If Content is King who is Queen?

It's been said again and again, when it comes to getting people to visit your site (and stay there for more than 5 seconds), the quality of your content rules supreme. But once you've bowed to interest, saluted relevance and kow-towed to originality, who else must you pay homage to for recognition in the court of website stickiness?

The two jewels in the crown of Presentation, for it is of course Presentation who is Queen, are structure and graphical design. Let's take a very brief look at them both.

Structure We're interested here in how you order the contents of your site, in how you link the different components and sections together. Your objective is to make the experience of browsing your site as straightforward as possible for your visitors.

So how do you go about achieving a clear, intuitive structure? For larger more complicated sites it helps to draw a chart of all the pages, showing how they connect to each other (this process isn't such a bad idea for smaller sites either). Try and keep everything logical and stick to the '3 click rule' as much as possible. (The '3 click rule' - a user shouldn't have to click more than 3 times to get to a page).

Once you've worked out a logical site structure, the basis for your navigation system should pop out. Don't go and spoil it all by using a fancy (usually Flash) navigation system that's frustratingly difficult to work out!

Graphical design What you do with your design is generally down to personal taste and branding requirements. Take a look on the Internet and you'll see successful designs from the extremely detailed to the minimalist.

Note that whilst people will say 'but look at Google' to justify a plain (ugly!) design, well chosen colour schemes and visual interest will give your site a positive boost.

No matter what style you go for, there are some rules that will always apply:

  • Be consistent, the look shouldn't change across the site
  • Busy backgrounds hardly ever work
  • Take it easy on the flashing ads and graphics
  • Watch out for clashing colours
  • Dark text on light backgrounds work best
  • The fewer fonts and text colours there are, the better
  • Use high quality images and graphics

Logical structure and pleasing design make for intuitive navigation and an easier more enjoyable browsing experience. With just a little thought you'll be rewarded with visitors who pay more attention to your content and not the pain and effort needed to get to it.

Trevor Lewis has over 10 years in the Software Industry. He is currently a Senior Consultant at emnm. EMNM offer a range of new media design services including emnm and website design.

executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport car
In The News:

Getting virus alerts on your iPhone? Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you learn how to handle fake scam alerts and boost security.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says opening emails is safe, but risks arise from interacting with links, attachments or HTML content.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals four signs of compromised Social Security numbers and offers five steps to protect yourself.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how MAB Robotics' Honey Badger 4.0, a versatile robot, now walks underwater with amphibious skills.
An updated Android trojan called FakeCall hijacks bank calls. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says Android phone manufacturers and Google need to step up their game on security.
The Massimo Modular E9 is a sleek, smart and comfy tiny home in 409 square feet. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson takes a closer look at what the future of housing might look like.
Every stock trader should consider a virtual private network to safeguard their trading, according to tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson.
Apple recently announced its new lineup of Macs and rolled out Apple Intelligence, its latest artificial intelligence-powered feature for its products.
A Swiss-engineered robot can climb ladders, showing why it's at the cutting edge of autonomous robotic solutions for harsh industrial settings.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson presents the cities targeted most by robocalls, why this is happening and what you can do about it to protect your privacy.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson shares tips and suggestions for how to get the best use out of the updated Calendar app available with the latest iOS update.
Your Social Security number, your unique identifier used for many purposes, has likely been leaked on the Dark Web; here are some steps you can take to protect yourself.
Researchers have developed a new technology that creates strong, sticky fibers capable of lifting objects and capturing things from a distance.
Smart rings track the same things that smartwatches do, including steps, sleep and a general overview of your overall health, and they tend have more battery life than smartwatches.
Researchers have developed a robotic finger that can perform routine medical exams like those conducted by doctors, helping to address the growing shortage of trained professionals.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Insurance administrative services company Landmark Admin reported that a data breach from a May cyberattack affected over 800,000 people.
Sotheby's will auction the first artwork created by Ai-Da, the world's first robot artist created in 2019 by British gallerist Aidan Meller.
More than 250 million users of the Verizon Messages app will have to switch to another app. Verizon is shutting down Messages in the next month.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides a list of 10 celebrities who are the most targeted by deepfake scams, including Tom Hanks.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how Vast's Haven-1, launching in 2025, transforms space living with human-centric design.
UnitedHealth confirms over 100 million Change Healthcare users had their data stolen. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals what happened and what caused the breach.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how iOS 18 brings new text formatting and animated effects to the Messages app.
Whether you're a social media veteran or novice, Facebook friend request scams are common. Kurt the CyberGuy provides tips to keep your account safe.

User Experience and Search Engines: If Your Home Page Could Only Talk

Dear web site visitor.I can't tell you how glad I... Read More

The Psychology of Color in Web Design

Persons engaged in website design, here's a scoop for you!... Read More

Got Web Traffic but Still Low Sales? Ten Ways to Selling Success - Part 2

Part one of this article is available at ... Read More

Positive Design Attributes for a Successful Website

Designing a website is hard job, and requires you to... Read More

Flash Doesnt Always Add Shine to Web Efforts

The trend today to overuse animation in a website's opening... Read More

Successful Websites Don?t Set Out To Sell

What are websites? Are they sales tools for vendors and... Read More

Pop-Ups Still Work. At Least For The Time Being

Do you remember playing with the jack-in-the-box toy as a... Read More

Revising Your Site - What Happened To My Search Engine Placement?

As of September, Smartads went through what so many have... Read More

The Top 8 Website Sins Part Two

Sin #5Poor Spelling And GrammarWe all make mistakes when we... Read More

Is Your Website Color As Inviting as Your Home? Does Color Really Matter?

We've all read the countless publications about effective web site... Read More

Welcoming Your Website Visitors

Imagine you're going on a blind date. You've heard wonderful... Read More

10 Tips for Killer Website Design

Does website design make a difference in how long people... Read More

How Important is Content to a Successful Website

Content is the most important part of any website.The Internet... Read More

Immutable Laws Of Effective Navigation - Part 1

The first immutable law of effective navigation: It's gotta be... Read More

Top Ten Ways to Increase Web Sales - Part 2

You have only 10 seconds to impress your potential buyer.... Read More

Build A Successful Website For Dummies

So you want to build a website here I will... Read More

Setting Up a Website

Where does a person start when setting up a website?... Read More

The Top 8 Website Sins Part One

They say the eyes are the window to the soul.... Read More

Why Not To Use Web Design Templates For Your Website

In today's age of fast food and high-speed Internet, a... Read More

Website Creativity: Why It Matters Now More than Ever

If one more business owner tells me their website sucks... Read More

How to Create an Enjoyable Web Page Design

Novice and professional designers alike ? you may probably be... Read More

Website Re-Design?

My site is working fine. The links work. Content is... Read More

3 Tips For Writing Content That Will Make You Sales

Content is king. Without content your website is an empty... Read More

Web Design for Dictators

No question about it, web design is an art. Finding... Read More

The Technology May Change, But Human Nature Remains The Same

Let me repeat that.."The technology may change, but human nature... Read More

O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..