Keeping It Simple: Online Design Tips from Jacob Richman
Jacob Richman is the creator of a number of online Jewish directories / resource centers, including Jewish Hotsites, the J Site – Jewish Education and Entertainment, and most recently, his blog, Good News From Israel.
In his recent article, “Case History of A Jewish Website,” published by CAJE’s Jewish Education News, Jacob offers several recommendations to those planning to develop their own online resource centers or directories:
- “Keep It Simple, Sam” (KISS)
If you need a computer degree to figure out how to use the site, people will visit once but never again. - Cover the topic thoroughly
If you publicized that your website has great resources for Hanukkah, make an effort that there really are great resources for Hanukkah on your site. Two songs and one page about the miracle does not cut it (in my opinion). - Keep the bells and whistles to a minimum
Many people like to put cool things on the front page of the website to dazzle the visitors. If you expect the visitor to return often, some of the cool things may become a nuisance. If your website plays a song or music on the home page, you may want to consider placing a stop or silence button in an easy to find place on the page. - All pages on your site should load quickly
If your home page does not load within 20 seconds, there is a very good chance that your potential visitors will abandon the visit and go to another site. - Keep ads low-key
If you advertise products or services on your site, try to keep them low-key. Pop-up banners or “in your face” advertising has the potential to turn away visitors. -
Listen to your visitors
Somewhere on your website you should provide contact information for feedback about the site. This can be a simple e-mail or, to protect you from spam, an e-mail form on your website. Read all feedback and respond to it. Consider the feedback and make changes to your site if repeated feedback points to specific problems or suggestions.Excerpted from: “Case History of A Jewish Website” by Jacob Richman, published online at www.caje.org/learn/Winter07/jen-winter07.asp and www.jr.co.il/articles/jacob/index.html
This advice is useful for websites that are open to the public, as well as those with a more targeted audience. It’s worth remembering that one of the most used resource sites in the world, Google, is also one of the cleanest aesthetically. Do you have other words of wisdom to share based on your experiences as producer or consumer of this type of content?