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1. Clear, easy web-pages:
The first step to make a website effective and striking at the first glance by the user is to make the webpages clear. The Krug’s Law of usability focuses on this very aspect—that it becomes very obvious to the user on how to utilize the website, and achieve his objective.
2. Catch the User’s attention:
It is important for the website, if used for advertising, to use techniques like emboldened fonts, moving texts, marquees, graphics, and Flash videos, images to grab the attention of the user and concentrate it on the key topics. However, it must be kept in mind that user is not confounded with too bright and confusing meshes of objects on the screen. Use this technique moderately to gain success.
3. Impressive Content:
The content of the website is actually what the user ends up reading ultimately, and hence, is one of the most influential factors for effective websites. The content should be to-the-point, easygoing, impressive in readability, and clearly understandable. Use of objective language, plain and clear statement which are at the same well written enhances the appeal of the website.
4. Concentrate on Functionality:
Users like to know clearly what functions the website offers. Displaying One-Two-Three step procedures for the users, by breaking up a task, has proved to be very effective to guide the user in a simple friendly way towards his goal. Clearly establish what the user’s next step would achieve.
5. Respect the User’s Time:
Websites which take the users to long time-consuming procedures for their own purposes, or play with the user’s patience generally tend to annoy the user. Requiring the user to fill out long details and make accounts before allowing him to do general tasks is an unnecessary task and negatively impacts the website.
6. Simplicity is still the golden rule:
Keeping the website simple is strongly recommended. This is because users enjoy navigating through simple websites in which they don’t have to comprehend much. From the color scheme to the boxes to the page structure, don’t overdo or overcomplicate things.
7. Special Effects:
Keeping it simple and using special effects at the same time is an art. Most websites incorporate special effects like Watercolors and Transparency into their web-design.
8. TETO:
This is a popular technique to keep checking and properly maintaining the website. TETO, or Test Early Test Often, which recommends regular testing and debugging of the website, so as to keep a check on problems which usually tend to occur. Testing is considered as very imperative to website design, since it can solve problems which the designer might not have predicted.
9. Communicate:
A good website talks to the user, providing him with clear concepts and ideas. Use of a clear structure and organization helps a great deal.
10. Optimize Load Time:
Users are annoyed when made to wait. Figure out and rectify if the website takes longer than usual to load. Load time should be optimized for effective websites.
Author Bio:
Buytemplates.net is a web products hub offering scores of inexpensive web templates and brochures. The site presents readymade website templates like SharePoint templates, Joomla templates, marketing brochures, and many more along with an affordable template customization service.