USER ORIENTED WEBSITE INTERFACE Content-rich Website YOU ARE HERE!

WEBSITE USEFULNESS: RELEVANT CONTENT DEVELOPMENT

IF NOT USEFUL, Website Can't Be Efficient, However Well Structured & Easily Navigable It Is

"The most frustrating factor in using the Web is not being able to find specific information" (SURL: Optimal Web Design).

The original purpose of the Internet was to inform, to educate. Research shows that users are most frustrated if not being able to find specific information. It's true that inferior website organization and design can lose the sale, but extraordinary design alone won't make the sale either - it's the website copy that sells.

Keep in mind that incapable copy could drive these visitors to your competitors, never to return. Website copy provides information that determinate if a user would investigate further or leave, purchase or abandon the sail, come back or not. Regardless of how well structured and easily navigable a website is, if it's not useful - it won't be successful.

Naturally, all previously mentioned user-centered design conventions should be implemented, but, according to Jacob Nielsen's AlterBox, "a wall of text is deadly for an interactive experience". To draw users into the text it's extremely important to use well-documented text structuring principles that support scanning.

While writing headlines & summaries to support scanning, note they are extremely important, because they must achieve different goals at the same time:

• get attention
• reveal the topic
• filter the targeted audience
• motivate the visitors to read further

Although implementing information architecture organizes website content to highly benefit the user, the content itself attracts and retains an audience better than anything else. The content need to be useful, informative, valuable, educational, entertaining, etc., and your website copywriting skillful to ensure long-term results and retain your targeted traffics.

Defining the purpose and goals of your website, as well as defining your target audience and their goals, precede the process of organizing a content of your website. Therefore, selecting and creating the type of content that will serve the needs of your target audience the best should not be a problem.

As online users are above all looking for useful information, and search engines are more and more considering useful informational content in their ranking algorithm, there are some types of informational content that could be beneficial to both:

• Editorials, written by an expert in the field (you or a guest), are typicality a useful content, not only because they offer the opinion of the expert, but because they invite feedback. Adding a guest book or bulletin board endorse a lively discussion and possible a follow up article in the future.
• Feature Articles, relevant to the topic of your website, are both among the most common and the most useful forms of website content. You could create them yourself, reprint articles written by others (always obtain permission), or include an announcement on your site to welcome articles from other authors, etc.
• News might be presented as clippings (with links to full stories), feature articles or news stories, marked with your personal point of view or style of writing. Note that they have to be timely.
• Turn your site into the content resource on your topic. Additionally, you could evaluate and rank other resources, listing them together with your rating and opinions.
• Review of the best products and services related to the topic of your website. Recommend them or share your doubts with your visitors. Reviews are not only considered as very useful content, but also build up your website credibility.
• Note that all kinds of interactive features, such as polls, feedback, discussion groups, forums, etc. provide useful content.

Offering useful and informational content, relevant to the topic of your website is important, but providing valuable content on your product and service pages is essential.

Veluable content is NOT just the description of your products or services. With so many similar products on the market, it would not be enough to separate you from
your competition. You must persuade your prospects that your products or services would benefit them more than others. Be Distinct: Stand Out From the Crowd >>

User Oriented Design & Ethical Website Marketing Strategies by Distinctia, 2006