Vol. 2, No. 18
TODAY'S LESSON: User-Friendly Design

Back in The Boom, "bigger is better" seemed to be the rule of thumb for all the online businesses (you know, the ones that are now auctioning off the last of their Aeron chairs, Sony Wega TVs, and Sun servers). If I had a shiny nickel for every site that shelled out a million dollars on latest-greatest interactive features and splashy two-minute intros, why I'd have enough money for a sandwich . . . WITH all the fixings.

Remember all those elaborate sites, with Shockwave and media doo-dads intros but no FAQ? Or some fancy automated ordering system but no feedback line? What those sites seemed to forgot is that most users are simple creatures with simple needs.

If you heeded the Handcrafted advice last week, your Web site makeover project is in full swing by now, so why not add some new features that will help your users actually browse your site (versus clog their modems and seize them up with bright, flashing animations).

>>> Directing Traffic <<<

There are a bunch of ways to improve the content on a Web site, and at the top of the list? Chili recipes. People just can't get enough good chili. Aside from that, it's not a bad idea to offer sections that inform people about the idea behind the site, and let them know what's available there. A site map or a FAQ (short for Frequently Asked Questions) are good starters.

"Add-On Options"

Tripod's Add-on page shows you how to add JavaScript and CGI functions to your site, or simpler stuff like a poll or text pop-up screen.

"Why are you Here?"

The FAQ page is sometimes the first place people will go when they land on a site. It's a quick and easy way to deliver a lot of information about a site's purpose, features, and whatever else you think is important to communicate.

"Suggestion Box"

It's pretty easy to add a feedback line on your site, and then you can have some fun rating the flames that people send in."Habenero," Jalepeno," "Serrano," etc. Or you could simply ask for suggestions on how to make the site better.

>>> Understanding Traffic <<<

Once you have a line of communication open with your visitors, it will be tempting to know a little bit more about them. That way, you can find ways to keep them coming back. This could mean implementing a more comprehensive feedback system, or simply monitoring your Web server logs for insight into what they are visiting, and how often.

"Feedback Frenzy"

If you want to get serious about feedback, this article explains how customer support systems have evolved to encompass the Web, what technologies are out there, and how to manage the output of these systems so you can keep those users happy.

"Who Goes There?"

Almost every Web server has some sort of system that stores information about which pages, images, and files are requested, who requests them, and how many bytes are transferred. All of this information is dumped into a log file that is stored in a specific location on your server.

1. To improve the quality of user feedback, make sure you ask specific questions. Don't just ask for comments. Ask, how did you find this site? Did you find what you were looking for? If no, what was it?

2. If you want the skinny on your visitors, but don't want to do the leg work, try a log file analyzer. Some of the most popular programs are WebTrends and Sawmill (for pay) and Analog, Webalizer, and http-analyze (for free). These programs can generate fast, effective reports of any kind and display them in a format that's easy to read and understand.

3. If you have a bad reputation around the office, take Thin Lizzy's advice: You had bad breaks well that's tough luck, You play too hard too much rough stuff, You're too sly so cold, That bad reputation has made you old.

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