Create A Website For Everyone And Increase Sales!

by Tem Balanco

Not everybody is the same as you. A straight-forward concept, but the reality is that many business owners forget this when they build a website. We all have different vision requirements, software, mobility constraints, and many more idiosyncrasies that define us as individual web users. We're all unique and it's important to not to make the mistake of denying someone access to your information, products, or services.

Think about somebody who is getting older. Somebody that is older should have the first choice from a sales perspective because somebody who is older probably has had enough time to save money and create wealth. But, older people are beginning to have decreased eye sight. This is not a problem because the words of the text can be adjusted to a bigger size. Or, could they? If you don't consider this function when you build a website, people who need a bigger text size won't be able to use important features of the website.

When you make a website, it is important to consider what colors to use. Color blindness, in one way or another, is quite common in contrast to what most people think. With the average types of color blindness most people can see colors, but they can't see the difference between the shades of colors that look somewhat alike. When you design a website, you should use contrast and stay away from colors that symbolize a concept. For example the words "items marked in red are not available" is a concept that you should not use.

Let us think for a moment about mobility restraints. Whether due to an accident or other medical issue, there are many people who access the web, and use a keyboard, but whom can not operate a mouse. Therefore, it is important to consider other navigation options when you are ready to make a website.

It does not take much effort to create a website that is fully accessible using just the keyboard. In order to get a feel for it, try simulating keyboard navigation by using just the keyboard, without the mouse, to navigate your favorite web sites for an hour or two. You will find that some sites are far easier than others to work with and to navigate. Now, how does your site compare?

Lastly, consider what software your visitor may be using. Thousands of operating system/browser/preference combos exist. Do you exclude any? Consider a site which relies on JavaScript to draw links in a fancy, drop-down menu. Do you know it's quite common for workplaces to disable this program for security reasons? This means anyone browsing the web at work--people who make money to spend on your products--might not be able to follow the link to your check-out page! Try to create a website which does not leave users out due to their software.

To sum up, three major issues are software, mobility, and sight. Cater to them and they'll cater to you in return. With such best practices in mind, you may create a website with confidence and maximize its intent. You will get more visitors, more repeat ones, and happier ones. It's a fine way to run your business successfully.

Sight, mobility, and software are the three issues facing web developers. When you build a website, it's important to take consideration to the color scheme. Create a website that uses contrast and avoid using colors to represent content meaning. Now consider mobility restraints. You should consider that your users may not be using a mouse when you make a website. Lastly, think about what software your visitor could already be using. There are many different configurations of browsers, operating systems and user preferences. When you develop a website, users shouldn't be prevented from navigating because of the software they run. Pay attention to those issues, and you will be rewarded.

Published August 12th, 2008

Filed in Web Design