Blog Week 4 Post 1
When creating a website for a business, you want to make sure the home page clearly identifies the business or product, is aesthetically pleasing, is easy to read and navigate. Here are a couple of examples of sites that could improve their home page:
The gatesnfences.com website is so busy with information that it is difficult for a visitor to find the main message and focal point. They are attempting to show everything about their business and products on the home page which is overpowering and ineffective. The organization of the site is also poor and would be frustrating for someone in need of their products. Their use of color is not in harmony (in fact, using both primarily green and red from a psychological perspective causes agitation). The navigation buttons on the left are outdated and there are too many . Finally, there is far too much copy on the page, preventing any kind of message from being read.
I’d like to see the gatesnfences.com website improve their site by having a short headline that summarizes what their business does at the top. By organizing each of their product categories more broadly on the page with a product photo link above would simplify the page. The color green is appealing and could be used in the main color scheme but not in conjunction with red. It is also unnecessary to have the address of the business at the top left of the page. It would be better located either at the very bottom or on a link at the bottom that says “Contact Us”. Another improvement would be eliminating all of the descriptive copy on the home page and instead include some of the information on the linked pages. Eliminating all of the extra copy on the first page would bring space and readability to the site.
www.roverp6cars.com
My eyes hurt from viewing this website. The red colors and font styles being used are overpowering and as a viewer it appears to be screaming. The scrolling feature is ineffective as doesn’t add anything to the site. The information is just reiterating what has already been stated on the page. The navigation on the left side is very difficult to read as well. Having the red over the large cars is not effective, is gimmicky and too long for a navigation bar.
Some suggestions for improvement would be to remove the scrolling feature and only show what they do in the main headline. I would also remove the blocking in each of their headlines/copy and only have the copy on a white background (change the grey). The navigation on the left could be simplified to broader categories and should use navigation buttons instead of trying to be clever with the repetition of cars. Buried in their home page is the fact that they are on Facebook. It would be better for them to place the Facebook icon along with any other social media sites they are on in one area instead of taking up so much room on the page trying to promote it.
Two sites that are designed beautifully and effectively are www.apple.com and www.nps.gov.
www.apple.com
Apple is the definition of sleek design and powerful technology - their website represents their products well. The all black background with a simple bold white modern font style is effective for their messaging. There is not a lot of copy to clutter the page and it is easy to figure out where to click on their navigation bar. It is helpful as well that they highlight their new products and include basic pricing. That draws in the visitor to want to know more. They also do an effective job with promoting other products and services if you scroll down the page. It is difficult to get this right as it can clutter up a home page, but they do it beautifully with color and simplicity. Finally they include disclaimer copy quietly by not putting it in black but in a soft grey. It is readable if you need it, but almost don’t notice it if you don’t.
www.nps.com
The National Park Service is a wonderfully designed page. It is full of interesting information that is organized clearly. They have effectively used a black background to keep it clean and to allow the information needed to pop. They have an easy way to search for a park and it can be clearly seen when you open the home page. The menu button further provides great information organized well. Each of the photos draw you in to want to learn more.
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