June 14th, 2009 | 
Author: Let’s face it, when we’re in the beginning or even intermediate stages of your online career we can get so overloaded with information that we forget to follow standard guidelines on web design that make up some of the basic building blocks of creating a sustainable income from the web. For some this will be new information for others I hope it’s a gentle push back to the basics that work.
And here they are in my K.I.S.S. Keep it Simple Strategy
- standard guidelines on web design, back to basics
K.I.S.S 1 – Who Is This Website For Anyway?
Believe it or not your website is NOT for YOU. It’s for your target audience.
Before you even touch your computer sit down with a good old fashioned piece of paper and pen or pencil and work out exactly what you want your website to do. I’m going to assume that one of your goals is to make money from your website and these standard guidelines are written from that premise.
Some simple questions to get you started
Who are you trying to attract to your website?
- What do they like / dislike?
- Why would they be coming to your website?
- What problem/s do they have that you are solving?
Once you have this clearly in your mind you’ll have a much better idea about what elements of web design will be most engaging for your intended client base.
K.I.S.S 2 – Consistent Look and Feel, Easy Navigation
This is all about deciding upon a look and feel as a template for your overall site. In most cases you want every page to be consistent, making your visitor’s journey on your site fluid. Using the information you gathered in K.I.S.S. 1 start to create a clean, simple template for your pages. Make your navigation easy to use, clear and consistent as well.
K.I.S.S 3 – One page – One topic
This can be one of the hardest basics to get right. So often, especially when we are beginning we want to cram everything we can onto each page, thinking that it’s providing value – it often ends up just causing confusion.
So the basic here is to stick to just one theme for each page you create. Your copy and design should be focused for your target market so that engages them and leads them to the action you want them to take on that page. Actions you might want your visitors to take on particular pages could be:
Opting in to your mailing list – squeeze page
Making a purchase – order page
Overcoming objections – FAQ
Filling in an enquiry form – contact us
Answering a survey
In summary, 3 standard guidelines on web design you’ll now remember are:
Plan, plan, plan for your intended market before you touch your computer
Keep the look and feel consistent, simple and easy for your visitors to use
Stick to one topic or theme per page
Wanda Langkamp shares the secret of How You Can Dramatically Boost Your Website Profits Month After Month http://BigSellingConversions.com
Article Source: Neglect these 3 standard guidelines on web design at your peril
