Making Things Easier

Make an Outline

It was true in English class and it's true now: outlines will make organizing your website so much easier. Maintaining said outline (and keeping up-to-date notes) will be more beneficial for large, complicated websites. Smaller sites (such as Bob's) may only need the outline when creating or overhauling the site.

Create a Style Guide

This doesn't have to be anything fancy. Just have a document (or hidden page somewhere) that has examples of how the content should appear. This is especially helpful if you are not the one who will always maintain the site, or if the site gets updated less often.

What About Bob?

Bob keeps a style guide for his products. That way, users browsing the site will always know exactly where to find the information.

• Images
  • Front
  • Side
  • Top
  • extra images
• Description
  • Overview
  • extra details
  • Manufacturer
  • Material/s
  • Shape
• Dimensions
  • Height/Weight/Depth (box)
  • Height/Weight/Depth (lid)
  • Weight
• Options Available
  • Color/Pattern
  • Sizes
  • extra options

No matter what, Bob always includes a Front view of his products. If available, Side and Top views are next followed by any other images, such as additional patterns. The order on those is always the same: front, side, top.

Bob's product descriptions always begin with an overview paragraph. Product-specific extra details (such as interchangeable side panels) appear as another paragraph beneath the overview. Finally, he finishes with a list of the manufacturer, the materials, and the overall shape. Shape is last because the tops and bottoms of lists are more easily scanned.

Product dimensions are next and always in a height by width by depth format. Additional dimensions are labeled and follow the same format. The total weight of the product is last.

Finally, additional options are always listed in the same order: color/pattern, size options, and any product-specific options are last.