Success is in the Details: Do all your pieces fit? by Michelle
Szabo
DETAILS...that is what a profession or specialization is all about. Whether you
are talking about an auto mechanic, a film producer, an attorney, or a web
designer - the details are what make or break their successes. Think about
it...
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if the book you were reading had typos and poor sentence structure
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if your mechanic fixed your car, but left it filthy dirty (OK, many do, but I
bet you'd go back to the one that didn't before the one that left it dirty)
-
if a film producer forgot that the lead actor's hair was up in one shot and
down in another for the same scene
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if your attorney showed up in court wearing ripped jeans and the opposing side
was brandishing a tidy suit
-
who would have the upper hand?
Upon first impression, the person who paid attention to the details would. And,
a first impression may be all that you have...no matter how compelling your
message. That does not mean that things always have to be flashy and in your
face. It does mean that the reader must be compelled to look further, to learn
something, to understand without confusion, to enjoy their experience as much
as possible. These are the things that will keep them coming back.
You must follow through and pay attention to the details to be sure that all
the pieces of your message fit - the words, the visuals, the sound, the
organization, the functionality and the usability.
Why People Go to Web Sites
When people go to a web site, they are looking for information first -
information that answers their questions and fulfills their needs. It may be
the first place they see your entire message. They are processing the
information that you are presenting to them in a variety of ways. So, why not
give them what they are after - good information that is well organized and is
pleasing to look at.
What is Most Important?
Every word is important because people think upon them and their meanings.
Visuals are important to bring people to your words. Sounds can enhance the
communication of your words and visuals. The programming is vital as well. A
carefully planned execution of all of these elements adds up to placing less
demand on your audience and increases your chances of retaining them. A visitor
that is impressed by or somehow drawn to "the look" is the visitor that is
compelled to read on. Remember the children's game of "What's Wrong with this
Picture?" When people start to see little things wrong with a web site, they
start to wonder if you really care. I am not saying that every single thing
will be flawless. Let's face it, we are human and web sites are built by
humans. A concerted effort to make sure everything is correct, tested and
presented in a way that makes the site compelling is the least you can do for
your site visitors. However, don't be too surprised if a little flaw rears its
ugly head a few months after launch. The more complex your web site, the more
likely this is to happen, so it pays to pay very close attention to all those
little details and test, test, test!
So, What Does a Web Site Need?
Web sites need a lot of things, but to start with, they need the following:
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well-written, well-edited and well-organized content
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pleasing graphics that lead the eye to your content
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fluid navigation without dead end or confusing links
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interactivity that engages the visitor
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invisible programming (the site must work as expected without any errors)
-
a way to efficiently expand content areas in the future
These are the things that you pay a web developer to do.
Create a Thread
To make your message strong, it has to have a thread. So,what is a thread? They
are the visual, auditory (if any) and verbal lines of thought that tie the
pages of a site together. Take CNN for example...look at how their navigation
works. Look at the continuity in the sizing of headers, the placement of ads,
the organization of content, the grid (columns and rows) upon which all pages
sit. How about Yahoo!? They also have massive amounts of content, but it is
very accessible in most places. Neither CNN nor Yahoo! are very exciting from a
visual perspective, but you can bet that a team of designers are guiding the
placement of every element on the page in order to maintain the organization's
message and vision. Because of this attention to design, the impeccable
programming and valuable content, you have a winning combination and visitors
come back again and again. Their success is in their details!
Organize and Write Flawlessly
Some people are endowed with the ability to organize their thoughts into
cohesive messages that their audience understands. If you cannot do this
yourself...hire someone to do it. Often times, you have a good enough idea of
how things are to be organized, but cannot find the right words to compel your
audience to read further. Whatever you need a content specialist or copywriter
for, work closely with them and be sure that your message is their top priority
and that they can take direction in order to communicate that message. Even
though you might think that you can do it all yourself, think about the demands
you will place upon yourself when your web designer says to you..."OK, where is
that content?" You can't just give them a bunch of brochures and slides and
expect a web site created out of them. Doing so would be an injustice to
yourself and your message. There can be quite a bit of work in formulating the
architecture and functionality of a web site in order to project your message
successfully. This organization is part of what a content developer (or
sometimes a copywriter) can help you do and it is the foundation of a web site.
Use Visual Cues
We are a visual society. "A picture is worth a thousand words." Why not use
that to your advantage? Visual cues can easily lead your site visitors through
your web pages. It helps them and allows you to accent specific areas. People
can quickly grasp what you are about and where they should look. If you look
professional, you will be perceived to be professional and your message will be
well received. The Internet is a visual medium. 'Visual garbage' is still one
of the most often seen mistakes on web sites. This includes too many rules,
borders, colors, sizes, busy backgrounds and things that go flash in the night.
Bad use of negative space or total lack there of is another. The space without
content is just as important as the space with content. (Designers learn this
in their first year of schooling.) Poor use of color palettes, backgrounds and
graphics are still rampant on the web today. These are the mistakes that you
pay a designer not to make.
Just in case you may be thinking that design is not that important...according
to a study conducted by Forrester Research, three out of four factors most
likely to drive repeat visitors to a web site were design related: ease of use,
download time, and freshness. Also, IBM attributes a recent redesign of their
site to a 400% increase in sales!
