The PREP Method of Design: Start with the Right Questions to Appeal to the Right Audience

Submitted by Brett on Wed, 07/28/2010 - 7:56am.
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Christy Van Heugten, Event360, Inc.

Two houses stand side-by-side. One has a nice, tidy entry way, the other, a boring, paint-peeling façade. If someone is shopping for a home to invest in, they're more likely to enter the home with the nicer entry first, right? When someone visits your website, the first impression they'll likely get is still your homepage. The homepage of your website is key to engaging your visitors by getting them the information they want and sharing your important message.   

“What audience am I building for?” is commonly the first question people encounter when they start a redesign, but I beg to differ. While the characteristics of your audience are important, they should not be the first thing dictating your design direction. Your audience is yours because of who you are. Your online presence is not about your constituents starting the conversation: at first, it's about you having the chance to give your 30-second pitch about who you are, what you do, and why it's important. It allows you to introduce yourself and only then engage the visitor in a virtual conversation with an ask, be it to donate, sign-up for our newsletter, register for an event, volunteer, or use your resources. 

So, my recommendation for the first questions to ask in your planning process are: “What is our 30-second pitch?” and “How can we translate that to our website in a user friendly design?” 

Regardless of whether a visitor is a member of your specific audience or not, people are people. While you should add a personalized touch to your website, the guidelines to make your site appealing are generally the same. Visually prime locations are the same for everyone. Keep this in mind when you begin prioritizing the messages and ask(s) on your homepage.  

There are 4 steps I typically recommend following as you build your site. Since we are a culture of acronyms, I fondly call it the “PREP” method: Plan – Research – Execute – Proact. (I should point out that proact isn’t actually a word, but in my opinion if you must act to be active, then you must proact to be proactive.) 

PLAN

  • People look for the 5 Ws on a home page: Who (are you)? What (do you do)? Why (should I be interested)? Where and When (if it's related to an event)? Consider your homepage your visual “30 second pitch” or “elevator speech”. You have a limited amount of attention from a visitor. Use it wisely to convey your main message.
  • Analyze any prior web traffic: If you use Google Analytics or another tool, look and see where your site traffic is going. More importantly, find out where users aren’t going. With this information, you can make decisions on how to consolidate information in other locations, reorganize your site map, or identify links to external sites that may be drawing users away from your site.

RESEARCH

  • Refer to the scientists: There have been many website eye movement tests that analyze what attracts a viewer’s eye and where the most valuable real estate on a page is. Conclusions indicate that the upper left of a page is the highest viewed area, headlines draw the eye before pictures, and more. 
  • Colors are important: Not all people see things the same way. In our eyes, we have the least number of receptors for the color blue. As we age, the blue receptors are the first ones to go. This doesn’t mean don’t use blue, it just means you have to be careful of blue text on certain background colors like green, grey, etc. Before you pick your site colors, test out the different color options and make sure your site is visually friendly to all ages.

EXECUTE

  • Keep it simple: If there is too much going on when someone views your homepage, it's likely they'll miss your key message or action item. Choose the top 2-3 actions you want your audience to take -- i.e. Donate, Register, Request More Info, etc. -- and highlight them with graphic buttons. Repeat it in the navigation. Make it clear what the call to action is and you'll find your users gravitating towards it.
  • Make it even simpler: Yup, it’s so important, I'm highlighting it twice. Not only does this apply to your homepage design, but to your navigation, as well. Try to limit the choices people have and ensure they don’t have too many ways to find information, or they may get frustrated or lost. For example, try to keep all general information about who you are on one “About Us” page instead of breaking it out into multiple pages (Our Mission, Our History, Our Staff, Our Story, etc). You have the power to funnel people toward the messages you feel are important.

PROACT

  • Keep the content updated. Social media is all about the conversation going both ways. Why not try to incorporate this idea into your website? Showcase stories of your constituents or participants, give updates, and make things organic so that people have a reason to come back and stay connected.
  • Listen to your users. What are your constituents saying? What are they not saying? Ensure that your vision of the flow is translating properly. Check back with your analytics to see where people are dropping off and where they're aggregating. Find out why you're losing them -- Is there an external link that overpowers the message? -- and find out what info people are trying to find the most and how you can expand that message.

Many times, as designers and technical people, we get caught up in the fancy tools, tricks, and capabilities of advanced technology. The key to building or redesigning a great website is to make it easy for a user to visit and use, while smartly representing your organization’s mission and personality. As you make your plans, choosing between fancy Flash, images, and simple buttons, keep asking yourself if your choices make things better for your user and/or strengthen your organization’s message.