With all the bells and whistles now associated with online media, it is easy to "pimp" your Web site to the point that it resembles the aftermath of an all-night-rave:
The colors are blinding, the audio is booming and the background is littered with content. This Electric-Koolaid-Acid-Test mentality might lure a handful of visitors who
fall victim to visual stimulation, but the majority of your stakeholders won't appreciate the flashback. With that in mind, here is a guide for making a flashy (not
trashy) site that is user-friendly and expressive of your brand.
*Turn down the volume. You've experienced it before: You enter a Web site, and you are immediately assaulted with music or audios that drown your senses. Your first
instinct is to locate the "off" function, and this takes your attention away from the content. To avoid this instant turn-off, make the audio element of your Web site an
opt-in experience. If a user does choose to listen to the accompanying music, make sure it is tasteful, and that is doesn't detract from the focus of the site. Anything
overt or product-specific should be relegated to a video clip that has a distinct start- and end-point.
*Banish pop-ups. Often, communicators are tempted to draw attention to an announcement or product by creating a pop-up that dominates the screen once you enter a site.
This is a bad plan for a number of reasons: First, pop-up blockers have a field day with this approach, meaning the intended recipient will never see your message.
Second, if it does slip by the blocker, the reader likely will close out of it instinctively under the assumption that it's an advertisement.
*Kill dead-on-arrival links. It is essential to systematically check each and every link and shortcut on your site to make sure it doesn't lead to a dead page. Often,
the IT department will take down a page that was supposed to be temporary without eliminating every single link that landed there, and customers won't be inclined to waste
time in no man's land. To minimize the likelihood of dead-ends, resist having "vertical" pathways that go deep into the site but lead nowhere. Operate under a two-click
philosophy: no more than two clicks to get in, or they'll opt out. There should be as few layers as possible, and every page should have a one-clink route back to the
homepage.
*Choose your color scheme wisely. No one expects a communications executive to have the taste of an interior designer, but common rules should always be applied to Web
design: Neon colors are almost never a good plan; dark backgrounds with light text are hard to read; flash animation that darts across the screen is distracting, so use it
sparingly; and blocks of text are not Web-friendly, so opt for short sentences/descriptions with spaces between paragraphs. White space is a beautiful thing.
*Be reachable. Beyond having two givens - a site map and a search feature - every Web site should have a contact page that actually has contact information, including
an e-mail address. Also, make sure there is a place for reader feedback and comments.
*Open your heart, your mind ... and your source? Open-source programming platforms (ever heard of Linux?) are becoming more mainstream, and they offer low-cost, high-
return options for developing a Web site. Open-source programs such as Ruby on Rails, Django and TurboGears are great alternatives to expensive Web developers, and their
easy-to-use features make them all the more appealing to technophobes.
*Think outside the phonebook. For agencies and corporations with deep pockets, Web design teams are likely in house and available to revamp sites whenever the need
arises. However, for those less fortunate, the need to add new features and design elements doesn't necessarily disappear. In this case, don't start scouring the
phonebook for freelance designers. Instead, turn to "crowdsourcing" to find low-cost talent that matches your site and brand's look and feel. Never heard of
crowdsourcing? It's a relatively new Web concept that involves putting your task requirements and the price you are willing to pay online, and then sitting back and
waiting for the samples to start rolling in. Browse the options to decide which one you prefer - you might end up finding a team of reliable freelancers while you're at
it. In addition to getting fresh perspectives on your site design at a low cost, you are also bringing potential customers into the fold. Tapping into the brainpower of
others never looked so good.