We have already examined 5 well-thought-out database website designs that gracefully deal with a bulk of information. The time has come to find out what 4 crucial elements can turn any database into a platform with a great user experience that drives traffic, increases engagement, and of course, ranks in cash. Using outsourcing platforms – that, much like online libraries, deal with the mass of data daily – as representative examples, we are going to pick out 4 details that are imperative for every such project. They take any website to the next level.
Though, first things first. Before moving to these crucial elements, let’s dig a little deeper into outsource projects that we will use as examples.
According to Wikipedia, outsourcing is a part of a broader term, crowdsource. One of the famous representatives of crowdsourcing platforms is Studentshare that offers free essays online. I bet students all around the World know this great platform. It should be on a must-have list of every undergraduate out there. It has a colossal database that provides a helping hand in a comfortable environment.
Outsource itself is a business practice and strategy originated to solve a company’s problems in cost-effective ways. One of its outstanding examples is, of course, Upwork that gathers millions of talented people ready to do some job and millions of people who need the work to be done under the same roof.
While these two platforms serve different business sectors, they still have two things in common. First, they have massive databases in a core. Second, they boast a well-thought-out frontend with elegant, neat, and eye-pleasing design and user experience filled with great usability features.
Following these two excellent examples and some more, let’s define 4 crucial details that stand behind each and every successful database website. With them, you will be able to improve any content-heavy project and make it a pleasant place to be.
4 Crucial Elements of Every Successful Database Website
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Functional Hero Area
The hero area is the most viewed part of the website; therefore, first and foremost, it should bring value. It should be fully functional and pleasant to use. It should include instruments that let people locate required information quickly and effortlessly.
Consider Studentshare, whose development team has dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s in their header section. It is clean, elegant, and hassle-free. It includes only the essentials such as an intuitive menu, logotype, and some extra info blocks.
Along with that, you will find here several search boxes. The first one is right at the top: it is a traditional single-line search for those visitors who want to hit the ground running. The second one is a search panel where a student can set the parameters to filter the information and get more accurate results. Handy.
To sum up, the hero area is functional. It brings value right away and provides a comfortable environment.
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Handy Navigation
Navigation is a deal-breaker for many websites. It underlies user experience and usability. When poorly-done, it ruins everything. Therefore, it requires undivided attention and should be of top priority.
As the best practices dictate, navigation should be intuitive and straightforward. The rule of thumb do not include more than 7 links in a row. If you use a drop-down menu, do not adopt mega menus since they only overwhelm viewers. A great example of handy yet still all-embracing navigation can be found in Upwork.
Upwork is a leading crowdsourcing platform on the web. It successfully combines two mega-platforms where the system handles millions of deals each day. The database provides quick access to thousands of job seekers, individual artists, and agencies. Indeed, there are numerous categories and sections.
Here the navigation is a true masterpiece where functionality meets the design. Since it should cover lots of information, the best way to nail it is to stick to conventions and simple approaches. Therefore, there are several easy-to-handle menus. There is traditional streamlined navigation on the top, a block with popular categories, and a vast menu in the footer that shows trendy skills using a simple yet effective bulleted list.
Let’s be honest; the solution is oversimplified; nevertheless, it works great here. The experience is handy. Any non-tech-savvy person can get grips without losing precious time and nerves. That is what the doctor ordered.
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Helpful Footer
Although the footer is located right at the bottom of the page, it still does not mean it is useless. On the contrary, as an element that finishes off the user interface and user experience, it should meet all the standards and answer all the questions that may arise at the end of the story.
On top of that, the footer should provide supporting navigation, vital contact information so that visitors have an alternative way to communicate with the company, social media, and of course, links to Privacy Policy to meet the current laws and regulations. That’s not all; it is highly recommended to include a search box and a fully-fledged contact form.
Consider Fiverr as a representative example. You can see 5-column navigation covering all the crucial links, languages selector, currencies selectors, and copyrights information. Again, simple yet effective.
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Virtual Assistant
Personalization is a massive trend in email marketing and website design, especially in SaaS and crowdsourcing. As we all know, direct communication always advocates good relationships between the company and its potential clients. Therefore, it is on our list.
We have seen personalization done through collecting cookies and using personal preferences set in the accounts. However, these days this direction has taken an enormous leap forward. And we can implement another more efficient way to provide instant communication to the customers and let them get their answers right away. This new model is a virtual assistant.
There are two types of virtual assistants. The first one has an AI-based system. There you can get answers to common and most popular questions. The second option is a human-based system where real people provide helping hands to all the seekers.
Both types have their own merits. The robotized version is available 24/7, yet it is limited to a range of questions. The second option does not have such limitations: you can get an answer to any question. The only flaw is that these assistants are available only during working hours and days.
Whatever you choose, it will give the user experience a considerable boost. Alternatively, you can benefit from both of them by combining these two approaches.
Conclusion
It is increasingly difficult to manage such a massive amount of data, users, and functionality and not ruin everything. It requires advanced coding, design, and usability skills, to say nothing about investing time and money. However, still, it is not rocket science. And, the great thing is, it always pays off generously.
Do bear in mind these 4 essential elements that help create an order of chaos, provide visitors with a comfortable environment, bring value and meet all the expectations giving the owners the ability to earn money and build something worthwhile.
