Surfing for Site Success

When designing or re-designing your web site, keep in mind that you are creating a site for the surfer, not for other webmasters. What works for you when you visit other sites? Now you have to take your webmaster hat off for this – you have to pretend that you are just an average person surfing your way through cyberspace.

Try this exercise -

Spend 20 minutes surfing. Yes, kick back & enjoy...
Use the search engines or directories or refer to "Submit Your Site To..." to find some web sites that may interest you.
Write down the web sites that "catch your eye" and make you curious and even interested. Bookmark these if you like for later retrieval and analysis.
Analyze - What is it that appeals to you about these web sites? Is it the content? Is it the eye-appealing aspect? Note: Do not confuse the "eye-appeal" with design. A poor design may still attract your attention - be it good or bad.
Apply these observations to your web site. How can you improve the content of your web site? How can you inspire interaction from your web site visitor?

Please note that I said "analyze" not "copy." Also I am not advocating bad designs nor over-active, flashy web sites. The decision is yours - You are the analyst here.

I use this method often when coming up with new banner designs. If a banner catches my eye when I am NOT looking for it, then it must be a good banner - not necessarily a good design. Some of my best banners have been some of the most ordinary and un-appealing to me, but they resulted in a good click-thru ratio.

Try it...it will help...

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Deborah Anderson of Anderson Creations publishes the weekly ezine, Webmaster Tips Weekly. Receive info that will help you design & maintain an exceptional web site! Subscribe free at http://www.andersoncreations.com/subscribe.shtml or mailto:subscribe_web_tips@sendfree.com?subject=WS