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5 Web design tips you should know about

Let's face it, we've all seen Web sites that make us dizzy there's so much going on. Or sites that may offer exactly what we're looking for, but may require a private eye to find it.

One of the biggest problems people have when designing Web sites is keeping it simple. They think Empire State Building when they should be thinking split-level home.

What happens when they create these big, busy Web sites is people get overwhelmed. There is so much going on – so much to absorb – that they may quickly decide it's easier to give up and go elsewhere.

If you're ready to start building your Microsoft Office Live site, please take a few really basic tips from a Web marketing guy (me) who gets really cranky when Web site design interferes with my ability to use a site.

1. Put your contact information in a prominent location. People shouldn't have to hunt for something so basic. Plus, being up front about how people can get in touch with you suggests you're a legitimate business. It increases your credibility in the eyes of potential customers who may know nothing about you.
   You might think about the contact information on your Web site like an electronic version of your business card that you would hand someone when you want to make it easy for them to get in touch with you. Be sure to include a:
    
   • Phone number
   • E-mail address
   • Physical address
   • Fax number
2. Restrain yourself when it comes to graphics. I like eye candy as much as anyone. But if I want art, I'll go to a gallery. Like everyone else these days, I'm usually in a hurry. So when I'm looking for information on the Web, what's most important to me is being able to find it quickly. Slow-loading graphics or distracting animations often hinder rather than help visitors find what they need quickly. Avoid using them.
   However, you don't want to just put a bunch of words on a page and call it a Web site. Some color, your logo, and an image or two along with your text can make your site appealing, without being distracting. Consider using the pre-formatted "themes" included in the Microsoft Office Live Site Designer tool to create a design look and feel that matches your business. Whether you fix cars or sell furniture, chances are you can find a theme that will fit and save you some time.
3. Keep text focused and friendly. Just as too many graphics can lead to sensory overload, too much text can have the same effect. Respect your visitor's time and keep text focused – and brief.
   Since people tend to scan Web pages rather than read word-for-word, things like bulleted lists, boxes, and boldface lead-in sentences make Web content more scannable and reader-friendly.
4. Keep your customer top-of-mind. Too many Web site designers think that once someone has landed on their site, they've got them. But that's simply not the case. You've got to give the visitor what they want – immediately. If you sell shoes, and they came to your Web site looking for shoes, don't sidetrack them with the story of your great-grandfather who started your business or – worse yet – your mission statement. Give them shoes!
   That's not to say there's no place for a page on your company's roots or your mission statement if you think your customers would be interested in them. But make them secondary to your primary reason for having a Web site, which is to sell shoes.
5. Keep your navigation simple. Your Web site should scream out to people how easy it is to do business with you. When they come to your site they shouldn't have to guess what you had in mind when you put an image of Abe Lincoln next to your discount merchandise or why there's a little duck icon at the bottom of every page.
   To avoid confusion, stick with commonly understood Web standards when it comes to navigation and directive icons. The Web works pretty well and there's no reason to try to re-invent it. The Site Designer tool I mentioned earlier offers some tried-and-true navigation options you can experiment with.
   Just keep in mind that you can get a basic site up quickly and then, with the Web site traffic reports you get as part of your Office Live service, you can monitor what people are doing on your site and make adjustments or add pages as needed.
   If you do the five things I've listed above, you should have a nice-looking Web site that is easy for visitors to use – and one they'll happily return to.
   And that's what it's all about.