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What can my website offer?
Most users will arrive at a site with a common goal, whether it is to read an article, buy a book, or perform a web search. Features on the site should support this goal. Ancillary features, tools with a high learning curve, or too many features create the risk that users will get confused and dilute the strength of a site.
In general, it is better to start simple and add features as the need develops. Google is emblematic of this approach. When the site first launched, it presented users with little more than a logo and a search field. Google has slowly added features to its site but it has done so at a modest pace, allowing its audience to adapt.
The following simple guidelines should help you decide what features to include in a site:
- Plan ahead. It is easiest to scrap features before they are built. Developing features for a web site can be a costly and time-consuming endeavor. When possible, wait to see if the need for a new tool or arises before building it.
- Stick to established features. Users have come to expect certain standardized tools to be associated with specific tasks. Enlarge buttons for images, shopping carts on commerce sites, and article tools on content sites are features that users want and understand. New features might be costly to develop and difficult for users to learn.
- Avoid clutter. If you plan to offer a variety of features on a site, make sure they are clearly labeled and do not distract users.
- Test features. Budget permitting, fine-tune new features through user testing. It will be easier to fix features before they go live.
Explore New Features
  Video
With broadband internet connections, accelerated dial up programs, and new smaller file size video technology, video content has become a very effective content tool.
 A Video Tour of your business or service.
A Virtual Tour with panning and zooming.
A Video profile or personal greeting from you or your staff.
Customer testimonials
Live Support
A live support or customer service system is very easy and inexpensive. A customer clicks a button on your site that opens a chat window and activates a doorbell sound at your computer. You can interact directly with the customer. When you are off line, the system takes a message
Calendars & Schedules
Promotion or Event Schedules
Electronic Newsletters
Service Specials - New Product Arrivals
Live News Feeds or Inventory Feeds
There are numerous live news feeds on almost any subject that can easily be incorporated into you site. News, Weather, Sports are popular. Others might be car inventory, furniture inventory, and so on for established industries. Anything is possible!
Interactive Web Forums or Discussion Boards
Web site visitors love to interact. Web forums are a great way. Post any subject and a discussion will ensue.
Maps
Your website can have Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, Mapquest, GPS-driven technology and/or anything else. More website designers today are adding Maps in a cookie-cutter style approach.
Chat Rooms
Live chat rooms are easy to add to a web site and can be a very popular draw. They can easily be moderated and content controlled.
Web Polls / Customer Surveys
It’s easy to collect market research data with on-line polls and surveys.
Customer Service Issues
Get customer feedback or give your customers an easy method to present concerns
Auto Responders
Auto Responders are a great way to build an e-mail data base and get detailed information to your customer.
Opt-In E-Mail Lists
Unsolicited e-mail or Spam is never a good idea, however, people will subscribe to an e-mail newsletter or periodic product information. As long as you provide valid contact information and an easy opt out method you will never have a problem.
Another great site to look up small, neat features is Dynamic Drive. Take a look and note down what you like and don't like. Also take a look at the latest pre-made scripts which are available at HotScripts. Voreal Solutions will be happy to consult you on choosing website features.
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