How To Create A Website That Works

How to create a website that works? Isn't that the whole point, to produce something that works? Our argument is that "works" in this instance means to effectively transmit information. Regardless of the reason for building the site, whether it be a doting father uploading his children's pictures, a businessman trying to sell his widgets or a nuclear scientist attempting to explain his latest research, it is all about information transfer. If the website facilitates this transfer it "works," if it does not, it does not work.

Some think interesting content is the most important thing a website can have. After all, why would anyone want to visit a website without interesting content? Why indeed? But what good is interesting content if the web surfer can't find it? Some very precise scientific research has discovered that a website has on average less than 10 seconds to hold a surfer's attention before he goes on to another site looking for whatever information it is he is after; that would seem to indicate that the surfer isn't spending a whole lot of time reading the content regardless of how interesting it may or may not be.

Our argument is that navigation is the most important element when creating a website that works. If the web surfer can't find the information they are searching for immediately, without having to read more than a word or two, then the information might as well not be there. That does not mean flashing lights or annoying video; a well-chosen word or two is what we are looking for here. That is the essence of navigation.

Studies show that web surfers focus their attention on text (they unconsciously avoid images) located high and on the extreme left of the web page. Their attention forms an "F pattern" as they drop their eyes down the left side until they get to the bottom of the page. If there is one, they next find the horizontal navigation bar. Then they drop their eyes a bit more and scan toward the center of the page making the lower horizontal line of the "F." That's it; the site owner's ten seconds are up!

Suppose our surfer is searching for blue widgets. He probably arrived at the site knowing it had widgets, but he's not apt to spend much time reading several lines of even "interesting content" to find mention of those blue widgets. Unless the term "blue widgets" appears in either the horizontal or the vertical navigation bar, he's gone! On finding it, however, he will most likely be willing to follow the thread to read the "interesting content" the site owner has provided on the subject.

There are a number of interesting sites and books on web navigation that a website builder should look into. Among the best is the book Designing Web Usability by Jakob Nielsen. This is called by many the "bible of web usability." One could say that with the use of research data secured by Nielsen on actual web users this book will help direct anyone wondering how to create a website that works to the "promised land."

A website that works is a website that effectively transmits data from builder to surfer within the time allowed. Interesting content, of course, is required of any website, but if that content isn't immediately evident to the surfer, it will never be read. Builders looking for more information on this subject might want to peruse Designing Web Usability by Jakob Nielsen.

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