K.I.S.S website layouts. What makes a good one?

I have never thought about how other websites are laid out or utilized until this class and I started looking at things a little differently.   One of the tools that I have learned in many of my business classes was about the layout planning K.I.S.S {Keep It Simple Stupid}…. Ok.. maybe the last “S” is wrong but that’s how I remember it.  

 
These are my personal opinions about other websites and how they don’t exactly follow those guidelines.   There is no right or wrong way to create websites, but there are tools that will make it more attractive to the target market being reached.

1. Tectorch:   http://tectorch.com/

      Ø  This seemed like a cluttered website.   Possible Solution:  Simplify what is on the main page
       Ø   It was a little hard to read at first due to the small type.  Possible Solution:   enlarge the font 
                        size, keep it simple on the home page
       Ø   It needs to be organized better.    Possible Solution:  have tabs at the top/ side  for the
                         different categories  rather than all listed products listed
       Ø   Contact information hard to find. Possible Solution: should be at the top and easy to
                          access instead of buried at the bottom. It also should be accessible from each page
        Ø  The testimonials and fact sheets should nave own tabs and also be in a PDF /printable 
                           form. Possible Solution: make these options their own tabs/links to that 
                           information.

2. RichSoil:    http://www.richsoil.com/raising-chickens.jsp

        Ø    To me this was more of a blog rather than a company’s website.
          Ø    A little confusing on what it was supposed to be about
          Ø    It looked like it had a theme “pemaculture” but doesn’t really say what that is.   Possible
                           Solution:   have an intro section.
          Ø    Quite a few times in the blog.. writer states “I’ll say it later” or “that’s another story”… but
                           doesn’t link to that other story.  Possible Solution:  Insert links to those later
                           discussions or create an archive sections
          Ø    Other thing was the links /ads on the top & bottom about free music (and other ads that
                           changed) was distracting and had nothing to do with the site.  They were large
                           and seemed part of the blog.  Possible Solution:   Remove those ads or make them
                           smaller and at the bottom only. Make those ads different colors and sizes to show
                           that they are different from the main site.
           Ø    There was not a link to find out about the author… only a spot to link the blog on other
                           social media sites. Possible Solution: add an "about me/us”  tab/link/ bio page.

And here are the sites that I think did pretty well.   Of course they were up next to much stiffer competition with Apple, Toyota & Ford.     Both of these sites were pleasing to my eyes and I was able to play around on their sites with ease.

        3. Swaglock:  http://www.swagelok.com/

 

           Ø  This was a site that was easy to navigate.
             Ø   The sliding pages were an easy way to get to what the customer is looking for.
             Ø   There is a section to bookmark or share the website on other social media sites
             Ø   Easy to use tabs (top & bottom); shopping cart; language tab & location finder
             Ø   The choice of colors was pleasing, with the logo clearly in the left corner.
             Ø   On the 1^st page is a brief synopsis of who & what the company is about.  It proudly states
                           that they are a private US company even though they have service centers in
                           other countries.

4. GForce race cars: http://www.gforceracecars.com/

           Ø  The site was easy to navigate and set up very well
             Ø  Tabs on the site were easy to use and understand
             Ø   Regardless of the page a customer might be on – the tabs and headers remained the same
                              to navigate back and forth
              Ø  Contact us page even had a map
              Ø   Only drawback (in my humble opinion)…was that I thought it was a race care site… not a
                               parts site.   And the flashing logo “Featured product”… is annoying since there
                               is no product listed or linked.