5 Pillars Of A Strong Website

Category: Blog

Written by Estevan Montoya

Every website needs pillars if it is to stand strong.

There are literally millions of websites in the world today. By 2008, Google indexed 1 Trillion websites. That is nearly 4 years ago. That was the time people realized how simple it is to get a website online. Though it is simple, and many are doing it, how many of the 1 trillion+ websites have you personally seen? We only see a small percentage of what is actually out there. After we consider what we have seen, think about this: How often do you visit the websites that you have seen? I run into websites all day. I bookmark what I like, and leave what I don't like. Also, I don't just bookmark any site. There must be a reason for me to come back, otherwise I normally don't return. There is a reason websites are successful, and why other websites don't make it. With successful websites in mind, I'd like to give you some foundational tips that make a strong website.

What Are The 5 Pillars In A Strong Website?

All of the following pillars have been around since the dawn of consumer web browsing. I have seen these pillars on nearly every website since I got started on the internet (10 years ago). So don't try to reinvent the wheel. These elements of successful website are found on nearly every website. So take a look and see what has worked in the past, and implement these tried and true pillars of a strong website.

Easy To Follow Design

This is essential to just about anything. If there is too much, it becomes confusing. I have seen photos that had a great thought in mind, but there was too much going on, and it made my eyes cross! Well, you don't want people going cross eyed when they look at your website, do you? Well, if there is a confusing layout with "things" everywhere, it makes it hard for people to focus on what they are looking for in your website. If they get to you website via a search engine, and they can't find what they are looking for, then they will leave quick. This is called a "bounce", in which they leave your website without viewing any other pages. People bounce when they find that your page does not deliver what was promised. If your design is not sharp, clean, and easy to view, then your chances of people leaving are high.

On the contrast, if you have a clean website that is easy to follow, people are more likely to stay on your website. Though you have ads, they don't distract. Yes, you have social media links, but they don't get in the way. You may even have a pop up box, but looks sharp, and easy to close, people will still stay on your site. These little things matter in a website. I have seen people go overboard with features. What happens? Their website becomes overbearing with no clarity in it's message. People lose interest in things that are not easy to follow. So ask yourself if your website is easy to follow.

Clear Navigation

Part of having a website is easy to follow is having clear navigation. That is normally the bar on top of you website that has links like "home", "about", & "contact". This is how people browse your website. If they have a hard time getting around, then normally they will leave. Navigation is like the steering wheel on your website. People need to be able to get around. They don't want to feel stuck. That is why navigation needs to be clear and consistent through all pages of your website. I have seen websites that have one set of links on the home page and a different set on another page. That means they must go back to find specific links. The more you make your visitors to work, the faster they will leave. The internet society wants what they want, and they want it fast. Clear navigation helps give that speed to them. So, examine your website to see if it if easy to navigate.

Easy To Find Contact Information

I have heard it said that there should be some form or link to contact the owner of a website. This used to be a phone number or email address. Now, we have platforms like facebook and twitter. Either way, people want to feel like they can connect. If you have a website site people like and enjoy, then you can increase the popularity and loralty of your readers by being contactable. There are two things that help with this, (1) a specific contact page with an email form and other contact info if needed, and (2) simple contact points in places like the footer, sidebar, or header. These contact points can be links to your social media pages, or even a phone number. It all depends on how you want people contacting you. You may not want to have your phone number out for all your visitors, but you might not mind them sending you an email or liking your facebook fan page. People just want to feel connected, and easy to find contact information helps them connect.

Up To Date Technology & Style

As the internet continues to change and grow, so does the appearance of a website, and the technology involved. I remember the days when everybody wanted a flash animation before a person arrived to the actual home page. They were cool and in style. Well, there was some problems with that, and soon people went back to having a home page as the home page. As these trends come and go, we find they are getting easier to implement. These trends are things like javascript animated slide shows, twitter feeds on your page, animated ads, social media integration, and the list can go on forever. The thing is, people like to be involved in things that are up to date. If you have not updated your website since early 2000, then people in our day will not find it interesting. The amazing thing is that most of what is being designed and discovered in current development follows these rules/pillars. So, keeping up to date helps your website stay strong.

Strong Quality Content

Though this is last, this isn't the least important. In fact, it's probably the most important. I have seen websites that meet all the web 2.0 standards, yet they lack quality content. They are kind of like cotton candy....a lot of fluff and no substance. Sure it's good to have every once and a while, but one can't live on cotton candy. Sure a website may have a lot of fluff, but if it has no content, people normally forget it after a while. There must be content. As people search, they are wanting to be fed. If you don't feed them, then they'll go somewhere else. For instance, there are a few websites that I view every single day. Why? Because I want to see if they have a new post because I know their posts will help me. Does your website offer content that people can learn from or enjoy? Content can be blog posts to recent updates that your clients should know. It can be fun to help a person through the day or informative that targets a specific group of people. Content with quality is vital to having a strong website. Take a look at your website and ask if you'd come back if you were an average seeker. If not, then place some quality content on it today.