How Websites Work - Recognizing Patterns

Many people stumble onto a web site looking for a particular piece of information. Upon entering unfamiliar territory, it’s easy to get lost in the spider of pages, links, and descriptions. However, taking a closer look at the vast majority of web sites, you’ll notice a startling pattern.

Most web sites are all designed with a similar idea in mind; making it easy for you to find your way around. This is why sites have now begun to standardize their look and feel, using many of the same words to mean the same thing. Once you know what to look for, any new site you go to will feel like a second home. The following is a collection of what words many sites use as links on their pages so you’ll know how to find just what you’re looking for.

Support
This is the place to go when you’re having trouble with the product of the site you’re on. This is most commonly found on web sites in which the vendor makes computer hardware or software. But trust me, if you’re having problems using a piece of software, the software vendors usually have a vast knowledgebase on their site of common problems, solutions, and how-tos. When going to one of these sites, look for the “Support” button right away.

Customer Service
This is just like calling the customer service department of any store. Here is where you’ll find answers to common questions such as payment of services, who to call or email if you’re having trouble, business office hours, shipping info, where to send complaints, and if you’re having problems with the site. These links are usually found on service or general product based sites such as UPS, Amazon, and other retail stores.

About Us
The About Us site on a website is where you’ll find corporate information, such as who they are, what the company stands for, recent press releases, and it also usually contains the web site privacy policy. You can usually find out where the company is physically based out of, along with a brief history of the company’s inception.

Links
This is where you will find other related sites that the web site has compiled. It usually contains the same type of content and subject matter, and will take you off the main site if you click on it. These links are a good place to go if you’re looking for further resources and information that the first web site just doesn’t have.

So there you have it, the basic meat-and-potatoes that many web sites have nowadays. Start paying attention to each web site you go to, and soon you’ll start to notice patterns in the design yourself. Here’s another example: many sites also contain the basic corporate links down at the bottom in small text on every page (such as feedback, email, contact, etc.). Soon you’ll know just where to go the next time you visit a site for the first time!