How to Make or Break Your Website

Hopefully, you have an idea of what you want. The next step is to put it into some sort of order. Where do we start and where do we finish? It's a simple question, but, the answer takes a bit of perspective and a lot of planning.

Now that you know what you want to include on your website, a simple organizational chart begins to put the layout into some semblance of order.

The layout that you see in the chart, above, will become our navigation system. This is another major piece of the puzzle that we need to put the website together. In essence this will be your flow of traffic.

"Home" page is the front door or gateway into your website. One way or another we got the customer/client to open the the door and come in. Now that they've taken that first step we can't afford to lose them due to his not knowing where to go next.

A simple, uncomplicated flow of traffic from your major categories, to your sub-categories and from there, to each of your next levels makes it easy for the non-technical (and that happens to be most internet surfers), to get around your website and not become confused. On top of going from one category to the next, they must be able to get from one section to another without having to go back to the home page and starting all over again.

A perfect example of, what not to do, is apparent in Merritt's Antiques website. With all due respect to this company and their website designer, I do not consider this a well planned, thought out, or, easily navigable layout.

(For the record, I happen to know this company and have done business with them for many years. They are good people to deal with and I have had nothing but good experiences working with them. My only critique is about the layout of their website.)

When you click on the link above, you open to their home page. They apparently feel that this is the most important thing that they have to say to a new client/customer viewing their site for the first time.

Let's navigate the site. Click on "Clock Parts & Supplies" and you will see their parts index. Now, let's go to their "Gifts & Furniture" section. You can't. You must either, go back to their home page, by clicking on the "Home" button at the bottom of this page, or, clicking "Up One Level", going back to the home page, and then, clicking on "Gifts & Furniture" to get to that page.

To make matters worse. Now that we're in "Gifts & Furniture" lets look at "Lighting". From there, still in the "Gift's & Furniture" section, go to "Stained Glass Window Panels". You can't. You must go back to the "Gifts & Furniture" index page, then click on "Stained
Glass Window Panels" in order to get there.

If this isn't poor navigation, I don't know what is! (Just for the record. This is as of 6/8/07).

Regardless of the size of your website, assuming that it's more than one page of course, being able to easily move around your website is imperative, not only for the customer/client, but also for our friendly, or, not so friendly "Spiders".

We've discussed the necessity of the customer/client to easily be able to find their way around, but, if the search engines also have difficulty finding their way around they're not going to be very friendly. Remember that a great deal of how we layout a website and what we include in it relates to being noticed and ranked well by the search engines. The more difficult you make it for them the more likely you are to get a lower ranking.

For smaller websites, so long as you are able to move easily throughout the website, you don't have to be too concerned about a "Site Map" or "Site Index". What we're talking about here is basically an Index Page that not only, lists every category, page and file, but is linked to all of it.

For larger websites this is a must, because it does several things. If your customer/client is looking for something specific,be it a file or a product, they can easily search for it using the Site Index. In addition since this page is linked to virtually everything in your website, it's a breeze for the search engines to get to and see your entire website with ease.

The best revues that you will get from both search engines and customer/client's alike, will be from an easy to navigate, un-confusing and self-explanatory website.

That's what we're all about at Armen Graphics Design working with you to make your business and website easily accessible to the potential customer/client.

Just stop for a minute, sit back and think like a customer/client. When you're surfing through a website what are you thinking. Is it easy, hard, or confusing to navigate through?

Almost always in my talks, or articles you will hear or see me repeat, innumerable times, "Think Like a Customer". Very often we become so engrossed in what we are doing that we don't sit back and look at whatever it is through another persons eyes. A different perspective is imperative. Always get someone to give you an objective opinion and/or proof it for you. For a moment you must stop looking at it under a microscope and give it a panoramic view. You'll be amazed at how much you've either missed, left out, or should be corrected.

Armen Graphic Design is a relatively new company with a background in marketing and design. The company's foundation is based on the premise of K.I.S.S., believing that simplicity in marketing effects the greatest returns. CONTACT US FOR A FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION. Go to our website for more information and an understanding of how we work. www.armengraphic.com.