Choose Wisely

There are web sites that entertain…those that sell…those that inform…and the list goes on. Behind each web site lies a purpose. According to web expert, Nick Usborne, if marketers are to achieve that purpose, they must understand the significant effects that design selections can have on the success of a web site. In his article “Design Choices Can Cripple a Website”, the author cites the following as “…a few of the design elements [they] have found can make a significant difference to the performance of a web page:

• The position and color of the primary call to action
• Position on the page of testimonials, if used
• Whether linked elements are in text or as images
• The amount of “white space” on a page, giving the content space to “breathe”
• The position and prominence of the main heading
• The number of columns used on the page
• The number of visual elements competing for attention
• The age, sex and appearance of someone in a photo” (Usborne, 2005).
  

Even though it may possess compelling copy, the performance of a site actually depends on the manner in which the information is presented. Design elements have the ability to enhance or weaken the strength of the text. Rather than guessing which web design is most effective, Usborne encourages marketers to utilize testing and allow the viewers to tell them which design actually does work the best.

This is a call for all marketers to abandon the concept of design and copy “gurus”, and instead embrace the concept of testing!

Excerpt taken from:
Usborne, N. (2005). Design choices can cripple a website. A List Apart. Retrieved on July 9, 2008 from http://www.alistapart.com/articles/designcancripple.