New York Web Development Firm Explains How to Achieve Website Usability for Long-Term Small Business Success

Leading Manhattan website development firm says that a small business website’s success can only be achieved if its use is effortless for visitors.

“When it comes to the design and development of a website, it’s not just how that website looks, but how simple it is to navigate from page to page; how easy it is to find what you want; and how accessible it is to people with disabilities,” says Peter Crisafi, Vice President of dzine it, Inc., a leading New York website design and development firm with clients from around the world. “The truth is that no matter how much money a business spends on the online promotion and sale of a products and services, if users cannot easily find their way around a website, they won’t use it.”

The good news, however, is that even if businesses aren’t following the latest trends in usability, getting on the bandwagon, Crisafi says, is actually pretty easy.

“By at least familiarizing themselves with a few simple usability rules,” Crisafi explains, “small business owners can ensure that those they entrust to develop their website are moving their business in the right direction.”

The first rule, Crisafi says, is to be clear with a website’s users.

“A website shouldn’t make people wonder what the business is or what it offers,” says Crisafi. “Every element of the website should be unambiguous, self-evident and self-explanatory. It is also essential that the front page of the website is the simplest of all pages.”

Another rule, according to Crisafi, is that a website is designed with the understanding that users don’t always read web pages – they scan them.

“It is imperative that a website’s text is clear, short and to the point,” says Crisafi. “When revamping the content on a webpage for maximum success, we suggest that owners omit half of the words on each page, and then, especially on home pages, cut what’s left in half.”

Finally, Crisafi says that persistent navigation should always be clear. Persistent navigation, he explains, is the navigation that appears on every page of a website.

“Persistent navigation should always include a way to get back to the home page, a search feature, and key sections of a website, such as the ‘about us’ page and ‘contact’ page,” says Crisafi. “A website’s navigation should make it easy for visitors to know what site they are on, which page they are on, what the major sections of the website are, and what their options are.”

Crisafi says that these are just a few of the ways that a small business can ensure that its website is easy to use. He suggests hiring a reputable website design and development firm to achieve maximum long-term success.

Established in 2003, dzine it, inc. is a leader in Custom web development, programming and design solutions for small and large business, agencies. The company offers a wide range of business-centered visual communication solutions, including web-based content management, web design, graphic design, custom web software applications, ethical white hat search engine optimization (Organic SEO), Video Encoding, and print media solutions. For more information, call 718.336.2660 or visit www.dzineit.net.

Copyright 2010 dzine it, inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.