Back to the User: Creating User-Focused Websites

Back to the User integrates Web design, navigation and content considerations with effective branding and marketing guidelines. By teaching those that create websites how to think like the people who use them, this book enables web marketers and developers to create sites that people want to, and can successfully, use.

The authors offer their readers an approach to engaging target users in the development process early on and in a meaningful way so that the very premise of a site is driven by the needs and desires of its users. The book provides countless examples of common mistakes that even the best websites make and offers solutions that are geared to get everyone on a web development team, from CEO to programmer, viewing the site from the users perspective.

This book is intended for:

• Senior management of companies, large and small, who are about to build or rebuild a Website
• Web designers, developers and information architects
• Web marketers and consultants
• Advertising agency creatives, planners and account executives
• Anyone else in an organization who is involved in creating Websites

Table of Contents

Introduction.

I. THE VIEW FROM 30,000 FEET.

1. Why Your Web Site? For That Matter, Why Our Book?
2. Use Research, Make It Actionable, Then Act on It While It's Hot.

II. ATTRACTING VISITORS TO YOUR SITE, AT LEAST LONG ENOUGH TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER.

3. Your Homepage Is a 30-Second Window of Opportunity: Don't Be Shy!
4. Understanding How Users “Bucket” Your Space Better Use Their Language, Because They Are Not There to Join Your Company.
5. It's Okay to Be Different: Just Make Sure People Know What You Offer.
6. People Don't Read: Don't Make Them!
7. Just Because the Competition Does It That Way, Doesn't Mean It's Right.

III. MAKING SURE THEY “STICK” AROUND YOUR DAY-TO-DAY CHALLENGE TO ENHANCE USER EXPERIENCE.

8. A Frustrated User Is No User at All: Don't Let Him Leave Your Site!
9. Adventures in Downloading “…But Do I Have To?!”
10. When I Need Your Assistance, Believe Me, I'll Ask! Getting Information, Directions, Help, or Anything Else.
11. Hieroglyphics Are Only Interesting When You Are Visiting the Pyramids Icons and Language.

IV. ZEROING IN SITE DESIGN AND NAVIGATION.

12. Give the People What They Want (and More), or They'll Find Someone Who Can!
13. Functionality Don't Just Lie There, Give Me Some Interaction.
14. Whiz! Bang! Boom! Graphics in Service to Content and Functionality.
15. Search When to Keep Them in Your Playpen and When to Open Them Up to the Universe.
16. Navigation You Know You're in Trouble When Users Look for Your Site Map.
17. E-Commerce If They Can't Find It, They Won't Buy It.

V. BACK TO THE 30,000-FOOT VIEW YOUR SITE AND YOUR BRAND.

18. The Challenges of Transferring an Established Brand to the Web Top 10 Considerations.
19. Business-to-Business Challenges and Opportunities.

VI. AND THE VIEW FROM OUTER SPACE STAYING AHEAD OF (OR AT LEAST KEEPING UP WITH) THE SPEED OF TECHNOLOGY.

20. Step Out of the Shadows and into Their Shoes The Power of Listening.
21. Just When You Think You Know Everything, It Changes.
Appendix. A Crash Course in Web Development Research.
Index.