10 Things All Web Sites Should Have
- 1) Site Map
- - Any Web site should arrive on screen with an organized structure. If you have a Web page with multiple pages then a link from your main page to a site map will offer your visitors an immediate link to the area they are looking for. Don't confuse a site map with a "Navigation Bar" (see below) this is just used as a separate overview of your entire site.
- 2) Navigation Bar
- - Every Web site should have a navigation bar that remains constant on each page within the site. Buttons on the navigation bar can include the following:
- Home Page
- Contact Information
- Feedback/E-mail Form
- Main Areas of Interest
- Site Map
- Links
- A navigation bar can be either horizontally across the top of your page or placed vertically on the left or right side. It can also be in either a separate framed window (to be discussed later) or a consistent set of repeating images on each page. Once the images are cached (stored on the users computer) this allows them to load faster on subsequent pages.
- 3) Contact Page
- - It is always a good idea to let your visitors know who you are and how they can contact you, especially if you have a site selling a product or aiming to educate visitors about a particular topic. This page can consist of an e-mail form and also include a postal address, phone number and fax number if you have one.
- 4) Feedback Form
- - Visitors can request information right then and there, without needing to write down a number to call at a later time. It also helps with visitors who do not have an e-mail account of their own, they can be sent a letter or receive a phone call with the response they asked for.
- 5) Content
- - Visitors arrive expecting to learn everything they want to know about you, your products (if you are offering such) and what your site is about. Don't waste their time with an "enter" page that contains a hyperlink or a logo they have to click.
- 6) FAQ's
- - (Frequently Asked Questions) If your site receives a lot of customer feedback or questions then you should create a page that organizes that content. A way of not repeatedly answering the same questions to save yourself and your visitors time.
- 7) Fast Loading Graphics
- - Pictures, logos and graphics can really be eye catchers but it is important not to over do it. Keep your pictures "small", not just in overall size (example 50x50) but in their file size (example 5k) as well. Your entire first page should be no more than 70k
- 8) Search Tools
- - If your site is a small one you probably will not need a search tool. Search tools let users type in a keyword and call up a list of all the pages within your site that include those words. The bigger the site the more likely the visitor will appreciate this capability.
- 9) New Information
- - This can be a link for updated information or a graphic that says "new" beside the new information or even a hyperlink to a page with all the new information added to your site.
- 10) Links
- - This is what the World Wide Web and the Internet are all about "interconnectivity". You should have a collection of links to other related sites, offering more information on a given topic. It is a good idea to include a brief description of the site you are linking to. In addition, regularly maintain your links page, it is frustrating for a visitor to read a description of a site that fits their needs only to find out when they click on it, it is a "dead link"