Form vs. function

July 06, 2009

form vs function

I thought I would start this article off by giving you the answer. The answer is a resounding YES to both. Both of these aspects are of equal importance. You need to always remember, that your website is a stand-alone marketing device that represents you or your business. And, if you want to push one of the aspects over the other, you will find that you are losing customers on your site, and not gaining or retaining them. Let’s outline the considerations beginning with function.

The function of a website would be anything from the way a website works, to the speed with which it loads, to ease of navigation, to its effectiveness of delivering the promised product or service. So, let’s start by looking at functionality.

A website needs to be available and consistently functioning. Functionality of a website is just that: it functions. I don’t know about you, but, going to a website where I get error 404 messages or long wait times between clicking and receiving the query results give me the urge to move on to another website. Losing customers has never been easier with the web. A person’s attention span is incredibly reduced when it comes to the web. You need to make an impact with the functionality of your website immediately to draw the user in. The design and usability of your site is extremely important way to engage the user and keep them there….therefore selling your product and looking like a pro at what you do. This builds a level of confidence with the consumer of your product.

Functionality is also about what the visitor is looking for from a website. Is the function of the site to sell books, give information, provide social networks etc…? Think about the core function of your site. Does it work in a manner in which the user will be able to easily navigate and get their desired results? Or does it only make sense to you? Think of a potential user of your website, and how they will view it before going ahead and creating an online application only to find that it is unusable due to confusion and frustration on the user’s end.

So, apparently now, you think that functionality takes the cake, and all one needs to do to have a strong online presence is to have a website that works and is easy to use. Be careful: you do not want to find out the hard way that having a website that works great, but is esthetically weak has been driving customers away.

Think of it in these terms: No matter how well they were engineered, if Porsches looked like 1988 Ford Escorts, Porsche would not get $50k for their vehicles.

Form needs to communicate your brand, product, or service clearly and immediately. The esthetic look of your website is just as important as the way it works. This is your name that is being broadcast to the world, and the thought put into the design of the site previous to going live is extremely important. The design is what shows the personality of who you are as a company and the relevance of your product or service.

Form needs to take into account the type of customer that would visit the site or that you’re trying to reach. You need to know who you are marketing your online product or service to, and gear the design towards them. You will find that content styled to the demographic that would find your product or service appealing is much more effective than trying to please everyone. How you might ask? You need to know your customer. Learn what their average age is, their gender, their location, their interests, etc. Your design needs to speak to them. There are many many ways to mine this kind of demographic data, but, that is for a future post.

Form needs to be clean, meaning matching the functionality of the site so that users can find what they are looking for. Form includes images, fonts, and colors that keep the “brand” or feel of the company intact. For example, the Apple site markets to the young and innovative, creative demographic. Apple’s online presence does nothing less than strengthen their brand, which is built around simplicity, innovation and ease of use. Their website is clean, and easy to navigate and keeps the customer engaged.

All of this is really about something called “usability”. Usability is the cross-breeding of form and function. Function works on its own yes, and a well-designed site works on its own too. But, the two need to work together for an effective user experience and to close the deal. No one is going to spend their hard earned money on a product or service that they feel cannot be trusted. Trust comes from both form and function. Would you drop down your credit card information on a site that looks like it was designed by a 6 year old or a site that frustrated you with its difficult navigation or slow loading time? Make the effort to make both form and function work for you, and you will find you have a website that delivers your product or service to a happy customer, visually communicates your brand message clearly, and builds repeat user and word of mouth marketing.

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