One of the most important things to consider when making a web site is "who." Seems pretty broad doesn't it? What is this "who" we need to consider? Is this "who" our site is geared towards? Is this "who" the client that the site is being created for? Is this "who" simply everyone? The answer is, YES! A great website needs to address all of these "whos."
"Who is the site for?"
A website needs to have a target audience. If you're building a website without a target audience in mind, you really need to ask yourself, "Does this website need to be created?" After all, what's the point of putting hours in to a website for absolutely no one to look at? There isn't one. The Internet is all about people. That being said, the content of a website needs to appeal to its target audience. When you're making a recruiting website for the local biker gang, you don't choose pink as your main color and cover the site with pictures of daisies and Hello Kitty. You choose dark colors with metallic accents maybe even throw in a few flaming skulls and attack dogs just to add a little extra meanness.
"But Hello Kitty is so much cuter than an attack dog! Junkyard dogs scare me!" You might say. To that, I say, "What would a biker think?" If you're making a website for bikers, don't think about what you like in a website, think about what the bikers like in a website. Being mauled by an attack dog may be your greatest fear in life, but bikers might like it. This website will likely be one you never want to visit, but it's not for you.
"Who is my client?"
You may have heard the old adage, "the customer is always right." You probably don't want to hear this, but it's true. This doesn't mean that if the bikers want their recruiting website to have a Hello Kitty theme that you make a Hello Kitty themed, biker gang site. You still are the professional here after all. You have the right, and possibly even the obligation, to guide your client's design decisions, but you need to listen to their needs. If your biker gang clients want a website that they can put out on the internet to publicize their club without having to update it too often, don't put a blog on the website. Blogs and news pages don't do any good if they aren't updated consistently. Within reason, let your client guide your design. This is their website, not yours.
"Who? Everybody!"
The best websites fulfill a specific need. Facebook helps people communicate. Flickr lets people share and store photos. LinkedIn helps people build and maintain their professional networks. The thing that makes these websites so successful is their balance of specificity and mass appeal. A biker gang website that tells people about the local biker gang is okay. It relates a message. A biker gang website that allows people to contact the leaders of the gang and ask them questions they can't find answers to on the website is better. This allows for interactivity. A biker gang website that gives members the ability to have an open dialogue with each other and members of the general public about anything they want takes it all a step further. A great site is about communication. More than that though, a great site is about multi-directional communication. Every website says something, but the best ones let the users do the talking for them.
