I'm busy. You're busy. We all know that drill. And if you're like me, you probably have a shortlist of things that annoy the heck out of you when they slow you down.
For me, that certainly includes the Web, which probably sounds crazy because I work for a company that sells Web services to small businesses. But I go absolutely nuts when I land on a Web site looking for something basic - like contact information or directions - and have to waste time hunting for it.
The Web is a beautiful thing in form and function, and we should always strive to keep it that way. It isn't necessary to make each and every Web page on a Web site a piece of art with breathtaking flash screens or animated icons floating about. Web pages should load fast and they should be immediately usable. The less you make navigation a puzzle that your visitors have to figure out before they can see what products or services you offer, the less you'll lose those prospects to another site that gives them what they want efficiently.
I could go on, but let me state five essentials of Web site usability that have become clear to me in my experience. If you make sure your Web pages do these five things, I'd be willing to put up with a few dancing icons. (But only a few.)
1. Put your contact information in a prominent location. You want to look like a legitimate business. This is a no-brainer, right? But I'm amazed at how often I have to hunt around on a Web site for a phone number, or an e-mail address.
Author: Michael Schultz
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