The design of a website can’t truly begin until a complete understanding of what is needed from the site is reached. A design doesn’t mean anything without a core focus behind it.
- Are you looking to gain money from advertising?
- Is the simple aspect of gathering followers the reason for the website?
- Are you selling a product, or multiple products?
- Are you simply creating a website for fun?
These are just four examples of what a designer might focus on when creating a website. If you’ve ever visited a website, as a user, and you couldn’t discover where to go or what to do then you’ve more than likely found a site with no core direction. If there’s no direction, then how can a user be expected to utilize the site?
Once you ask the right questions, and discover what you want from your site it’s then time to research how you can make it fruitful. Here’s where it gets tricky. If you’re building a site around ad clicks, for instance, then your most important element is going to be giving your ads prominence. However, this generally goes against the laws of usability, as most people can’t stand ads and will instantly leave your site if it looks littered.
So, how can you focus on the direction of your site if it conflicts with users’ opinions. The answer is simple, but hard to put into practice. You have to shift your mindset. Garnering ad clicks is more than just stuffing a page. You have to be subtle, and generate visitors before you can see any kind revenue from clicks. Therefore, your site’s design focus will be based around ad placement and content.
I’ve provided this lengthy example as a way to show that adaptability is important no matter what you want from a website. The obvious answer is generally not the right one, but you can’t discover that first unless you really sit down and ask the right questions.
