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14 Usability Tips for Login and My Account Pages
Sites that require users to log in to access certain information and/or purchase products add an additional layer of potential complication to the usability process. To avoid potential visitor confusion and the possibility for errors, it is important that any login process requires little or no thought on the part of the site visitor. Once logged in, you must be sure that visitors are able to find the information they want and expect to find. My Account pages need to provide visitors with access and ability to view and change personal information, as necessary. Login Access Access to any login page (or the login form itself) should be available consistently across all pages of the site. Be sure the form or link is obvious and easily differentiated from other areas of the web page. Security If the information behind your login contains sensitive data, you need to use the appropriate security protocols, assuring visitors that that you take their information's security seriously. Registration If visitors are not already registered a link to a new user registration form should be present. It's also smart to have a global link to "register" for any new visitors to the site. Account benefits Non registered visitors should be treated to benefits of account registration. This information should be located on the same page as the new user registration form. Lost password All login forms should contain an option to reclaim passwords and/or username should they have been forgotten. This information must also be passed securely. Remember me You can provide additional convenience (though less security) by giving visitors the option of checking a "remember me" box which will allow them to stay logged in indefinitely. Privacy Provide a link to your sites privacy information/policy near the login form submit button or email field. This gives your visitors confidence that you will treat their information with respect. Status The visitor's "logged in" status should be displayed at all times with a ready access to logout at their convenience. When additional security is necessary it's a good idea to automatically log them out after a set period of inactivity. Change info Once logged in, visitors should have access to change their user information, including usernames, passwords, contact info, payment details, etc. Change confirmation Once the visitor has submitted their information to be changed, provide a confirmation screen that shows the old and new info. This prevents errors and helps insure information remains accurate. Financial details Provide links to relevant financial information such as transaction history, invoices, balances, payment methods, etc. Provide printable version of this information. Up-sell opportunities Visitors that are logged in provide you an interested, captive audience. Consider discreetly utilizing up-sell opportunities - without being overbearing. Subscribed services Provide visitors access to the information/services to which they are subscribed. Also provide additional subscription options, if applicable. Information management Allow users to change the way they receive information, providing alternate methods such as snail mail, HTML or text based emails or to turning off communication entirely. When visitors create an account with you they are making a commitment to you to enjoy the services or information that you provide. It's important not to let the usability process break down after visitors are committed. In fact, it's even more important to treat registered visitors respectfully and appropriately, ensuring they have access to the information they need. This develops long-term relationships and keeps them coming back.
Building Websites Without Technical Knowledge
There are a lot of reasons you might want to start a website. It is a great way to communicate with friends & family, and it is a great way to meet new people online and create conversations on the internet. Whether you have an idea or belief you want to promote, or a product you would like to sell, a personal or business website can be the solution to your marketing and communication goals. These days, a lack of technical knowledge doesn't have to be a barrier to getting started. The good news is you don't need a degree in programming to start a new website. You don't even need to know a single line of code for that matter! If you can install software packages through a web-browser interface, you can set up a Content Management System (CMS) that will allow you to design, create, and manage any number of pages, articles, and stories. Some web hosts even have utilities like Fantastico that will automatically install a variety of Content Management Systems from blogs, to forums, to picture galleries or e-commerce websites. Content Management Systems not only give websites more interactivity and functionality, they also allow people with few technical skills to get up and running with an online presence. The most popular ones like WordPress, Simple Machine Forums, phpBB, and Joomla are all free to use with varying regulations on how you can modify or transfer use of the software. Each of the programs also has discussion communities built around them where new and experienced users share advice & knowledge with the most common errors and user requests. If a problem pops up, there is a good chance that someone has already posted a step-by-step solution to it somewhere on the web. As easy as it is to create and initially customize a new website, there is also no limit in how far you can take it. As you install easy to use CMS packages, some of the vocabulary will become a little more familiar and you'll naturally find yourself a little more comfortable with the technical aspects of your new hobby. So long as you keep regular back ups, you can confidently learn new skills by trial and error.
Are You Vying For Open Source Web Development?
Web development encompasses various activities related developing a website. The importance of building a web presence in today's times is immense, triggering rush by people and organizations to own websites to make themselves visible on the internet. This in turn has driven the need for web development software and tools that give competitive advantage to its users. Now the ubiquitous questions are • How expensive is web development? There are a wide variety of web development products being sold by different vendors that cater to all your web development needs. But they do come at a price and often we are either not in a position or simply not willing to pay the price. We are always looking for a cheaper alternative. Better still - Can we get it for free? Yes, we can - The same features and facilities as commercial web development software are available for free as feature rich Open source web development tools. Open source software offers us several advantages the most important of which are - • The software comes free of cost. Are you someone who is vying open source web development? Since web development is such an important and strategic area the need for open source software is even more important. This gives you freedom for creativity and experimentation while not denting your pocket with huge expenses. FORTUNATELY there are loads of free open source web development tools and software available that can satiate the need for a great looking web site by getting you the right tools to build it for free. Here are some open source web development products one can try: • Aptana 0.2.7 - An html/JavaScript editor intended for development of dynamic web applications. It provides integrated java script debugging and is excellent tool for ajax development. Go Ahead, Try these wonderful open source web development tools and build your dream website now.
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