Louie in the early fall of 2009

I have this horse. His name is Louie. He is stunningly handsome. He has a fabulous pedigree full of winning show horses. He was to be my next big time show horse and resale project, but the problem is that he is just a little bit neurotic. What does this have to do with anything related to websites?

1.  Building and designing your website can seem like a slow process.

Louie does things at his own pace. When you push him too far or too fast, he’ll fight back. All 1200 lbs of him.  I have the broken bones to prove it.

Re-doing a website is a long process. In order to do it correctly, it cannot be rushed. Active participation by key stakeholders is vital to the success of the site. There are generally setbacks and frustrations, but sticking with the process provides a much better outcome than rushing through the steps.

2.  Pretty only gets you so far.

In a boarding barn of 20+ horses, Louie is the horse that people notice. Even neophytes appreciate his beauty. However, after most people have known him for a few hours, they wish me good luck and back away slowly. His looks draw people in, but his quirks discourage people from further contact.

Everyone, including the developers, enjoy a pretty site. (We may mutter about drop shadows, gradients, rounded corners, and Internet Explorer 6, but when it all comes together, we appreciate a pretty, functional site as much as the next person.) It is easy to “get lost” in the pretty and forget about functionality. Users are coming to the website for a reason – make sure they are successful. For example, Craig’s List is arguably one of the most successful, least designed sites. It is successful because it’s usable. Sites don’t have to be as plain as Craig’s List, but they should always be easy to use.

3.  Building a site isn’t something that has a beginning and an end.

Louie will never be perfect. He’ll never be a quiet trail horse that I can throw my young nieces on for a jaunt around the arena. He’ll always be a work in progress.

Even after a site is live, it needs to continue to be refined. Search engines seek out fresh, relevant content. Don’t update for the sake of updating. Content should be consistent with the theme of your site. News, blogs and articles are ways you can keep your site updated without completely redoing the design.

4.  Track your results.

My first goal with Louie was to be able to put a halter on him. It has taken a year, but I can now put his halter on without too much fighting. It was a very small goal that took way longer than I anticipated, but I’m glad to have reached an objective goal with him.

Is your goal to make your site easier to navigate? How are you going to measure if the goal has been reached or not? Be sure your goals are tangible.