I got to thinking about defining the term top ten websites. It seems that top ten websites is a reasonably of searched term so people must be trying to find the best of the best. I thought about my definition vs what other people had in mind. My definition would be as follows. The top ten websites world wide would be giving the owners and shareholders concrete results, as in monetary reward. Today's top ten websites could differ from tomorrows using that single criteria. I want to expand on my criteria although I have a feeling that the top ten sites will probably all meet the criteria. I would think that in order to be successful, you would need to meet a few simple standards.
A top ten website would be easy to navigate
Navigation must be one of the standards of adjudication. In my world, if I have to use the back key to try and find something on the website, I would immediately disqualify the website being judged. Navigation should always be simple, easy to understand and intuitive. I have noticed that many website designers try and reinvent the wheel where navigation is concerned. In a newspaper or magazine you turn the page to get to the next, your links will say continued on page 28 On the site finding page 28 is not as simple as turning the page. Navigation needs to make this easy to do.
A top ten website would offer information
In my world, I want to find the message, why is the site there? Does it help me make a buying decision, does it allow me to find the specifications I need. If you have a technical product, give me the data to understand. Do not make me phone to get basic information. I think here I will use as an example Virgin Mobile in South Africa's website. Virgin offer dial up access via my blue tooth enabled phone at a damned good price. I needed to set it up, not my first time, probably not my last. I know I need an added initialization string and the number to call. I went to the site to look for the details. I would guess that this is a FAQ. It gets asked many times a day, maybe I am wrong... I would put it in the site for people like me. I was made to spend half an hour on-line getting more and more annoyed to get a simple question answered. Don't do this to your clients. If you have regular questions, put them on the site, Maybe I won't have to spend an hour talking to some lackey that cannot answer a simple question without going through the 120 question script.
A top ten website would never confuse the visitor
Make damned sure your info is up to date and never conflicts. Do not have any information that contradicts something else on your website. If you confuse your client, he will turn to someone else that will clarify the issue.
Top ten websites will never force me to watch a flash intro
Sure flash intros are stunning and they give the website wow factor. The sad thing is that 70% of the world is still on a dial up connection. Even in the great US of A rural people still use old fashioned modems. Not everyone has all that glorious bandwidth you have to play with. Do what I do unplug the router and dial up with your mobile or land line. Does the site take longer than 30 seconds to appear? You have a problem. When I stumble using my broadband and the site is not fast, I move on smoothly and quickly.
Finally a top ten website will be cross browser compliant
I know CSS is great, I know the magic ajax can create, but if it needs a specific browser or plug in to work, you have lost me. No I don't have time to download the latest version of Java or Flash or some obscure peace of software you have chosen to use. I am here looking for information and I want it now.
How would you define a top ten website?
A top ten website would be easy to navigate
Navigation must be one of the standards of adjudication. In my world, if I have to use the back key to try and find something on the website, I would immediately disqualify the website being judged. Navigation should always be simple, easy to understand and intuitive. I have noticed that many website designers try and reinvent the wheel where navigation is concerned. In a newspaper or magazine you turn the page to get to the next, your links will say continued on page 28 On the site finding page 28 is not as simple as turning the page. Navigation needs to make this easy to do.
A top ten website would offer information
In my world, I want to find the message, why is the site there? Does it help me make a buying decision, does it allow me to find the specifications I need. If you have a technical product, give me the data to understand. Do not make me phone to get basic information. I think here I will use as an example Virgin Mobile in South Africa's website. Virgin offer dial up access via my blue tooth enabled phone at a damned good price. I needed to set it up, not my first time, probably not my last. I know I need an added initialization string and the number to call. I went to the site to look for the details. I would guess that this is a FAQ. It gets asked many times a day, maybe I am wrong... I would put it in the site for people like me. I was made to spend half an hour on-line getting more and more annoyed to get a simple question answered. Don't do this to your clients. If you have regular questions, put them on the site, Maybe I won't have to spend an hour talking to some lackey that cannot answer a simple question without going through the 120 question script.
A top ten website would never confuse the visitor
Make damned sure your info is up to date and never conflicts. Do not have any information that contradicts something else on your website. If you confuse your client, he will turn to someone else that will clarify the issue.
Top ten websites will never force me to watch a flash intro
Sure flash intros are stunning and they give the website wow factor. The sad thing is that 70% of the world is still on a dial up connection. Even in the great US of A rural people still use old fashioned modems. Not everyone has all that glorious bandwidth you have to play with. Do what I do unplug the router and dial up with your mobile or land line. Does the site take longer than 30 seconds to appear? You have a problem. When I stumble using my broadband and the site is not fast, I move on smoothly and quickly.
Finally a top ten website will be cross browser compliant
I know CSS is great, I know the magic ajax can create, but if it needs a specific browser or plug in to work, you have lost me. No I don't have time to download the latest version of Java or Flash or some obscure peace of software you have chosen to use. I am here looking for information and I want it now.
How would you define a top ten website?
Guy McLaren has been designing websites since 1996, He has had many number one slots on most of the search engines. You can find him at Guy McLaren
His latest projects include the:
Meet Guy here [http://100bucksaday.com]
His latest projects include the:
Meet Guy here [http://100bucksaday.com]
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