Pvcc best practices for web handout

Make Your Web Site Worth Visiting 3/24/2009

Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce 1

Web is interactive

People must DO something in order to

discover what a web site is about

March 2010 Best Practices for Your Web Site 1

March 2010 2Best Practices for Your Web Site lindakolker.com 434‐984‐6619



We are creatures of habit, and rely on patterns to y psave time and energy of constantly learning something new

3Best Practices for Your Web SiteMarch 2010 lindakolker.com 434‐984‐6619

We are creatures of habit, and rely on patterns to

Most popular web sites have similar patterns

y psave time and energy of constantly learning something new

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People are comfortable with what they already know

Best Practices for Your Web SiteMarch 2010 lindakolker.com 434‐984‐6619



“Don’t make me think!”

--Steve Krug

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Steve Krug


30 seconds to engage or lose

Good for your business




1. What is this organization about?

2. What is this web site about?

3. How do I find what I’m looking for?

4. What can I do next?4. What can I do next?

5. How can I get back to where I was?


Communicates the purpose of your business and your site

Strategy

Communicates the purpose of your business and your site

Tag line that explicitly summarizes what the organization

and/or site does

Value proposition clearly stated

Name and logo at top / in upper left corner

3/24/2009 8Best Practices for Your Web Site lindakolker.com 434‐984‐6619



Should be able to answer the five questions

looking at ANY page on the web site

Home page

ALL other pages

3/24/2009 9Best Practices for Your Web Site

Home Home

Site Structure

Home Home

ProductsProducts

Product A

Product A

Product B

Product B

ServicesServices

Service AService A Service BService B




HomeHome

ProductsProducts

Product AProduct A Product BProduct B

Industries Served

Industries Served

NewsNewsAbout Us

About Us

Contact Us

Contact Us


Navigation

Main navigation and local navigation

Both are available on every page

Deep navigation on home page




Navigation

Navigation links are underlined and in a

different color

When you click on a link, you go to content that

you expect to see

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you expect to see


Design

Home page is clearly different from other pages, but design is consistent throughout site

Looks like a recent site, rather than an old, out of date site

Name & logo are in upper left or across top, tagline at top

Site wide navigation across top

Local navigation down left or right side




Subheads

Content

Subheads

Bulleted lists

Highlighted keywords

Short paragraphs

The inverted pyramid

A simple writing styleA simple writing style

De-fluffed language devoid of marketese.

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--Jakob Nielsen,

Alertbox


Measuring Success

Are you achieving your goals?

Is your site easier to use?

Are people spending more time on your site and returning

more frequently?




Resources

Don’t Make Me Think Steve KrugDon t Make Me Think, Steve Krug

Jakob Nielsen: useit.com/alertbox, also numerous books

Usability.gov – covers many best practices for web site

usability, with supporting research, (though site needs

usability improvements)

Google Analytics: google.com/analytics


Pvcc best practices for web handout

Technology

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