The Lovie Awards provide us with their top tips on creating a website that is better than all of the rest.
The Lovie Awards 2012 took place in London, UK and brought together the top talent in website design, development and entrepreneurship from around Europe. The Lovie Awards are the sister award to the US Webby Awards.
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Content is Key:
For a website to be engaging, it needs to have good content that is relevant and appropriate for your audience. The content on your site must be clear and concise as it acts as a voice for your brand and expresses your business’ particular motto and point of view. It may be informative, useful, or funny but it always leaves you wanting more.
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Structure and Navigation go hand-in-hand:
Websites must have good structure and navigation in order to be consistent, intuitive and transparent. Your customers and readers should not have to search far and wide to find what they are looking for; instead, your site‘s navigation should get them where they want to go quickly and offer easy access to the site's content.
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Visual Design creates an experience:
Visual design is more than just a pretty homepage. It doesn't have to be cutting edge or trendy, but should be high quality, appropriate, and relevant for the audience and the message it is supporting. Your site’s visual design communicates a visual experience for your readers and allows them to become more engaged with your content.
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Make the most out of Functionality:
Good functionality means the site works well and focuses on user experience above all else. The site should work across multiple platforms, including mobile. Make sure that any new technology that is being used is functional and relevant for your intended audience.
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Create an Interactive experience:
The Web is a many-to-many relationship, not a one-to-many relationship, like TV. Audiences like to interact with the site, with other members who are using it, and directly with the people making it. Supporting these type of interactions - whether it is message boards for the community to talk to one another or a robust and well-executed social media strategy - is what keeps sites engaging.
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Overall Experience brings users back:
The bottom line is that you want your customers and users to have a positive overall experience that entices them to revisit your website. An effective website encompasses content, structure and navigation, visual design, functionality, and interact
ivity, but it also includes the intangibles that make a user want to stay. Users who have an overall good experience will engage with the site, come back regularly, and will likely stay involved with your brand or company’s work.
Read more about the Lovie Awards 2013, and how to enter.
