Chapter 9 : Characteristics of good websites and Bias information

Characteristics of good websites

1. Original, Fresh Content

    Content is king in the web world. People visit websites for the primary purpose of finding content, so make sure you deliver. Website content should be unique and up to date.

2. Target Audience

From a quick scan of your website, visitors should be able to determine what you offer and how you can benefit them. A good website will have headlines and text that speaks to the target audience’s needs and wants

3. User-Friendly Navigation

A good website has content that is easy to find. Pages should be organized and named in a way that the target audience will easily understand.

4. Simple and Professional Design

A good website will have an attractive layout that is easy on the eyes. Be sure your colors contrast well and your text doesn’t require a magnifying glass to read.

5. Speed

How many seconds will you wait for a page to load before you give up and leave a website? Many factors can affect the loading time of a website including coding, number of graphics, the server speed, traffic volume on the website and the capabilities of a user’s computer.

6. Search engine optimization

SEO is one of the most commonly neglected aspects of a website, but a website is useless if no one can find it. Think about the keywords that users may search for to find a product or service you offer.

7. Link building

Links are an important factor in determining where your website appears in search engine results. Find as many legitimate sites as you can that will link you your website.

8. Tracking

A good website is a work in progress. A nice tool like Google Analytics will keep track of the number of people who come to your website, what pages they viewed, where they came from, what keywords they used in search engines, how many left after the first page and more.
Remember to include these characteristics in your next website design project. A professional-looking website with interesting content that is easy to navigate and can be found in search engines is sure to bring value to your business.

Sources: http://www.successdesigns.net/articles/entry/characteristics-of-a-good-website/

Here are some example of good websites in my opinion:
http://www.businessballs.com/
http://www.buzzle.com/
http://www.manager.co.th/home/


Bias information
How to evaluate biases in information is important to understand. You need to be aware of what is true, or what just someone’s opinion is. When evaluating biases in information, it is important to remember that everyone has an opinion. Especially when looking at the Internet, understand that a lot of the websites are self published and don’t require any concrete evidence to back up what the author is saying. Following these guidelines will ensure you are getting the true information from reliable sources.

Sources: http://www.surfnetkids.com/go/safety/451/evaluating-bias-in-online-information/

Example of Bias Information:

On Bill ClintonClinton suggested at the end of 1996 a 25% CUT in the Federal home assistance plan, and as a result received a lot of flack from representatives in the Northeastern states. He thus decided to drop the issue. His change in position was shown in the Bangor, Maine Newspaper as "Clinton Saves Federal Heating Assistance Plan" ....SAVES??? He was going to cut it. Funny we didn't hear anything about Clinton "gutting" the heating plan as I am sure it would have been referred to if a Republican had suggested the cut. It's so interesting how Clinton is hailed as "saving" a plan that HE suggested cutting!

Sources: http://www.gargaro.com/bias.html