By Kabir Bedi
Website development is a complex procedure. It is an amalgam of several small processes in coordination with one another that makes up the larger picture. There are millions of websites on the World Wide Web. However, some are more successful than the others and some lag behind likewise. Though the basic steps of website development are the same, what makes the difference is the importance placed on key features.
Here are 3 building blocks or a successful website.
1. Clean and Strong Coding
HTML is the foundation of the web. And following closely is the CSS markup. Both the elements form the basic coding of the website and decide the functionality of the same. HTML and CSS markup form the basic structure of a website and their quality eventually determines the quality of the website.
It is very important to build a website with quality code structure and then repeat the debugging process frequently in order to ensure a strong website. By doing things right from the very beginning and base level, you can negate the possibility of problems later on.
Always validate your HTML and CSS. This ensures that the website performs well across all major browsers and operating systems. HTML validity ensures browser compatibility which further ensures maximum accessibility.
User-Friendly Interface
It is very easy to get carried away and incorporate complex functionalities in your website in order to show off your technological expertise. However, often it happens that the interface becomes so complex that users find it difficult to browse through and navigate easily.
Website interfaces should be kept as simple as can be. Complex features often tend to confuse the visitors and distract their attention. They only add up to the visual appearance and do absolutely nothing to enhance the functionality of the website. Fancy interfaces distract the purpose of the website. Therefore, it is best to build a simple and user-friendly website interface that serves to facilitate smooth performance of the website.
Elements and Features on the Website
The elements and features that you incorporate or include in your web pages can either promote website usability or act as a hindrance to website users. Features like Auto-Play Music should be completely avoided. If at all you need to incorporate music on your website, make sure you provide an option to your visitors to turn it off. Likewise, it is not a good idea to use extremely small font sizes no matter how good it looks. Small fonts decrease the readability of website contents and until users are able to read through the website, they cannot understand what you are trying to communicate.
Focus on creating a website that is clean, has a strong interface and can be easily understood. Instead of including cool features and jazzy site elements, build a website that would please your audiences and make them visit again and again.
Kabir Bedi is working as a senior web consultant at LeXolution IT Services, a professional web design firm India. The company provides a range of website design and development services in addition to a host of web site maintenance services such as Web site updates.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
3 Basic Elements of a Successful Website
Superb Article , surely content is the king , what more needed is to match key concepts of the readers what they wanna read , so that they develop a liking of a particular type of blog as well as connect them via user friendly interface with social networks like twitter
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The part I have trouble with is ensuring valid HTML, I’m not an expert and it seems all of my pages include HTML problems that I just can’t seem to iron out.
user friendly interface was really important that a site can have.. also we should put links to our sites which serves as to drive traffics to the sites..
In my opinion, the basic elements of a successful website are: choosing the right keywords, choosing the perfect place to host your blog and having an interesting and original content to share.
Spot on! You know i made all these mistakes when i first built my website, but that’s inexperience. Every beginner developer should take your advice. Also, another tip, pilot your website with your audience and get essential constructive feedback. Do not ask for feedback from other internet sites but from your actual visitors.
I think user friendly interface comes first. Coding is also important. But most new browsers can handle coding errors. Users generally do not see coding. So I think it should go to bottom of the list.
Thanks for this article i might have to change some things at my page. 🙂
I strongly believe that any design should address the needs and objective of the customer. We should identify why our customer is developing the site. If we can address his requirement, our design will be a perfect one.
Thanks for the tips, good content makes the difference.
IMHO. User-friendly pages and content is the king are the key of a successful website. If an online user visits your site the first time, design is the first to be seen on his eyes. Next, the content, it should be useful, helpful, and informative to the readers.
After all, content is the really the King.
Erics last blog post..“ABOUT ME PAGE” IS ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR READER
Another tip you should add: use dark text (preferably black) on a light background (preferably white). And use a font that is highly readable on a computer screen (serif: Georgia), san serif: Verdana). Forget about using Arial, Helvetica, or Times New Roman on your website. I don’t know how many times I’ve clicked away from blogs that have violated these rules.
I believe that content is the king! But this King can be defeated if we present some crap matter in a better way. I have come across many websites, which steal content from other websites and which are very famous.
The user-interface does make a huge difference!
I agree with your article. I always value simplicity of a design. Every website should address their target audience. If our target audience are children we should design according to child perception.
Content is king. Visitors may come and like your site design but the only reason they keep coming back is to read more relevant and quality content.
Everything else just follows. As for me, I prefer simplicity in design.
I’m impressed at your 3 building blocks of successful website, however we’ll always need to analyze the impact of every changes we’ve made with our website, not only the constructions, you’ve already explained it, but we need also to consider about the content itself.
I figure user-friendly interface comes right on top. It’s one of those elements that engage users participation.