Forget Usability, I Want a Sexy Web Design

It is sad but true; this can be the mindset of some graphic designers. It’s my opinion the ‘user first’ rule must apply whenever it comes to website design. If you create a web page accessible and easy to use your conversion rates should increase, this is usual the business owners intended outcome for a new website design. Before thinking about putting Flash animations or heavy graphics in your site design you must think about how useful this content is and how it serves your prospects. I am not suggesting your website should be ugly either, of course it should be designed in a way that makes your business look professional but never at the expense of usability.

How do You Know Your Web Design is Attracting Your Target Market?

Answer 1: We liked it so our customers should

This is a dangerous presumption to make and often simply isn’t true. Your clients and customers interact with your website in a very different way than you do. You are viewing your website from a strong understanding of your business and prospects may not know a thing about you or your industry. What seems obvious to you may need reinforcement to you prospects.

Answer 2: We used a focus group

That’s great however, when we review a design from an analytical perspective we interact with it in a different way than someone looking to buy your products and services. Read 'Blink' by Malcolm Gladwell to understand this concept better.

Answer 3: We asked our customers

The same problems are faced here as using a focus group in an even more extreme way. Your customers have preconceived ideas about who you are and if your website is to generate new leads, they view it from a different perspective.