In keeping with the upcoming New Year, here's my top 10 best practices (aka: good instincts) for web page design optimization:

  1. Main call-to-action is the most prominent feature. A quick "squint test" is a good indicator of success. The use of color, value, and/or overall real estate size works. Animation can also be an effective tool when used sparingly. Let's be honest. Only ONE item can be the most important CTA. Make sure to identify and agree up front.
  2. Have the value proposition be immediately obvious. Answer the users' questions efficiently on why they need or want to use your [insert your product here]. There are many interactive and dynamic design patterns to reveal content without requiring a whole page refresh. Gives us a variety of display options without overcrowding a page.
  3. Present the product as the main hero. So simple not sure a description is even needed here. But amazingly sometimes overlooked. A picture really can be worth a thousands words.
  4. Don't cram too much on a page. They say... to have good fashion sense, remove at least one accessory before leaving the house. Same goes for webdesign (ok, that metaphor is skewed towards girrls.... you get the drift). Make sure all unnecessary words, links, or graphics have been eliminated.
  5. Present content as an engaging story. No one has time for "blah blah." Have a clear content strategy, message, and editorial tone. Be honest and engaging. The gratuitous "bigger, better, best" statements can leave users feeling a bit numb.
  6. Track main navigation to the most direct path. Reduce as many extra pages as possible for main use cases. There are so many dynamic ways to present navigation that doesn't require a page reload. Lets use them.
  7. Keep content fresh. People really will come back for more as long as the content doesn't get in the way of the main navigation. And, let's start thinking about "How long is the New! tag" are really relevant for.
  8. Use descriptive text links. I'm over the LEARN MORE or SEE ALL generic links. Let's give 'em a bit more info on the links so it's not a guessing game. Also helps for search engine optimization.
  9. Use tables to display complicated content. Using tables instead of big blocks of paragraph text is helpful for users to slice, sort, and consume data. They are expecting lots of information at the details page level. So help them by breaking it up with an old-school table.
  10. Test, analyze, optimize. Repeat. Use heuristics early on. Bounce stuff off of others. Use user testing. But ultimately trust your instincts. After the site is built, check the website analytics for user traffic patterns. Run final user testing. Then, optimize to fix any issues. Luckily websites are just software, not a printed brochure, and CAN be changed.










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