One of my favorite things about being a full-time project manager in addition to an Internet marketer is that I get some very good on-the-job training and networking opportunities at my nine-to-five. For example, I've recently had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Susan Weinschenk, Chief of User Experience Strategy at Human Factors International and an expert in web design page layout.
Experts in Web Design
(Thank you! Please read our book referral disclaimer)In her recent book, Neuro Web Design: What makes them click? (New Riders Press), Dr. Weinschenk describes important aspects of usability and persuasive web design. In plain terms, usability is the practice of ensuring that your website's layout and information is easily understood by your website visitors. Persuasive design is the art and science of how to make your message more compelling, resulting in more website leads and sales. Neuro Web Design was a great read and since then I've been looking at websites differently.
Practical Examples of Web Design
This week I came across an excellent example of good web design page layout in a site called Daily Mugshot. Daily Mugshot is a free service that allows you to take a picture of yourself every day and then post them to a flipbook that you can share with your friends or embed on your website. Today, I'm going to take you through seven examples of great web page design, thanks to Daily Mugshot.
(Click to open a larger version in a new window)
7 Examples of Good Web Design Page Layout:
- Home page link - It's now become best-practice to have your logo in the top-left corner of your website. Clicking on the logo should bring visitors to the home page.
- The "welcome mat" - Your website should have a section of the home page that introduces the visitor to your website. You should give folks an idea of what your site is about and why they should be there.
- Social proof - Visitors to your site want to know whether your product is any good or not. Seeing other people who have taken the time to use Daily Mugshots sends a message that the site is worth it.
- Search - Search is an important means of navigation for many web users. A visible search box is a must of almost all websites.
- Clear Call-to-Action - Your first goal in great web design page layout should be to provide a crystal-clear action you want your visitors to perform. Notice how Daily Mugshot uses about three different visual cues to get you to sign up for their service.
- Page Layout Navigation - Make sure your visitors don't get lost. Provide clear navigation with intuitive page titles.
- Clear Explanations - Be sure to use clear, concise language that your ideal customer/visitor would understand when you design and layout your web page.
Much to Learn
Great web design page layout requires that you take a lot of factors into account. Neuro Web Design helped me realize that there is much to learn. What are some of your favorite examples of good web design page layout?
