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312 Part 4 • the essentials of Design

Web site logo jpeg image Feature story

Search engine Banner ads

Links to
sub-Webs

RSS feeds

Video
subscription

Advertisements Quick links Main Chat rooms Email contact link
stories
Figure 11.12
The DinoTech website makes the most of links, RSS feeds, video subscriptions, and banner ads.

conTenT. Provide something important to website users. Exciting animation, movies, and
sounds are fun, but you have to include appropriate content to keep the user interested. Supply
some timely advice, important information, a free offer, a top ten list of tips on the page’s topic,
or any activity that you can provide that is interactive and moves users away from a browsing
mode and into an interactive one.
“Stickiness” is a quality a website can possess. If a user stays at your site for a long period
of time, your site has a high degree of stickiness. That is why a merchant includes many items
of interest on a site. A wine merchant, for example, may post lessons on how to uncork a bottle,
taste the wine, or choose a proper glass.
Use a metaphor or images that provide a metaphor for your site. You can use a theme, such
as a storefront, with additional pages having various metaphors related to the storefront, such as
a deli. Avoid the overuse of cartoons, and don’t be repetitive.
Every website should include an FAQ (frequently asked questions) page. Often these are
created based on the experiences of users and technical support people who identify the topics of
continuing concern. Eighty percent of the questions will fall into the FAQ category. By having
answers readily available, 24 hours a day, you will save valuable employee time and also save
user time. FAQ pages also demonstrate to users of your site that you are in concert with them and
have a good idea of what they would like to know.
On the Web, COTS software takes on another meaning. A website may take advantage of
prewritten software. Examples include search engines (such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo! search),
mapping software (such as Google Maps or MapQuest), weather information, and news and
stock tickers. Website designers value these packages because they can increase the functional-
ity of the site, and the additional features encourage users to bookmark their clients’ websites
because they provide valuable bonus content.