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Showing posts from March 3, 2008

Provide alternative content for images

Provide alternative content in case active features are inaccessible or unsupported. Use Alt Text for images and animations. This way, if images don’t load, the user will still see some messaging. Make flash content available in another format. Not all visitors have flash downloaded to their computer. These guidelines (Web Design Guidelines)can help you provide a streamlined experience for the customers that come to your web site. And that, in turn, can lead to sales and repeat customers.

What to avoid

Don’t clutter your pages with unnecessary details. Avoid frames. They make it difficult for visitors to bookmark your site. Avoid horizontal scrolling. Avoid splash pages or animated content. Avoid new browser windows. Avoid flash-based content unless required. Use meaningful graphics to show real content.

Creating a search-engine friendly website

Make it easy for search engines to find and list your site. Use page titles. Make your titles unique to each page, and use relevant keywords on each page. Add a site map. Use meta tags. Only use relevant keywords in your meta-description. Be aware that your content is constantly crawled by search engines. Keep your content original, update it frequently, and vary keywords and phrases to try different ways to attract customers. Develop simple, logical internal navigation. Make sure it’s easy for visitors to link between related sections and pages in your site.

The purchase process: browsing, buying, checkout

Make it easy for visitors to browse and buy the products they’re looking for, and give them a smooth, reassuring checkout experience. Tips for an easy browsing and buying experience. Make sure your product detail page includes all the relevant information a typical user needs to make a purchase decision. Add related content to cross-sell and up-sell. If you have additional information, provide buttons so the user can access that information without leaving the page. Don’t discourage visitors with required registration and poor shipping charge policies. Provide easy access to your shopping cart. Give customers the option to continue shopping or proceed to checkout. Include all necessary features in the shopping cart process. Provide product details in the cart, including the image of the product, and a link back to the product page. Make it easy for visitors to edit the shopping cart (change quantities or options, delete an item, etc). Reassure customers at the right time and place. Pro

Writing for the Web

Typically, visitors scan content on the Web instead of reading it. Keep your information as clear and concise as possible. Use summary descriptions, subheads, bulleted lists and short paragraphs. Use keywords you’ve selected for your search marketing campaign in your web page content, so the pages will appear in an organic search. Put your key message first. Include one idea per paragraph. Highlight keywords. Make your points on each page clearly but quickly, using as few words as possible. Don’t provide a PDF for online viewing. Convert everything to HTML if possible. Design printable versions of pages. Use a standard one-column format for easy reading. Use high contrast for easily legible text. A familiar example is black text on white background. High-quality graphics, good writing, and use of outbound hypertext links increase credibility.