Category: Design and Print >> Web Designing

What are some of the best website features?


There are literally millions of web sites on the Internet today, with thousands more being added every day. The competition on the internet to get noticed is fierce and in order to be successful, you need to stay one step ahead of the game. One of the most important aspects of your success online is with your web site.


A web site is a direct reflection of you and the business you are running. The appearance of your web site is the most important factor in determining your site's value and success. If your site does not look professional or eye-catching enough, it will not succeed online.

Websites vary from the simple to the complex. The individual features and characteristics of your website is what makes it distinct from the other sites that are out there. There are a plethora of website features available that can make your site a success; however it all depends on which features are most appropriate for your business and the budget you can allocate for building your website.

While a personal consultation with a web designing firm is the best way to determine the style of your web site, the following is a guide that can help you pick which features would best suit your site's needs.


Best website features

When creating a functional, dynamic and attractive web site, the following features should be kept in mind at all times:

  • Your main page should be specific. It should let you customers know exactly what you are offering. If your potential customer can not find your product or service on your main page, they will not waste their time looking for it.
  • Make sure you create a page that clearly displays your 'Privacy Policy' with regards to the personal information you collect from your visitors. You can also explain your reasons for collecting the information and let them know how and if the information will be used. Also display your copyright information at the bottom of each page.
  • Create an 'About Us' page about you and your company and make sure to include your name, company name, picture, biography, address, phone number and email address.
  • Make sure you include good navigational links on every page. Also use tables to neatly align your links and maintain a nice organized and uniform appearance throughout your website.
  • Use caution when selecting colors for your background and text. A busy background makes it difficult to read the text and draws attention away from it. Also remember to use colors based upon the effect you are trying to achieve. Additionally, always be consistent with your background theme and colors on each page of your site.
  • Always make sure that your site has no grammar or spelling errors.
  • If you are using frames on your website, do so sparingly, as it can make your site look unprofessional.
  • If you are using JavaScript on your site, make sure it is used appropriately, as it can slow a site down.
  • Try and view your site through different browsers and screen resolutions so you will know how other people will view your site. Netmechanic.com is a great site that can help you do this.
  • Lastly always keep adding new content to your site. It gives your clients a reason to keep coming back.


Mistakes to avoid

Though you may have a great site but it takes some time to load, its value goes down considerably. This is because a slow site puts off prospective customers. As a rule of thumb, the main page of your site should load within 8 seconds or less. To keep your site from becoming too heavy:

  • Avoid using slow loading graphics
  • Avoid using too many animated graphics
  • Limit the number of banners on a single page
  • Use Java sparingly
  • If you want to have a flash intro, provide visitors with an alternative skip into link.
Another important consideration is to design your site to rank high in search engine results. According to industry analysts if your site is not within the top 30 search results, potential customers will not be able to find you. To optimize your search engine results include:


META Tags

META tags enable search engines to determine what key words are relevant to a specific site.


IMAGE ALT Tags

An Image Alt tag comes after your graphic address in your HTML code.


TITLE Tags

A Title tag is what a users sees when your site is listed after a search query.


Text

A very important part of your search optimization is your text, which should be easily readable and contain your site's keywords.


Some other mistakes to avoid include:


  • Broken links and graphics
  • Different backgrounds on each page
  • Large fonts
  • Large scrolling text across a page
  • Slow loading graphics
  • Multiple banners and buttons
  • No contact information
  • No Meta tags
  • Over use of Java
  • Poor browser compatibility
  • Poor content
  • Poor navigation
  • Poor overall appearance
  • Poor use of frames and tables
  • Pop up messages
  • Too many graphics or advertising
  • Too much advertising
It is important that you take some time to research, design and plan your web site. Your success depends upon how well you use the various features in your web site.