March
23
Thank You Pages
By Ben Kelly [edit_node]
Often little more than an afterthought, a "Thank You" page is an opportunity to leave a good impression on your customers, cross-sell them relevant products, and reassure them that their order has processed OK.
This report from Snow Valley is an excellent guide to what makes a Thank You page work, and what to avoid.
Here are some common pitfalls:
Read more...November
9
Photos
By Ben Kelly [edit_node]
No-one wants to put their photo on their website. To be quite honest, I don't. I'd rather present a little blurb about myself and leave the photo off our about us page. So why do I have one there? Putting a photo on your site establishes rapport and trust. When you meet someone face to face, have a chat, and hand over your brochure you've had a chance to build up the start of a relationship. Online, you are simply handing over the brochure. Without presenting some personal information along with a photograph, they have no reason to trust you. Make it personal, win trust. Ben Read more...September
24
Fonts in Web Design
By Ben Kelly [edit_node]
Fonts. Do fonts matter? Yes, they matter quite a lot. Picking the wrong font can be the difference between your website effectively communicating a message, and losing your audience through frustration. There are some basic rules when chosing a font:
Read more...September
17
Have A Bell
By Ben Kelly [edit_node]
I hate clutter on websites. There's nothing worse than having a cluttered up website, or some stupid carousel menu system just because it "looks good". Give me some feng shui and zen any day.
Simple works. Simple means NO clutter. NO bells. NO whistles.
And yet. Judicious use of the occasional visual treat can be permitted. Especially if it's focused on something that genuinely helps your user (and no, I don't mean showing a clock - NO ONE needs YOUR website to tell THEM the time).
Read more...July
28
DIY Design
By Ben Kelly [edit_node]
Ever thought you could create your own website? Ever decided "sod it, people tell me I'm creative, I'm going to build a website myself".
Please for the love of god don't. There's so much more to it than being able to design.
The trouble is, if you've decided you're going to, you probably won't listen to me. So if you won't heed my advice, read this: http://psd.tutsplus.com/articles/web/50-totally-free-lessons-in-graphic-design-theory/
Ben
Read more...Posted in: Design 0 comments
July
16
So what?
By Ben Kelly [edit_node]
Here's a quick exerice to help you focus your website. After every sentence, item, image or gadget, ask yourself the question "so what?"
It's so easy to keep adding to your site, or writing more content because you think it's what's needed. What really matters is making sure that what's on your site is having an impact. If it isn't, then so what?
Ben
Read more...July
14
Hits
By Ben Kelly [edit_node]
If you have a "hit counter", remove it. They are a relic from the nineties, and never, ever serve to impress your users. Conversely, listing the number of subscribers to your newsletter can. See Leo's blog to see what I mean.
Ben
Read more...July
9
Showing the date and time on your website
By Ben Kelly [edit_node]
Clocks are useful. When you're in a station or walking in the high street - the large clock is genuinely very helpful. Especially if you aren't wearing a watch. So why not put one on your website?
Here's why:
Don't waste space on your website duplicating information that's already on your user's screen.
Ben
Read more...July
7
Laser focus vs shotgun approach
By Ben Kelly [edit_node]
No. This is not a post on firearms (real or fictional), or about the best way to take down a Storm Trooper. This is a post on making sure your website reflects your company's approach.
There are two kinds of company: the ones that try to do a wide range of things, and the ones that focus on a single area of expertise, or a single product, and focus all their energy upon this like a laser. Here's two examples of what I mean:
1. Shotgun
Read more...June
9
Sound On Websites
By Ben Kelly [edit_node]
Websites are dynamic things. Now that most internet users are on broadband (I'm even on broadband when I'm sitting in a café on on a train), we're able to experience the internet in a fantastic content rich way that we could never have done 5 years ago. YouTube, the iPlayer, .com - all these sites offer sound and video and people love them. They are very popular sites, and we're going to see more like them pop up this year, next year, and forever more.
Read more...- 1 of 2
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