Make my site successful!

What are the keys to getting the most out of your website?

What are the factors that make a site successful? There’s only one, you say, and that’s maximum ROI! In a practical sense, of course that’s true but how do you reach that?

Here are some things to consider:

1. Compelling content. You need a reason for people to keep coming back to find out what’s new. Of course if you’re CNN that’s easy but there are many industry-specific sites such as theknot.com, alistapart.com, seomoz.org and numerous others that give things to their users.

These sites create a compelling user experience that makes people want to know what they have come up with lately. That’s the key worth repeating: give things to your users. "Giving" can have two senses here: in one sense, you can actually give them information, products, advice, etc. for free; in another sense, it can just mean giving of yourself. It's no secret that some of the most successful people in any field are also the most generous. If you give to your users, they might wonder what they can get from you if they actually pay money. Get your user to that point and you’ll surely be saying "my site is successful!"

2. Know what your users want and design your site with that in mind. There’s no better example of this than Google. Google knows that users want nothing more than a reasonably pleasant page to look at that only asks them to type in the words they are searching for. To make your site successful, find out what your users are looking for and put that front and centre when they come to your site. Design for maximum usability that presents quickly and easily what your users want and people will start to ask you, “how do I make my site as successful as yours?” 

3. Amount of attention give = amount of return. Many of the most successful websites on the web are the ones that constantly tinker with layout and usability. Making sure that you are using the latest techniques in layout and interface design shows your site’s users that you care, that you are constantly working at making their experience of your site more meaningful and worthwhile.

In this era, the second or third generation of web apps and websites, usability continues to probe deeper and move broader across the spectrum of web pages available on the World Wide Web. Today’s sites include many more complex pages and applications than ever before, including video, photo galleries, interactions and so much more.

Website usability remains a contentious issue on many websites. Making your site useful and usable will help your website be successful. 

How can you ensure your website is successful? Plan it well, account for all aspects of usability (including a plan for usability testing) then execute that plan. Then you’ll have a successful website.

To get professional help in creating a successful website, contact Interpix Design today. With our ten years experience, let us be your website usability specialists.