The best-designed reference Web sites allow readers to pop into the site, find what they want, and easily print or download what they find. There is typically no "story" to tell, so usage patterns are nonlinear. Nonessential graphics should be minimal and undistracting, and content and menu structure must be carefully organized to support fast search and retrieval, easy downloading of files, and convenient printing options. A well-designed search engine is a must for sites with more than thirty pages, or sites that store long text documents in single Web pages. You may wish to investigate more sophisticated multiparameter search software instead of relying on single keyword searches. Contact time is typically brief in reference sites: the shorter the better.
