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(originally published in The
Jerusalem Post, May 2003)
How To Make Your Website Credible
Previous articles in this column have discussed the importance
of structuring sites for good search engine rankings, easy
navigation, and quick downloads. Apart from a brief excursion
into the area of visual identity, or branding, we've pretty
much ignored the aspect of Web site appearance. Does this
mean that it's not very important?
Stanford University conducted a three-year study, using
over 4500 people, to determine what makes a Web site credible.
It should be considered required reading for anyone launching
a Web site, since credibility is a site’s top priority.
Highlights of the study's results are encapsulated in a list
of ten
guidelines.
Before embarking on the study the researchers had theorized
that users would be most concerned with a site's functionality,
and that the appearance or "style" of a site would
be of negligible importance. Indeed, nine out of the ten
guidelines do deal with such functional matters. They are
straightforward and easy to implement -- for example, listing
a physical address and offering bios of the people who stand
behind the company or organization.
But one guideline, slipped into 6th place in the list, gives
much less tangible advice:
Design your site so it looks professional...We find that people
quickly evaluate a site by visual design alone.
[Italics mine.]
Not so clear; not so easy. In other words, your site can
have compelling content, good references, swift downloads,
top search engine rankings -- and yet still fail the test
of credibility if its appearance is not professional.
So what is a "professional" visual design?
- One major component is consistency.
All pages in a site should be visually related. While some
mild variety can be fine, differences should not be so
blatant that a visitor could think he's wandered into a
separate site.
- Another important factor is making the site's visual
appearance suited to its purpose and intended
audience. This was discussed in the article on branding,
but is worth repeating. A site that markets spare auto
parts should not look like a site for gardening advice.
Each type of site requires different colors, typography,
images, and layout.
If an amateurish, inconsistent appearance makes a site lose
credibility, does that mean that the most desirable appearance
is very slick or flashy?
Not necessarily. Here's an excerpt from the results of Stanford's
survey, posted on the Consumer
WebWatch site:
Slick-looking Web sites frequently received negative comments.
Participants seemed to make judgments about the people
behind the site on the basis of the Design Look. Many comments
were indicative of this attitude: "It looks like
it's designed by a marketing team, and not by people who
want to get you the information that you need."
This view is supported by Jacob Nielsen, a leading expert
on Web usability. His most recent
column states:
…a Web site empowers users when it delivers content
in low-end media that is easy to scan and focuses on answering
questions that users are likely to have. Reserve the high-end
media for those rare cases when it truly adds value by
showing something that cannot be presented otherwise.
In other words, a lavish animated splash page can actually
reduce your site’s credibility and impact, while increasing
your development costs.
Following is a checklist of elements that a credible site
should include:
- A clean layout with colors, typography, and images that
suit the nature of the site and its intended audience.
- Clear, intuitive navigation on all pages. (Larger sites
should also have a “search” feature.)
- Reassurance that the information your site offers is
verifiable. Offer credentials, history, and a physical
address, as well as e-mail, names and contact information
for individuals in your company or organization. Staff
photos are an excellent addition; show the real faces of
your associates rather than cheesy stock photos of models
with cell-phones. There are far too many sites on which
the “About Us” page offers just a few vague
words of self-promotion. No names, no contact information,
no photo. Why? What are they hiding?
- If your site records information about visitors, post
a page that details your privacy policy.
- Content must be timely and accurate. There is no place
for grammatical errors or typos. Update your site often
and weed out “dead” links or information that
has passed its “use by” date.
- Host your site on a reliable server. Not only should
there be virtually no down-time, it’s also important
that no e-mails go astray.
Designers are often requested to make flashy sites: Clients
think they need to make a “Wow!” impression on
their customers; software manufacturers want to keep selling
new technologies. But make sure that style does not overwhelm
substance. Good design is simply a tool for making your content
and identity noted, remembered, and deemed credible.
Many of the qualities outlined in my checklist can be summed
up as showing respect for your visitors. Treat them as honored
guests. Have a good idea of who they are, and provide them
with the amenities they need -- information that is presented
legibly, responsibly, and with consideration for visitors’ time,
intelligence, and aesthetic sensibilities.
Resources
Discussions of Web site usability vs. style:
Sites illustrating that style and usability are not mutually
exclusive:
Do you have any questions? Contact
me and I'll try to answer them in upcoming articles. Also,
you may subscribe for
free to the AtarTec newsletter, which consists of new
articles as well as notifications of critical Windows
updates and relevant virus information.
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