CGM blog: Developing an intuitive website

22 Jun CGM blog: Developing an intuitive website

Most businesses seeking to develop a new website or redesign an existing one focus solely on the look.

That’s both great and correct – a website with visual appeal will usually do better than one that lacks impact.

But the real key to success is to make your website intuitive.

This doesn’t mean using your intuition to devise a good design (that’s a given) – but designing one that is intuitive for visitors to navigate so they can find their way around with ease and are subtly directed to pages that meet their needs or you want them to view.

Intuitive design means they don’t need to think about navigating your site – they just do it naturally so they can read more or have effortless choices to make.

So how do you do this?

First, you need a template which offers a wide range of functions. WordPress themes are ideal to work with – but you need functionality to suit your purpose. A good structure is also vital.

When we design a new website for a CGM client, we seek to fully understand their business so we can reach the hearts and minds of their customers.

That means we need to understand the business inside out. Actually, we get them to view it outside in – to put themselves in the mind of someone viewing their website for the first time and the features they’d need to see to scan the website with effect.

This is an essential – and challenging – process as it can question past behaviour and attitudes. Freud’s definition of madness is doing the same things repeatedly but expecting different results.

We seek to create a website that works best for the business and reflects the direction in which they aim to travel.

An intuitive website structure can offer more than merely a menu bar across the top and some URL links and calls to action at the foot of pages (although these too are essential).

It means adding functional features that allow the browser to hover the mouse over links that take them to differing pages with ease.

Content is always king. Most of us aim to do more than sell products or services via a website. Layering information is important as it enables people to buy into your credibility and reputation.

Up-to-date information about your company, your team, your ethics and values are vital. Customer testimonials and case studies – maybe even portfolios and certainly news and opinions (e.g. blogs) are even better at cranking up credibility.

Well-written content will help navigation and explanation. Some web designers barely bother to help their clients present legible copy. I saw one recently for a professional firm that was littered with spelling mistakes yet was being touted as state-of-the-art design. No thanks.

Succinct copy can make a website easy to read and provide clarity and flourish.

The combination of design, functionality, structure and content is the key to any successful contemporary website.

Intuitive website design is the theme of our Worcester Business Media Club meeting on Friday, June 26.

If you’d like further information and a quote to design an intuitive website for your business contact us.

Chris Green is managing partner of Chris Green Media.