Thinking about a web site? Is your web developer
certified or………???
Certification: What does it mean?
As a Realtor™ you are a professional and have to take
tests and ongoing education to be considered a professional,
don't you? Well we believe that web developers should do the
same. After all, anybody can build a web page,or can they?
You cannot just buy a piece of software and call yourself a
web developer! Placing a website online does not mean that
it will work in any browser and on any computer. In fact many
websites are made with this in mind. Have you ever seen "best
Viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer at 800x600 resolution"?
This means that the website was coded in non-valid html with
a program such as Front Page and will not display unless the
user takes the time to download a new browser and change their
computers resolution to see that Website. Now, be honest, when
was the last time you downloaded a new browser to see a website?
NEVER! Make sure that your development company tests your
site in all the different browsers. How many you ask? Please
go here to see a list of available
browsers. Many with
their own proprietary coding formats. In other words until
the whole world is using the same software and computer your
website will look different on every computer and every operating
system. Colors will be different on different monitors and
types of monitors. All Macs display text smaller then a PC
so make sure you keep this in mind when asking your developer
to make the text smaller because it looks too big on your pc.
Programming knowledge is something you do not get with any
software package. Did you know that most of the sites on the
web could have been made in Microsoft Office (Front Page) as
word docs and then saved as an html doc (web page) Why pay
a nonprofessional for the same results (or lack of) that you
can do for FREE? These types of sites do not have any programming.
They are what we typically call a brochure site yet many people
pay the same as a fully software enabled site because they
do not know the difference. Having said that we hope you have
learned more about what website is and isn't. Remember static
is BAD and Interactive or Dynamic is GOOD!
If you had a business would you trust your books to somebody
that bought the software Quick Books? Or, rather, would you
go to a Certified Public Accountant. Well unfortunately with
the cheap availability of software that allows the average
computer user to create what looks like a web page, many folks
are getting much less than they think they are paying for.
These programs such as Front page are called WYSIWYG programs.
What you see is what you get.
A lot of education,
training and experience goes into being a professional. This
is another reason why certifications are so very important
for the professional and especially for the client to make
sure that the person they hire can do the job!
The web has matured and along with it comes professional certifications
to separate the wannabes and hobbyists from the professionals.
Compare your site to these. www.WebPagesThatSuck.com
This is a site by Vincent Flanders a well know web author of
the best selling web design book "WebPagesThatSuck"
It illustrates what a good site should be by showing us bad design
examples and why not to use them. As Vincent says. "Where
you can learn good Web design by looking at bad Web design"
Designing Web Usability: The Practice
of Simplicity
A few basic principles for interface design:
The following principles are fundamental to the design and implementation
of effective interfaces, whether for traditional GUI environments
or the web. Of late, many web applications have reflected a lack
of understanding of many of these principles of design, to their
great detriment. Because an application or service appears on
the web, the principles do not change. If anything, applying these
principles become even more important.
The most important
thing to keep in mind that a website should be developed for
the end user, not the client and designed for use on a computer.
This means that what once worked for print media is no longer
true for a website. If you do not understand this sentence
then contact
us. This is the biggest problem with websites
today. A mistake is so easily copied by somebody that is not
aware it is a mistake because they think it looks cute. Unfortunately
this is happening all too frequently. Download the 10
commandants of web design. Does your
site violate any of these? Your site visitors are usually more
familiar with the web and PCs then the typical Realtor according
to Realtor magazine as well as having been online longer. What
worked 5-7 or even 2 years ago online will not work now. Stay
ahead of the game with a professional that knows and understands
the web. Ask your web company how long they have been in business.
Are they going to be here for you in the years ahead?
Usability Heuristics that must be adhered
to for a good user experience on a website
Visibility of system status
The system should always keep users informed about what is going
on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
Match between system and the real world
The system should speak the users' language, with words, phrases
and concepts familiar to the user, rather than system-oriented
terms. Follow real-world conventions, making information appear
in a natural and logical order.
Consistency and standards
Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations,
or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions.
Error prevention
Even better than good error messages is a careful design which
prevents a problem from occurring in the first place.
Recognition rather than recall
Make objects, actions, and options visible. The user should not
have to remember information from one part of the dialogue to
another. Instructions for use of the system should be visible
or easily retrievable whenever appropriate.
Aesthetic and minimalist design
Dialogues should not contain information which is irrelevant or
rarely needed. Every extra unit of information in a dialogue competes
with the relevant units of information and diminishes their relative
visibility.
Help and documentation
Even though it is better if the system can be used without documentation,
it may be necessary to provide help and documentation. Any such
information should be easy to search, focused on the user's task,
list concrete steps to be carried out, and not be too large.
-Jacob Nielson
The worlds
foremost authority on web usability
