Published April 2003: The Canadian Junior Chamber Quarterly
*Note* - Some facts and
figures have changed since the publish date and author may no longer
feel they are accurate. Theories remain accurate.
What are the essential traits of a great website?
After you visit a site and find yourself staying awhile, what makes
you stay? A sense of humor helps. Flashy graphics are
nice. But the fundamental traits that make a site work are
more elusive.
There are many guidelines that are just plain
common sense, which seems to be a scarce commodity on the Web.
Overall, I've found that companies either get the Web or they don't.
Your website should reflect your business.
Very few sites (15%) can say they honestly believe their website is
something that clearly reflects the same image they strive for daily
within their store. Many say, "It's just our website."
When, in fact, that website could potentially be selling your
product/service to +5000% more customers than your store could ever
handle!
Great websites are developed by experienced
companies. It can be shown that many companies that have
"John's son who is into the Internet" build their corporate website
end up losing potential customers, rather than gaining more
customers and further servicing existing customers. Choose a
professional company if you want a professional image.
My experience has shown that original content & an
engaging graphical design are the two most important traits of a
great website. Give away something valuable: information,
software, advice, humor, and people will flock to your site.
Make your visitors say, "Wow!" when your site loads up on their
computer monitors.
Build it, and they will come?
Companies that are new to the Web have a common
misconception that if they put up a page, people will visit it.
In order to have a popular site, you've got to offer something to
the user: information, interactivity, fun, freebies ... something
more than an 800 number.
Original content is important. Users may
come to your site once, but to keep them coming back you've got to
have some fresh original content. Sites that offer freebies
get noticed. Free software, services, databases or electronic
newsletters will attract users like a magnet.
Websites should:
- Provide credible, original content in as many
forms as possible.
- Provide valuable information to the user, not
lots of data. Stale websites should be updated regularly.
Websites say, "been there, done that."
- Customize and target your content/site to your
users. Run semi-annual surveys on your website to make sure
you are providing your visitors with what they expect when they
arrive. In turn, make sure you act on their responses and
provide results. Dominate your subject area; become the site
for your subject area; become the site for your subject. By
creating a dynamic, interactive, and adaptive website for your
visitor, you are ensuring their return.
- Be responsive on a 56 kbps modem (dial-up
users). Use graphics sparingly to convey information that
could effectively be conveyed using text.
- Be easy to read. Black text on a white
background is the easiest to read. I've seen some pages nearly
impossible to read, using backgrounds the same shade as the text
(black text on a dark blue background and vice versa). Stick
with the light shades and let the text stay dark.
- Be interactive; good interactivity engages the
user and makes your site memorable.
- Be well organized; users equate poor site design
with a poor organization.
- Track the effect your pages are having on
visitors; monitor how long people stay on specific pages; at what
pages do they enter & exit your site.
- Include a "What's New" area to give frequent
visitors a way to see what has changed since their last visit.
- SECURITY; often the last item addressed on even
larger commercial sites. Amazingly, only 20% of current
websites are secure.
The Web is an interactive, dynamic, and rapidly
changing new communications medium that your site should reflect.
Well-organized, edited, and timely original content in an
attractive, interactive, and consistent format will ensure your
website visitors keep coming back for more.
Ryan Hnetka is a member of the Humboldt Jaycees
(Humboldt Junior Chamber) in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. He is the
Treasurer for the chapter this year, and was also nominated for
Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Humboldt, SK. Ryan is the
owner of COMPUTICA, an Internet & Computer Solutions firm; serving
clientele all over the globe by providing many services such as
website design, E-commerce development and marketing strategies.
COMPUTICA also provides computer hardware solutions to Canadian
customers. | 
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