design for the web
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Why do people visit Web Sites, and what are the most common problems they find when they get there?

If you don't understand these issues, we don't believe that you will make money, or get your message across.

 Why do people visit Web sitesspacer
Some research done at SUN by Jakob Nielsen (now at www.useit.com) found that the reasons for visiting commercial web sites were:
  • Product information 46%
  • Press releases/news/general information 28%

and a number of subsidiary reasons:

  • Company Financial Information 5%
  • Orders or Prices 5%
  • Education 4%
  • Seeking Employment 4%

We also recommend 'contact us' information - telephone numbers and postal address as well as e-mail addresses.  Include a Map showing the location of your offices, and give travel directions from major motorways/train stations etc.

 It's the content - not the 'cool' graphics

46% want product information
Make sure that you include the top 2 categories, and the others if they are also relevant.   We have seen corporate web sites that only advertised jobs for example, no other information was available.

If you are not a famous name company, tell them who you are and what you do on the front page of your Web site.   Many users will never bother to scroll beyond the first 25 lines of your front page, so if they see nothing of interest, the leave.  Make sure that the front page is quick to download as well, Web users hate waiting.

 2 Consequences

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