During my presentations at chamber and association conferences, I talk quite a bit about technology for member-based organizations. Frequently, websites are a main topic.  I usually cover streamlining the look and feel of your site, making it easy for the site visitors to find information and have a good first (or eightieth) experience.

Here's a site that doesn't quite manage that.    OK, when your eyes come back to normal, now think about sites that you find easy to use.  What do they have in common?  What appeals to you and makes you want to click futher?  Most "web 2.0" sites have layouts that include at least some of the following:

  • Open/White space - Leave room around images an areas of text
  • Reflections - Use sparingly, but can create depth on the page and improve page spacing
  • Icons - Use to "anchor" headings of main section
  • Varied type - Big type for headings, small type for text under.  It sounds simple but helps alot
  • Rounded corners - Can help to "soften" the site, make your organization more approachable?
  • Horizontal navigation - Placing the navigation horizontally across/near the top of the page helps to open up the content are for better spacing
  • Centered - Pages are ususally centered in the browser window rather than left justified

Check out these sites for examples of the concepts above:

Remember, CONTENT is still king.  Good content can attract and keep visitors to your site.  But the navigation/layout can help to improve their experience.   A good site layout (and greate content of course) can lead to improved site usage and exposure for you members, better member retention and even increased new member sales.