website input/ideas
- Thread starter ratcues
- Start date
CONTENT! There is nothing else that even compares to it. You could have the worst looking, least functional website of all time, but if you have the best content, you will have all of the traffic.
ratcues said:
Content. Better yet --> Easily found content. Easy navigation is great, but if the pages are too "jumbled" and you can't find anything, it defeats the purpose.
Keep pics small enough that they can be easily loaded with a mediocre connection speed.
Billards digest had an article a few months ago about the best sites. I'll look it up if you need it.
If you have a guest book, be sure to secure it so it can't be automatically filled in by spammers.
Easiest thing I have learned, it keep it simple for the not so computer saavy people.
Best wishes for success.
Craig
<Edit: seymore15074 beat me with his typing speed. LOL>
Even though a browser toolbar will expand type, most people don't know it exists. So make the type face large enough so that it is easy to read
People expect to find menus at the top or at the left side.
Never put a menu at the bottom of the page (unless it duplicates a menu at the top of the page), many people will not scroll all the way down to find it.
Provide detailed descriptions.
Provide explanation/information pages - for example - what makes different cloth different - weave, type of fabric, speed, what is the best application, how is it installed, what are the pitfalls, what are the symptoms of incorrect installation, colours available.
Don't put an item in a menu if the item is "under construction". That annoys people.
KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid - A web site should convey information clearly. It shouldn't be a canvas for questionable creativity. We have all seen sites with a busy background combined with a type colour that make the thing unreadable.
People expect to find menus at the top or at the left side.
Never put a menu at the bottom of the page (unless it duplicates a menu at the top of the page), many people will not scroll all the way down to find it.
Provide detailed descriptions.
Provide explanation/information pages - for example - what makes different cloth different - weave, type of fabric, speed, what is the best application, how is it installed, what are the pitfalls, what are the symptoms of incorrect installation, colours available.
Don't put an item in a menu if the item is "under construction". That annoys people.
KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid - A web site should convey information clearly. It shouldn't be a canvas for questionable creativity. We have all seen sites with a busy background combined with a type colour that make the thing unreadable.
I think close up/many pics of cues is pretty snazzy. i.e. http://www.blackboarcustomcues.com/guarantee/default.asp
They have a pretty good site methinks. Easy to navigate, pretty to look at, and with their product right out there for us to inspect.
They have a pretty good site methinks. Easy to navigate, pretty to look at, and with their product right out there for us to inspect.
Here is a SMALL part of a page I used on my site at one time. Here is the full page
http://rottweilerconnection.com/images/webtips.htm
What are the goals of your site?
Is the goal to entertain, to provide information or graphics, or to provide some unique service such as an index or database? Or, perhaps, it's something completely new.
If it's for a business, are you trying to attract new customers, give information about products and services, do market research, or provide customer support?
How does the design and implementation of your web site support your goals?
Make your site easy to navigate
Give a lot of thought to the roadmap of your site and how its different elements are linked. How is this navigational information conveyed to the user?
Could someone, after visiting your site, draw a simple diagram showing how the different elements are connected and how you get from one place to another?
If someone comes to your site looking for a specific piece of information, how easy is it to locate it?
How does a visitor figure out all of the things they can see or do at your site?
How does a visitor figure out how to navigate your particular site?
How can the visitor tell if they have seen everything?
How can a visitor tell what they have and have not seen?
Make it easy for a visitor to determine what is new and when things were changed.
A site that is difficult to navigate will also be difficult to maintain.
Complexity will limit the size of your site.
Complexity will make it difficult to test your site.
Some ways to generate repeat visits to your site
Make it large enough to require more than one visit to view the entire site. But make it easy to remember what the visitor has already seen.
Change your site often. But make it easy for the visitor to figure out what was changed, and when.
Make your site a source of reference material - a list, an index, a database. Perhaps allowing the user to search it for a particular topic or item.
Make your site the authoritative source on a particular subject.
In the world of the web, every visitor is different
Remember that there are great variations in the computer platform, display setup, processor and disk speed, connection speed, and the particular browser software being used by each individual visitor to your web site. And the visitors themselves will be different, in every conceivable way.
