Success in Web Design

When designing a website, the first and foremost concern is content. The purpose of the site must be clearly defined, subject matter must attract the target audience, and content must be kept accurate and up to date. However, just having good content is not enough. The subject matter must be organized in such a way so that anyone visiting the site can easily navigate and interact with content (Anon, 2007). If content is king, then usability is the key to success. There are many aspects of a functional site that would make it user friendly (Flood, 2005). By adhering to a consistent style, building in user interactivity, and establishing standards in the design phase, usability can be achieved.

Consistency can be accomplished by simply picking your layout, colors, and fonts, and then sticking with them. A successful websites creates a unique identity and then reapplies the identity throughout the website so that you always know which website you are visiting (Anon, 2007). A good example of this would be Amazon.com. When navigating the many pages of Amazon.com, there are several consistencies to observe. First, the page layout incorporates an ever present selection of menu tabs at the very top, a list of categories to the left, a list of specials to the right, the main content at the center, and an index of company related information at the bottom. Second, each page uses basic colors and fonts set against a white background. All hypertext words are, all prices are red, and topic headings are in orange. Third, the Amazon logo is always present in the upper left hand of each page.

User interactivity is accomplished by providing many navigational options for visitors. Each visitor has their own method of site searching, and a successful website must not only accommodate every visitor search preference, but it must also organize content in such a way so that navigation has a logical flow. Amazon.com provides several avenues of navigation. The left side of each page contains a list of categories that visitors can browse, and by scrolling down the left side of the page, one can choose from forty-one different categories. Each category is organized under a main area of interest, such as books, clothing, electronics, or even bargains. If someone visiting the website doesn't have the patience to scroll down the left side of the page, they can also reference the main menu bar at the top of the page where there is a tab which allows viewers to see all categories instantly in one small pop up box. Interactivity is integrated throughout Amazon.com. You can click on any product name, and that will not only take you to a page describing the product, but it will also incorporate hyperlinks that will allow you to search for related items, jump to another part of the page to reviews, or view shipping rates. If all else fails, there is even a search engine located in the main menu bar at