white background. Use a bookface typeface, like Times Roman, for body copy. It's the easiest to read. Avoid teeny-tiny type.
Make your site easy to print. Visitors should be able to print your page by using the standard print command on their browser. If that doesn't work, if pages run over, or if only part of the page prints, re-design so that printing is easy.
One more thing. Everything we've talked about so far is technical. It's about how your site works. That's all important, but it doesn't matter much if your site doesn't deliver value.
When visitors show up on your site they want to find lots of relevant information there. Relevant information for them is information that helps them solve a problem or answer a question.
Make sure your site gives your visitors simple answers to the questions they want to answer. They'll be the same questions they've asked for years on the telephone and face to face.
Make sure your site gives your visitors solutions to problems you know they have. How do you know? You've been solving them for years. In fact, you probably have a list of tips or hints that you developed to hand to your customers on paper. Get that kind of information on the Web site.
The best business Web sites are the ones that help your important visitors solve their problems and answer their questions. The best business Web sites are the ones that make it simple and easy for customers.
Created/Revised/Reviewed: 30 July 2002
This is only one Big Idea. You'll find more in Wally's book, What's the Big Idea? and in his Big Idea column. There's a complete list on the Main Big Idea page. You may also order the book by clicking here.
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