How to Design Websites for Teenagers
Unlike adults who adjusted to the Internet from other media forms, today's teenagers grew up with the Internet and feel comfortable with online interactivity. Teenagers use the Internet to communicate with friends, research school projects, read news, play games and watch online videos. Create websites for teenagers that show you understand their mentality and their desire to fit in socially.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
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1
Integrate interactive functionality into the website. According to Internet usability expert, Jakob Nielsen, teens do not like plain text websites with heavy reading. They enjoy performing tasks on the website such as playing games, filling out polls, taking quizzes and solving riddles. Instead of displaying information in textual form on a website, intertwine interactive features together with the information. For example, if you are writing a column teaching teenagers about hair care, start the segment off with a poll asking the teenagers how often they wash their hair. End the segment with a quiz about famous celebrity hairstyles.
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Keep up with teenage trends by reading teen gossip columns, social media sites and blogs. What may have been in style 6 months ago may be very "uncool" today. If your website includes trendy topics such as celebrities, music or clothing, update the website frequently so as not to appear out-of-date. When displaying website photographs, use images of teenagers with stylish clothing and hairstyles.
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Use heavy graphics, animations, audio and video to create a website that excites teenagers. According to Nielson's research, teenagers focus on graphics much more than adults do. Use large images in flashy colors. Add video instead of text to combine interactivity and graphic appeal. Add audio clips as background music for teens to listen to while they surf your site. At the same time, Nielson stresses that teenagers prefer sites that are easy to use. Keep the site user-friendly, with clear navigation bars and readable text in colors that stand out from background images.
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Give the impression that your website is popular among other teenagers, as teenagers highly value social acceptance by peers. Instead of mentioning that your website is "recommended by teachers" or "recommended by parents," show how teenagers recommend the site. Collect testimonials from teenagers and display them on your website to build your credibility. Create message boards and forums where teenagers can interact in order to turn your site into a popular teenage hangout.
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Include contact information other than just email. According to Pew Internet Research, teenagers rarely use email to communicate in comparison to other forms of communication. Give teenagers other ways to contact you such as social network sites and instant messengers.
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Tips & Warnings
Monitor your website activity to ensure safety for teenage visitors.
Only use audio or video clips that do not infringe on copyright.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit drummer boy and his friend image by Accent from Fotolia.com
