what do YOU look for in a web site?

...that keeps you returning?

[RoySpencer]

If you have several choices for where you can get a certain type of information on the web, what keeps you coming back to your "favorite" site? Fast loading? No obnoxious ads? Uncluttered appearance? Jam-packed appearance? A unique feature?

[richlowe]

Quality of information

[Mohamed_E]

If a site has really good information I will put up with a lot of annoyances. If it has no useful information I will obviously not revisit it.

For the "in between" sites, with some, but not great, information my tolerance for garbage (slow loading, popups, bad design, etc.) varies inversely with the quality of the content; the better the content, the more garbage I tolerate.

So basically this is an expanded version of richlowe's response :)

[SlowMove]

Besides quality of content, it would have to be really focused on a certain topic. It's not good to have to sort through all sorts of unrelated content. Google to search, W3Schools for Webmaster tutorials, Joe Cartoon to laugh, etc.

[skipfactor]

honesty, intelligence, content

[whizkiddo]

content..first ; regular updates second. if i know that this site updates say every couple of days with content that i m forced to read then i defntly bookmark and browse through it when i m on a "break".

[Rosalind]

I'd go for quality content that's fresh. Depending on context, the appearance that the site is popular may also be important, because if the forum's dead I won't get the answer to my questions.

[HelenDev]

Well written content, especially sharp witty stuff - something you don't come across too often.

Also clear info about when it was last updated, where the new stuff is, and evidence that it does get updated on a regular basis. (Something I must confess that my own websites are lacking!)

[bufferzone]

Content, and a structure that makes the content easy to find (usability)

[Brett_Tabke]

No garbage designs. Even the best information can't overcome a poor or overblown design. There are some big sites I won't visit because of screwy designs.

> Fast loading?

Absolutly required.

> No obnoxious ads?

Nothing like a big ol text or graphic banner to scream "low quality site".

> Uncluttered appearance?

A must.

> Jam-packed appearance?

Hello back button! Who has the time?

> A unique feature?

No. The less "unique" features the better.

[Maynard]

My ideal site is one that features constantly updated content on a niche subject, where the design does not distract me from or obstruct the content and a forum-based community is well-established - much like this and SitePoint, plus BBC and (very niche) some fan sites.

[robotsdobetter]

Nice design, easy to read, easy to get around, updated once every three days, lots of content or useful information and last, but not least no obnoxious ads (best with none).

[rogerd]

For repeat visits, I think a site has to offer one of the following:

- unique content (e.g., theonion, csszengarden)
- a useful service (e.g., Google, whois lookup)
- friendly community (e.g., WebmasterWorld)

Given one of those key criteria, then factors like site reliability, fast page loading, ease of use, no excessive ads, etc. come into play. The more unique and valuable a site is, the more hassle I'll put up with.

[258cib]

A good example of how compelling useful information can be is this site, WebmasterWorld. Look at the graphics. They're awful. No art work, no pics--it's organization has evolved haphazardly.

I use to publish trade journals. The number one factor that our readers--and ad buyers--wanted was "useful."

Look at the Wall Street Journal. It's expensive, not that attractive. But, WSJ.com has a dedicated core from being useful. And not just stock prices and business news. I just emailed a story from it to a friend and I got the "most emailed articles" that Clickability provides. The top two were articles on personal health (prostate cancer screening) and work-life issues (no time to sit and think). Useful!

You want your web site to be trustworthy. Therefore,
-be competent (the info is correct)
-have integrity (the articles or databases deliver what their headlines promise)
-show caring (the publisher actually gives a rip about the subject and the audience).

Do that, and they'll come back.