A recently published article in the Wall Street Journal of 12 June 2007, based on the research carried out by the Research Group, has made the following observations as to the flaws in the design of web sites today.

Web sites are now bigger than they ever were and they are more complicated especially from the point of view of the nonprofessional. Therefore it gets more difficult to hone in to the information you want.

It is important to provide a link to a topic as close to the first link as possible, for instance if the topic is insurance options, the link on insurance cover should be close to the insurance options link.

Revisit Website

When a web site provides sales or service and the visitors to the site are required to fill in a form, it is wise to guide them through the process every step of the way so that they are not at sea. In this way they are encouraged to complete the task and revisit your web site.

Ask yourself if your web site is customer friendly. It is important to know your clients and feel their pulse as it were to gauge what they want. Having established this, it is in your best interest to help them achieve their objective.

Your web site should be cleared of all clutter. If there is something that is there just because it’s attractive, get rid of it. In the same way, the graphic designer may think up something gimmicky that is of no real value and the manager of advertising could be caught up in the general trend and be repetitive.

Another grave violation is in the use of color. The first thing that may attract or repel a visitor to your website is the color. Keep the target audience and the content of your web site in mind when choosing colors.

You could use pinks and lemony greens to attract teenage girls. However, it is hardly the colors you would adopt for a site that the bereaved go to in order to choose a suitable funeral parlor for their loved one who has passed on. While black and red is fine for a blood and gore movie site or a site for rock and roll and heavy metal fans, this would certainly be inappropriate for a stock market or Wall Street site.

With these suggestions in mind, go ahead and design your own web site. Good luck!