Remember Your Audience When Designing Websites
When designing or developing a website you must keep your audience in mind. Don’t let them get lost in a new program or overly-complicated layout. Will they know how to use the fancy jQuery navigation that slides out from the side of the screen when you hover over that area? Maybe, but you might need to help them understand how the site works. Give them little cues built into the design that help them navigate easier. From a site designer/developer standpoint it helps to map everything out to know what the most important pieces of the site are. Showcase them, but keep a balance between call-outs, great design, and the information. Don’t get so focused on one element that you lose sight of the main purpose of the site. I know it’s kind of cliché, but will the average user be able to use your site? Will they be able to find what they’re looking for? If not, then fix it so that they can. Push yourself to find new ways of doing something or repurpose an existing option.
Last week we launched a completely new website for a local bank in the Coulee Region. The new website was developed with input from customers at the concept stage and they were brought back in to test everything and provide feedback before we launched. The website’s cleaner, more functional design featuring an improved navigation gets visitors where they want to go faster and easier. With just one or two clicks they are able to quickly connect to the information and resources needed to manage their finances, check interest rates, research various accounts, and watch tutorials. Based on customer feedback and a strong understanding of the bank’s primary position in the marketplace, the updated site is divided into two main areas – Personal Banking and Business Banking – to easily direct people to the information they are looking for faster than ever before.
The website also features two of the bank’s newest services – Provent Identity Theft Protection to watch over customers online and offline and Debt Protection to help with payments when life takes an unexpected turn for the worse. With the new layout and custom programmed expandable product and service sections, visitors will enjoy easy access to the forms and tools they need to sign-up for new accounts and apply for home, auto, and business loans. Plus, customers will now be able to initiate their login to online banking directly from the home page. Overall, the customer was top-of-mind at every stage of the development process.
Do you know who your primary target audience is? Secondary? Does your website do a good job of speaking to them and can they use it? Does your site need a little freshening up – maybe some design updates? Our clients have had great results partnering with us to design, redesign, or update their sites. If you aren’t happy with your website or the results you are getting we can help you target your audience better and develop a great website that delivers the results you are looking for. Give us a call today at 608.519.3070.
