Seven Website Guidelines

By Nicole Williams
Published on Monday, May 01, 2006
ARTICLES

Your organization competes against countless others to sell its ideas to journalists, policymakers, citizen activists and foundation representatives. Unfortunately, many think-tank executives have relinquished design control of a key marketing resource to website vendors – vendors who may not grasp the idea business. It is imperative that your website be smart, sleek and user-friendly. The following guidelines will help your website be all three.

More than two clicks, lose many from the mix. Most web-users are accustomed to getting information instantly. Unnecessary sublevels of document organization will cause some users to give up and go elsewhere. Similarly, “click here to enter” and flash introductions may cause users to flee.

Graphic abuse. Internet access speeds continue to increase, yet many people are still using a dial-up service. Try to keep individual elements below 70 Kilobytes with a per page total of no more than 300 Kilobytes, with two exceptions:

• A state with a high percentage of dial-up users shouldn’t have graphics larger than 20 Kilobytes with a total of 150 Kilobytes per page.
• Special events or tools on a website (such as a blog or photo album) geared toward users more likely to use high speed internet make the use of large graphics acceptable.

Simple navigation. Many websites need only one navigation bar, but many designers like to split up navigation. Each new navigation location increaases the risk of user confusion. Carefully review your site for the simplest possible navigation. Make certain that the user can easily return to the home page. Do not change the primary navigation look and feel in different regions of your site.

Too many elements on the home page. Keep the front page simple to convey your most important information and draw the user further into your site.

Links on your site to other organizations must launch a new browser window. This allows users to easily return to your website.

Moving parts. Moving pieces draw the eye and can be used well when used sparingly. They can also distract. Err on the side of caution with anything that moves or blinks.

Where is the search feature? A good search feature is instrumental in helping users find what they want, fast.

The above guidelines will help draw users in, and keep them returning.

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