So you think your site is fancy, huh? So might be… but how is that increasing your click through rates and sales? Never mind the experts, the teachers, competitors… They might want you to have a fancy website or your competitor may have a fancy website but what is the real purpose of your web site? I guess it is making you money! In order to achieve that you need to focus on functionality rather than fancy graphics. Don't get lost in layers of pretty design or unnecessary technology. It might look fancy but it might just as well ruin your sales!
BAD VS GOOD Website.
So... what defines a really good web site? If you have ever been on a web site trying to find something that you were supposed to be able to find on that specific site and couldn't? Welcome to the club! In my opinion that would be the classic BAD website. It doesn't matter how pretty it is, how good the colour scheme is, how brilliant JavaScript codes you manage to create or how fancy buttons and flash things you can create if I cannot find what I am looking for.
So now we know what a bad website is, in my opinion. Let's find out what a good website is. Have you ever been on a site looking like it is was made by a 3rd. grader? Ugly fonts, crazy colors , plain links instead of pretty buttons and static banners instead of fancy flash animation? Many would call that a terrible website. And maybe I would too. However, let me ask you one thing: Did you find the information you were looking for? If you did, I would say it is a good web site. Ok. I don't mean that you should design ugly website. Absolutely not. An especially if you are selling something your website need to have a professional look, but just don't let the "fanciness" get in way of the real information - the actual reason why someone would visit your website in the first place.
In sum functionality is more important than looks. Ideally, your web site should be both functional and nice looking. All it takes is proper planning.
One easy way to avoid all the fancy stuff is by doing HTML coding by hand and not by using Dreamweaver, FrontPage etc. It will also make it a lot easier to clean the website sometime down the line and even make it easier to do SEO.
Conclusion:
Your goal should be to make clean and simple websites that is easy to use for the visitor and that deliver the content or service the website was intended to provide.
