“Browsing” the Web

Web Sites are virtual “store fronts”. Like store fronts, what they see in the window should encourage them to “come in and browse!” That’s why we call the software a “Browser”.  In both cases, potential customers are “window shopping” – even if they don’t use “Windows”.

Imagine someone browsing in a book store. They go to the section they’re most interested in: Fiction, History, Biography, etc. They might see a title that interests them; typically they’ll read the book jacket to get an idea of what’s in the book. They might open the book and read a few pages, and eventually they’ll check the price. They may do that several times before making a decision. That decision was based on their “Browsing Experience” – and the eventual choice was based on what they saw when browsing.

Websites are more than just advertisements – like a store display, its designed to catch the eye, entice one to look a little more, delve a little deeper. A website is both an Advertisement and often the store itself!

A website predicts who the browser will be.  It’s also your “Book Jacket” – enticing someone to open and “browse”.

Some hints:

1. Most visitors will NOT read the entire Web page; so show your “wares” and make your sales “pitch” obvious and easy to see.
2. Make text and headers short and enticing. Use “white space” to break up information, and break up large parcels of information into smaller chunks, and on different pages.
3. A page that takes more than 7 seconds to download loses customers. Lots of text and photos may slow display times in older browsers.
4. “A picture says a thousand words”.
5. Use hyperlinks sparingly. Too many links make your website a maze.
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