2 March 2009
Features a good website should have depending on it's purpose and general use

What features should a good website have? It’s really all in the eye of the beholder - every web designer, owner and website visitor will have a difference of opinion on this topic.

A few standard and key features most websites should include are:

In the visual sense:

A logo or brand in some form
Branding colors or at the very least a uniform color scheme throughout the site
A solid and easy to use navigation system
Graphics relating to the site and its products, services, owners and so on

In the written sense:

Contact information
Product, Company, Site information
Legal information including disclaimers, policies, terms of use, etc.

And optionally:
Interactive content
Resource listings and sources to external information
Additional features directly relating to the site or its content

Every website needs a purpose as the purpose will denote what type(s) of features should be included on the site.

An e-commerce website should have some form of a shopping cart or purchasing system for its product(s) and/or services. It may also have features such as a catalog of products, product shots/images, product information as well information about the company, how to get in touch with the company and any legal information (pertaining either to the products or the website itself). Naturally other features can be included that are directly or indirectly associated with the site or its products based on the designer and owner’s personal tastes and preferences.

A company/service website with or without e-commerce capabilities can host a variety of features catering specifically to their product(s) or service(s). Some of these sites may include interactive features for the web viewer, streaming media, flash presentations, and more to attract the attention of the customer/website visitor. Automotive and real estate websites are great examples of this.

A portfolio or gallery website will have photos/images/graphics as its main feature, but may also include interactive and e-commerce features for its visitors based on what the purpose of the site is.

A personal website can defy all laws of standards, as generally its construction is based on the designer/owner’s personal taste(s). It can have everything from photo albums, slide shows, streaming music, streaming video, podcasts, glitz and glitter, funky coding that can really mess with your computer (intentionally or un-intentionally) and so forth. There are no common features for these types of sites – anything goes!

So there you have it – the purpose of a website should define what features the site should have - taking into consideration the age old standards of: branding, communicating, interacting and providing adequate information and visual stimulus for the site’s visitors to enjoy!