Creating a user friendly website for success	3.3/5.0 (4 votes total) Rate: Select 1 - Terrible 2 - Poor 3 - Average 4 - Good 5 - Outstanding
Patrick p Tremblay August 03, 2006

When creating a website, it does not matter what the size of your website, you should include a comprehensive, text-based site map, with a link taking the visitor to every page with, a short explanation of what each page offers.

Not only are site maps useful for visitors looking for specific information on your site, but they are great an excellent way for search engines to link to your website.

When designing your navigation menu for your website, use reasonable headings and link descriptions. For example, web site design services is much more perceptive to a visitor than Internet services. Use Cookie Crumbs to show visitors where they are on your site at any point in time. These are headings you often see at the top of websites and show what category and page your visitor needs to be Guided to a specific pathways throughout your site.

Using a Call-to-Action link instructing visitors what page they should view can do this or what action they should take next. There are some companies on the Internet that offer a low cost link-checking tool. Making sure that your HTML code is designed to display correctly in different browser versions.

Also make sure that your site hosting provider is established and dependable to avoid any unnecessary downtime of your website. Rely on programs such as spell check to check for errors. Also, have friends check your site copy for errors. When proofing your site, remember, that in different regions of the world have different spellings of words.

Here is where it is most important. Common sense dictates that you make sure you use a consistent design layout for each page on your site. This means using the same general color scheme, logo, and navigation menu. Use the same for the header and footer in the same location and consistent link attributes. This way you do not confuse your visitor or cause them to become lose their interest to keep looking.

It may be redundant, but if you're going to make your site interactive with forms, newsletter, guest books, then make sure they work! Double check each form field is large enough to contain even the longest of names. When you have international visitor with a fifteen-character name, you need to have the space to enter it. When you create a field that is mandatory to fill out, mark it with an asterix.

Remember, your website is a reflection of your business, when you take the time to care for every little thing, it will show.