Make Sure Your Site Works - Correctly and Quickly
A web site that is slow, has bad links, takes you to pages you don't expect or
generates errors is just plain frustrating. Be sure the programming on the site
delivers your objectives and is thoroughly tested. Think about how you would
like your web site to integrate into your daily business practices. An
experienced programmer can help you with this. Be clear in your expectations of
how each area of the web site should function. There is nothing more
frustrating to a programmer than programming "on-the-fly." Before a line of
code is written, your programmer should outline where the speed bumps are
likely to be. Just as a video/film/animation production is storyboarded to help
the client understand the action, so should a web site be outlined in great
detail. If you are too vague, expect to be charged more as development will
take longer to complete due to re-thinking, re-working and re-coding.
~~~~~~ SIDEBAR ~~~~~~
A WEB DEVELOPER...OR NOT A WEB DEVELOPER?
THAT IS THE QUESTION.
Just because someone calls themself a web developer, does not mean they can get
your web site done right. Chances are that your neighbor's son and your friend
from school are not web developers. Just because someone is a good programmer
does not make them a competent web developer. Just because someone can create
an amazing painting or illustration or print design does not mean they
understand how to pull a web site together. Just because someone can create
inspiring video, film or 3D animations, does not mean that they can make a web
site communicate to an audience. That does not mean that these people cannot
create a good web site. As a matter of fact, many can. But, don't take it for
granted.
Finding a Web Developer
Specialties are called that for a reason...because people specialize, they
understand the details. A web developer is someone (or a group of someones)
that can deliver on the needs of your site. Look at their work. Ask what they
did for the sites they show you. Some people will tell you they worked on a
site and come to find out that this amazing site was really created by another
developer and the person you are talking to just created the header art for
each page under the strict guidance of an art director. As nice as it maybe,
they don't necessarily have the skills to do the rest of the site. They might
create a site that is somewhat acceptable, but have missed the opportunity to
serve you better by not having enough expertise to exploit all of the
functional, visual and editorial opportunities that are available.
~~~~~~ END SIDEBAR ~~~~~~
Experience + Expertise = Efficiency
The cost of developing a web site is not limited to the amount of the check you
write. It can also cost a lot of your time. Hiring someone with experience will
greatly reduce the time you need to devote to the details. You should still
plan to spend time, but it should be directed and deliberate, not wasted.
Experienced developers will guide you through each step and tell you
specifically what they need you to do.
A web site requiring monthly updates may need a database backbone, where you
can add content through an administrative console and avoid relying on your
developer for simple updates. This can lower your costs in the long run. Ask
your developer to supply you with a comparison of costs so you can decide
intelligently.
~~~~~~ SIDEBAR ~~~~~~
THE MYSTERIOUS DATABASE AND THE ZERO RULE
How do you know if your site needs a database? First, let's define "a
database." A database is a collection of information (usually, but not always,
text) that is kept in a remote file (or files)...the information does not
technically reside in each web page. A web site could have hundreds of
products, but you could display them all individually on the same basic page.
Each image would have the following associated with it: an image, a title, a
description, a size, a price, etc. You would only need to develop one page for
the site that displays each image and its related information. So, a database
allows you to create less pages and keep your content consistently displayed
across many pages.
The Value of a Database
Take a look at a simple site we created for a local artist
(www.randylagana.net). He was having an awful time with his "developer" and
could never get the site finished, consistent or updated. We created a site
that is backed by a free database solution (Microsoft's Access, small in the
world of databases) and programmed the web pages to 'go get' each image with
its associated information as it was requested and 'drop it' into the same
template page. By taking this all a little further, we allowed categories to be
added and the navigation could be expanded on-the-fly as well. Randy now
updates his site himself and his angst level has dropped to near 0%. In
addition, it costs him $0 out-of-pocket to update his web site! Yep, that's
the' Zero Rule' - zero $ and zero angst.
~~~~~~ END SIDEBAR ~~~~~~
Bringing it All Together
Although I have been writing a lot about details, seeing the parts as a whole
is just as important. When you are trying to send people a message, they need
to understand what that overall message is in a few short words and/or images.
This is what advertising is based on and although web sites are not ads as you
see them in TV or magazines, a smart web site takes it's cues from
advertising...at least a little. If your web site looks like it has a lot of
content, that's fine (good, as a matter of fact). It can even look like CNN.
But, if all that content does not look like it is part of the same message,
then your message becomes weak and falls apart. People won't want to drag
themselves through the content if it is too hard to find what they are looking
for or if they end up in places they don't expect. People's time is valuable
and you need to treat it that way when you develop a web site. Don't make them
work harder than they have to.
Legalities
No matter how simple your site, you should have something on it that protects
your organization. A basic Terms of Use and Privacy Policy will certainly help.
However, it does not take the place of a good attorney. Consult one and use the
suggestions they make. If you sell things on your site, if you collect
information, if you make promises of any kind, you should be sure that you help
your site visitor understand how the information and offerings apply to them.
A Web Site is About Business
Let's face it, web development is about business (unless you are an artist and
then it's still about business, but I won't say that out loud). A web site is
an investment in your business and a communications tool. Your content must be
organized, accessible to the site visitor in as few clicks as possible and
presented in short, digestible chunks that are a visual read whenever possible.
Use text in visual ways and use graphics and pictures to enhance your
information. Just don't overdo it.
People must understand your web site quickly. If people are confused by your
web site, they will get frustrated and leave.
You DO have a better chance of success when all of the pieces fit. Do all your
pieces fit?
About the Author
Michelle Szabo is the General Manager and Creative Director for White Light
Concepts, LLC (http://www.WhiteLightConcepts.com),
a design and development company located in Connecticut. In addition to
developing creative solutions in web, print and 3D over the past 20 years, she
has written numerous articles, several books and lectured around the US. She
can be reached at michelle@whitelightconcepts.com.
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