Don't assume that every visitor to your site has the latest hardware and software, a super-speed connection to the Internet, and the eyesight and reflexes of a fifteen year old.
There will be a great variation in how your site looks to different users if you rely on fancy HTML tricks and commands.
There will be a great variation in how your site looks to different users even if you don't use fancy HTML tricks and commands.
You have to decide whether the goal of your site is to impress the "in crowd" with your technical razzle-dazzle, or to make it a site for the enjoyment of everyone. (Note: the "in crowd" is usually very small.)
Don't create a site that only a small percentage of your visitors can view properly.
http://rottweilerconnection.com/images/webtips.htm
What are the goals of your site?
Is the goal to entertain, to provide information or graphics, or to provide some unique service such as an index or database? Or, perhaps, it's something completely new.
If it's for a business, are you trying to attract new customers, give information about products and services, do market research, or provide customer support?
How does the design and implementation of your web site support your goals?
Make your site easy to navigate
Give a lot of thought to the roadmap of your site and how its different elements are linked. How is this navigational information conveyed to the user?
Could someone, after visiting your site, draw a simple diagram showing how the different elements are connected and how you get from one place to another?
If someone comes to your site looking for a specific piece of information, how easy is it to locate it?
How does a visitor figure out all of the things they can see or do at your site?
How does a visitor figure out how to navigate your particular site?
How can the visitor tell if they have seen everything?
How can a visitor tell what they have and have not seen?
Make it easy for a visitor to determine what is new and when things were changed.
A site that is difficult to navigate will also be difficult to maintain.
Complexity will limit the size of your site.
Complexity will make it difficult to test your site.
Some ways to generate repeat visits to your site
Make it large enough to require more than one visit to view the entire site. But make it easy to remember what the visitor has already seen.
Change your site often. But make it easy for the visitor to figure out what was changed, and when.
Make your site a source of reference material - a list, an index, a database. Perhaps allowing the user to search it for a particular topic or item.
Make your site the authoritative source on a particular subject.
In the world of the web, every visitor is different
Remember that there are great variations in the computer platform, display setup, processor and disk speed, connection speed, and the particular browser software being used by each individual visitor to your web site. And the visitors themselves will be different, in every conceivable way.
Don't assume that every visitor to your site has the latest hardware and software, a super-speed connection to the Internet, and the eyesight and reflexes of a fifteen year old.
There will be a great variation in how your site looks to different users if you rely on fancy HTML tricks and commands.
There will be a great variation in how your site looks to different users even if you don't use fancy HTML tricks and commands.
You have to decide whether the goal of your site is to impress the "in crowd" with your technical razzle-dazzle, or to make it a site for the enjoyment of everyone. (Note: the "in crowd" is usually very small.)
Don't create a site that only a small percentage of your visitors can view properly.
Once you build it, have some people demo it before you go live to the public. Let them give you feedback, positive or negative so you can make visual or navigation changes before the public uses it or doesn't due to poor design-that you did not anticipate.
What you think is cool, flashy or easy to navigate may be a hassle for your audience.
ez
What you think is cool, flashy or easy to navigate may be a hassle for your audience.
ez
I do a lot of browsing so I have a general idea of what I like and what I don't like. My biggest problem is number of clicks to find what I want. I have that problem with our current site www.poolndarts.com. It takes four clicks to get to the cue repair (go ahead and try to find it). IMO, that's too many. On average people will make two clicks and then leave. I also like pictures but not so maky that is slows the loading of the page.
This is all helpful, keep the ideas coming. Thanks so far.
This is all helpful, keep the ideas coming. Thanks so far.
Website
There are 4 cuemaker websites that stick in my mind, for different reasons:
1) Layani cues - Overall cuemaking and woods depiction.
2) Zac cues - best graphical depiction of cue and parts of a cue.
3) ArnotQ - Good depiction of cues, like how cues are categorized.
4) BlackBoar - Interesting site, background about cuemaker, inlays.
