11 Steps to Create a Successful Website

Step 4: Make Key Design Decisions

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‘Seniors’ and Special Needs

As a businessperson, you should already be well aware that the Baby Boom Generation is here, it’s clear – get used to it.

This gigantic market segment not only is a consumer wonderland, but Boomers know what they want and how to throw their intimidating collective weight around to get it. When they were coming of age, they turned this country – and much of the world – on its head. Now they’re doing it again.

They’re older, of course. So they’re changing the definition of age. When one of the icons of Gen-Boom, feminist Gloria Steinem, was asked how she felt at age 50, she replied, “Exactly like I did when I turned 40,” or words to that effect.

The point is that 50, 60, 70 ain’t what it used to be. Unlike their parents, among other things, Boomers aren’t afraid of new technology and are flooding onto the Web. But they want it the way they want it – easy to read, especially with eyeglasses; mellow instead of jarring; and definitely free of (how would they put it?) crap.

As you design your Web site, also think about customers with impaired vision, hearing loss or other disabilities, and their special needs. The Website Accessibility Initiative is a great source of tips and design techniques for doing this.

Some high points:

  • Audio and video. If you intend to use either to assist your customers – instructional videos, product tutorials, testimonials – be sure transcripts, captions and video descriptions are also available.
  • Clarity. Pay attention to contrast and sharpness, not only in your images, but throughout your Web site.
  • Color.  Important for “décor,” but don’t use it to convey your message. Too many of your potential customers are visually impaired and will miss the point.
  • Flicker. It amazes us that so many big, professional and otherwise good Web sites intentionally assault their users with flashing, flickering, strobe-speed graphics as “attention-getters.” Not only is flicker extremely annoying, it can touch off seizures in some people with epilepsy.

 Before moving on to Step 5, where you’ll get into the guts of a Web page, be sure to check out these design-related resources:

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Comments

As we read through the 11 steps involved in designing a Web site, the inevitable point arrives: the actual design. That means layout, one of the major issues. A layout is literally the way pieces (elements) of "stuff" on a page or in a book or magazine are laid on the paper. It`s the geographic positioning, the size of each thing, where are its borders, and what kind of "white space" separates each thing. White space doesn`t have to be white; it refers to the "in between" th...

Your website is just what I need.  As a 67 year old soon-to-be entrepreneur, I need all the concise help I can get without having to sort through all types of offers.  Thank you!

Craig,  It`s a good idea for people to use PowerPoint or just some pieces of paper to visualize their concept of the look for their website. Of course you were not suggesting to use Power Point to actually create the website.. it is not a good tool for that as the code produced is not the best. ~Roland

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