Planning, Developing, and Promoting Successful Small Business Websites

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“In 1896, architect Louis Henri Sullivan said, “Form ever follows function.” (Finck, 1999, digital-web.com) This quote has proven timeless, and is very applicable to the design and development of websites. It should be the goal of any developer to meld the design and functionality of a site so that they are inseparable to the user. Form and function of a site should have a symbiotic relationship that makes user experience the priority. It is easy to create a site that becomes one-sided if the balance of form and function is not approached carefully.

One of the unfortunate aspects of website creation to date has been that many of the graphic designers have migrated from the print medium. The ideas and attitudes that have carried over from the former medium are not always applicable to this new medium. Form must always follow function with regards to a website. The form of a website should blend with the function, which will determine visitor retention rate and the duration of their stay. The form should complement the function and serve to attract visitors.

There are several dilemmas to balance when approaching form and function. In the past, websites have done a very poor job of intertwining the two elements. The form of a website is defined by usability and aesthetic elements. Anything that makes a site more appealing to the senses can generally be thought of as a form element. The form of a website is important because it increases the satisfaction of visiting a website by prompting emotional response. A site that lacks form will seem dull and drab and not entice users for a prolonged initial visit to experience the site functionality. The function of a website is defined by site performance.

The functional elements of a site are what ultimately bring value to the user experience by helping to “solve a problem”. A site that lacks function will not retain the users that strong form will attract. An example of the dilemma posed by form and function would be the design of a website when there is a strong need to have the site rank high in search engines. The most aesthetically pleasing sites are not fit to rank well in search engines, and the best ranking sites are normally a long ways from the best looking. It is very necessary to find a balance between these two elements to create a successful website for a business.

Appendices
(All in a single document) Appendix 1-1: Overture Search Term
Research Tool

Appendix 1-2: Wordtracker Search Query Research Tool

Appendix 1-3: Google Sets Website Theme Research Tool

Appendix 1-4: Reach/ Acquire/ Convert/ Retain

Chart Appendix 2-5: Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth Information Architecture Flowchart

Appendix 2-6: Search Engine Themes Pyramid Information Architecture Example

Appendix 2-7: Webpage Download Time by File Size Chart

Appendix 2-8: Expected Locations for Common E-commerce Elements

Appendix 2-9: Website Usability Checklist

Appendix 2-10: Text Vs.Code Ratio/ Content Near the Top of Souce Code Examples

Appendix 3-11: Overture Bid Price Tool

Appendix 3-12: Webalizer Website Visitor Tracking Tool

Appendix 3-13: AW STATS Website Visitor Tracking Tool Appendix

3-14: Clicktracks Website Statistics
Analysis Tool

References
Author Notes

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Planning, Developing, and Promoting Successful Small Business Websites Table of Contents

Planning, Developing, and Promoting a Successful Small Business Website

Website Design and Development Page 21

Form vs. Function

Planning, Developing, and Promoting Successful Small Business Websites

Table of Contents