Just go look at these websites, and you will get your own ideas.
There are 4 cuemaker websites that stick in my mind, for different reasons:
1) Layani cues - Overall cuemaking and woods depiction.
2) Zac cues - best graphical depiction of cue and parts of a cue.
3) ArnotQ - Good depiction of cues, like how cues are categorized.
4) BlackBoar - Interesting site, background about cuemaker, inlays.
Just go look at these websites, and you will get your own ideas.
TAP! TAP! TAP!seymore15074 said:
CONTENT IS KING!
tigerallenyim said:
Not true at all.
I had Classiccues site on my bookmarks and visted there often, some really nice cues, but they have stopped maintaining it. The start page on the site has all the links mising. It has been this way for a long time. I gave up going back.
A perfect example of great content but navigation is just too big a pain to stay or go back.
http://www.classiccues.com/cues/cues_index.htm
I should have re-worded that.... my mistake.
Navigation and Content are both important equally. But one cannot survive without the other, and both are under the same umbrella.
Much like Traffic Management. It contains two components, but one cannot exist one without the other.
Edit: I focus more on content, simply because I do well at navigation design.
Navigation and Content are both important equally. But one cannot survive without the other, and both are under the same umbrella.
Much like Traffic Management. It contains two components, but one cannot exist one without the other.
Edit: I focus more on content, simply because I do well at navigation design.
But just to be fair ........and make another point.
http://www.classiccues.com/
They did a new site but left the old one up. They need to remove it or put links to the new site.
I am sure that google will still point to the old site on many searches. People will see the name and not click on a link with that name.
http://www.classiccues.com/
They did a new site but left the old one up. They need to remove it or put links to the new site.
I am sure that google will still point to the old site on many searches. People will see the name and not click on a link with that name.
Depends on what you want to put on your web site.
Don't assume...
Keep in mind the entire *world* can view your web site...
If it is for a local retail store, don't assume everyone knows where you are located. List your store name, address including city, state and country, and phone number including *area code*! Include directions on how to get to your retail store. People from outside the area don't know how to get there.
I have seen web sites with an address of "2nd and main street" and a phone number without an area code.
If you have a fast internet connection, don't assume everyone else does too. Some people have slow dial-up. Best to have mostly text and a limited amount of small file size graphics.
A good web site - I can quickly find what I am looking for...
http://www.cuestik.com
What is this? Where are the products?????
http://www.vikingcue.com
Don't assume...
Keep in mind the entire *world* can view your web site...
If it is for a local retail store, don't assume everyone knows where you are located. List your store name, address including city, state and country, and phone number including *area code*! Include directions on how to get to your retail store. People from outside the area don't know how to get there.
I have seen web sites with an address of "2nd and main street" and a phone number without an area code.
If you have a fast internet connection, don't assume everyone else does too. Some people have slow dial-up. Best to have mostly text and a limited amount of small file size graphics.
A good web site - I can quickly find what I am looking for...
http://www.cuestik.com
What is this? Where are the products?????
http://www.vikingcue.com
I think it's best to keep the content fresh and updated.
In addition, if it's the type of website that will need a "what's new" or "news" section, then you should consider where/how on the first/main page that section is set up. Obviously, the code is used to update that section, but you should consider where that "news" section will be and how easy is it for you to update. It needs to be user friendly to not only the visitor, but to you who will be updating it.
If you wont have a section on the first (main) page of your website that has to be updated all the time, then for me, easy navigation is next in line for importance. Content is important, but your visitors must be able to get to the content easily. So, I guess they go hand-in-hand.
Melinda
In addition, if it's the type of website that will need a "what's new" or "news" section, then you should consider where/how on the first/main page that section is set up. Obviously, the code is used to update that section, but you should consider where that "news" section will be and how easy is it for you to update. It needs to be user friendly to not only the visitor, but to you who will be updating it.
If you wont have a section on the first (main) page of your website that has to be updated all the time, then for me, easy navigation is next in line for importance. Content is important, but your visitors must be able to get to the content easily. So, I guess they go hand-in-hand.
Melinda