Effective Classy Websites and Tutorials

There are a lot of web pages out there that are like wet toilet paper thrown at a board. They just see what sticks. Usually its not your visitors.

This short guide will give you my impressions on what makes for a professional, classy website.

1. Be clear what your site is about.

Make sure it has a clear purpose and that you have explored your own reasons for making the site. If its a music website for example, make it easy to listen to the music and invite people into your world. If its a news website, let the blog be out front and try to update it often with clear informative content.
2. Allow the blank space.

Resist the urge to fill up all the space with links and images and new gadgets. It will start looking like MySpace if you’re not careful. Its a lot easier to process information when there is simply not too much of it. This is especially true if you’re trying to sell something. People do nothing when they are confronted with too much data.

3. Have a simple color scheme.

Unless it is done very skilfully, having too many colors makes for an overload of information for the eyeballs and again people can get confused. Ideal is to use colors that reinforce your brand or focus i.e. blue for calm and cool. I use blue on this for the association with Apple but also because it slows you down with all the information that is here.
4. Cross your ts and dot your i’s.

Details are important. Check your spelling and make sure that your wording feels natural and smooth. Start a new sentence if you have to make a lot of points. Take your time and come back to it if you have to.

Many times I find myself coming back to articles and changing small things. Its a good thing to take pride in your work even if only a few people read it. Which comes first?
5. Clean simple navigation.

There are 2 basic areas for navigation. First you have the top bar, then the sidebar or table of contents. The top bar should be simple and move your visitor through a sequence of action.

The sidebar is for bolstering your credibility and for extra links and information. For example on a music site you might have Home (about your music) - Sound Samples - Order CD - Contact on the top bar and FAQ - Gigs Schedule - Press Downloads - Photos on the TOC.
6. Make every element count.

Don’t add a page or a feature or an image just because you can. Only add something that truly bolsters your credibility or adds to your story. Press clippings of a major exhibition and some photos (if you’re an artist) will show people you are active and successful. Adding a guestbook or ANY glitzy flashing stuff will only distract your visitors.
7. Place ads skilfully if at all.

Ads generally get in the way. Sure, for most really popular sites its how they add to their income, but for anyone else it only distracts the user and comes across as cheap. If you must have them, make sure they are contextual (i.e specific to the content on the page) or make sure they truly are a great product or service.
8. Have a professional developer make your site.

Sometimes doing it yourself is a great way to signal “I’m an amateur”. Unless you know how to use tools like Dreamweaver, have a sense of design and/or have the time to learn, you may be creating more trouble for yourself than it is worth.
9. Use Wordpress.

One of the things that really attracted me to Wordpress initially was the themes and the fact that you couldn’t change the layout too much! This was a relief because I had been endlessly messing around with all the previously mentioned elements. In horrible style I might add. The structured nature of the layout really gets you focused on the content.

This is where the power is my friends! Content.

Of course there are other systems like iWeb for mac that provide many beautiful clean layouts and themes to help you start making sites with but, if you combine the dynamic nature of Wordpress, its plugins and all their features there really is no competition.

10. Focus on Content.

Keep your mind on the most important questions.

• What value can I provide for others?
• How best can I present this so that it is accessible?
• What is this page or article about?
• Who are my target audience? and other marketing questions.

A lot of the previous problems I have mentioned are at their root, caused by a lack of clarity around what you are about. So instead of asking a few simple questions people get caught up in the colors and all the features under the sun like hit counters and font choices.

Remember this: People care about themselves and are only interested in you to the degree that you can solve a problem or provide a service. Period.
11. Make it Personal.

On the internet personal is professional. I can’t believe the number of people that resist putting their photo or some kind of personal touch on their websites. People connect with people, not to computers!

There are far too few faces and personal elements on the net.

Why do you think all the most popular sites are social networking sites like MySpace and YouTube! At the very least an image of yourself will help to build trust and invites interaction as well.

Well I hope this has helped to bring clarity to your website project, I know it has done so for me to write it.

Take care and till next time, happy surfing!