Website contruction advice.

[salesrep]

I am currently in the middle of completely redesigning my website.

Questions for y'all.
What makes a website easy to read?
attractive?
easy to navigate?
What ****es you off with certain sites?
what do you like about certain sites?
what have you found unique recently that you like?
Does it bother you to give up your phone number?
address?
email?

etc?
etc?

Any feedback that may help me in this creation is appreciated.

Mark
Specialized Lubricants

 

[medic]

I have multiple email addresses just for this purpose. I almost never give out the real one unless I have a pretty good idea they won't sell it for spam. I don't have too much of a problem with my phone number becuase of the "don't call" list. My phone number is useless to telemarketers.

Other than that, easy to navigate is a biggy. Being able to find information right up front without having to click all over is very nice. Also, contrasting colors are good. I remember one site I went to where it was almost immpossible to read because the test color was only a few shades off from the background. I had to right click and highlight everything to be able to read it. Try to design it based on the clients that want to do business with you or toward the people you want to do business with you. After all, you aren't going to be doing business with a 40 year old house wife, so there is no need for flowers and that type of stuff. I realize my example is a bit extreme, but I think you get the picture.

 

[simple_gifts]

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9605a.html


My pet peeves/suggestions

Have a stated privacy policy regarding submitted info.

Avoid colored text on a colored background.
http://www.riceboypage.com/
Left column = BAD.

Avoid "non standard" (aka Microsoft only) technologies. No messages such as "You must use Internet Explorer 5.5 and above to view this page"

No "Intro page" with a "click this to skip intro" or use of 7 different plugs ins. Have an HTML only version available if P-Ins are used.

Fit it on 1024x768

I will try to think of others....

 

[salesrep]

Great feedback.
I will be putting 6-7 minute click on videos as well.
top of the page or bottom?
Think folks that are truly interested will click on and view?

 

[michaelc80]

Remember-Keep it simple and easy to navigate. If you are going to be selling products from the website make it easy for me to find what I need and buy it. If I have to jump through a lot of extra hoops I will probably buy elsewhere.

Limit the use of cheap looking out-of-the-box graphics. If you are going to have graphics, get them custom designed. Give all of the pages a similar look and feel with your graphics as well. Make sure I know that I'm still on the same site as I navigate from page to page.

Give me plenty of information about your product. On the page for "product A" make it not only easy to buy it, but easy to research it if I'm not quite ready to purchase it yet.

If you have links to external sites make them open up a new browser window. That way when I have viewed the link I only have to close the window to return to your site.

Keep each page simple. Don't make me scroll down and down and down and down for the information that I want. Multiple pages are a good thing. I would keep your videos on each page with the product they are highlighting. For example, if you have a video highlighting the benefits of "product A" then put it on the product A page. Keep all the info for product A on the product A page. Same with product B and product C.

Finally, look at different websites and see what you like and don't like. Chances are if you don't like it, others won't either.

 

[kanling]

Don't use Macromedia Flash at all. I hate that thing and it doesn't open properly in Firefox for me and I don't want it to.

The less personal information (phone numbers, email addresses) I have to put, the better. I should be able to get datasheets and technical data without having to give up any information.

The more concrete information available on the web site, the fewer questions by phone calls and emails you will have to deal with.

I'm not sure what the value of the videos is, please don't force them down my throat. If they are useful to me, I will look at them... but I will get annoyed if they turn out to be useless after I wait for it to come up.

 

[Pablo]

Great points! All the flash and bang stuff sucks. Remember frames? I hated that from day one. I guess so do other folks!

My site sucks, I will admit. Someday....someday.