Building a Website for your Application

So your project is nearly finished, now all you need is a website to get the word out. Unfortunately this stage of the project is often neglected, which is understandable. Programmers want to work on the actual application rather then the website. However, your visitors aren't going to download your application if they can't find the download page.

As a developer (and as a consumer), I see lots of software websites that could be improved. Here are a few tips for making a good application website.

• Show a screenshot of your application on the homepage

  Most of the time, this is what I look for first. At a quick glance I can see if the application is going to do the job I want. I often download software based solely on the screenshot.

• Make sure the user can get to the download/purchase page within 1 click

  Firefox has done this part right. Nothing works better than an eye-catching "Download Now" button. The goal of your website is to convert visitors into downloads, so it's wise to get your users to the downloads page as soon as possible.

• Explain in 2-3 sentences what your program is and how it helps people

  This should be the first thing your visitor reads. Make it short and to the point. Crimson editor has an excellent description on it's homepage...

  "Crimson Editor is a professional source code editor for Windows.This program is not only fast in loading time, but also small in size (so small that it can be copied in one floppy disk). While it can serve as a good replacement for Notepad, it also offers many powerful features for programming languages such as HTML, C/C++, Perl and Java."

• Host a demo of the application or the application's admin section

  Dont make your visitors type 'admin' and 'demo' on the demo login form, it's annoying, auto fill the fields.

• Don't use bad stock photography

  Personally, I prefer software websites without any photos. But if you have to use them, don't include cliche photos of people in suits or talking on cell phones.

  People associate these type of photos with faceless corporations.

• Include a news bit

  Often one of the first things I do when looking at an application's website is scan for the latest news to see how active the project is.

• Screenshots and gallery

  If possible, have a screenshots page with at least 5 - 10 good screenshots of your application.