Promoting your business online means great design is key. A degree is not required for you to be able to make an effective website; instead, you just need to know some helpful tips on how to get started. Keep reading for some tips that take the design of your site to the next level.
Your website should include a prominently displayed tagline. Your tagline lets others know more about you or your business. When a visitor arrives at your site, they aren’t going to stay long if nothing catches their eye. Your tagline can help grab their attention.
Search Box
Testing your website in every browser available is a great way to ensure it works as you wish it to for every visitor. A site that works on Internet Explorer might not display right in Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari. Go through every page with each browser and correct mistakes for a user-friendly website.
Make sure your visitors can search for content on your website. People who are seeking something in particular are bound to be interested in finding a search box upon reaching your site. When there isn’t one available, they may just decide to try another site where they can find that information. Always put the search box on the page’s upper right corner, since this is where visitors usually look first.
Be certain to ‘remember’ personal information that might have to be re-entered by the same site visitor. Save users’ information like registration data, so it doesn’t have to be entered more than once on different forms. This information retention and re-use makes site transactions much easier, and many people will appreciate that.
Keep in mind that you shouldn’t overuse JavaScript. While Java opens many doors towards an interactive website experience, a lot of Internet surfers are going to have difficulty with it. All web browsers vary, and each one releases new versions on a regular basis. Keep in mind that not every single person who visits your site has the most up to date browser version. In addition, not everyone keeps JavaScript enabled within their browsers. Both of these mean users will be prevented from using the site you made.
Check your pages for broken links. There is not much that is more frustrating for visitors than to click a link and get an error page. You can also check the links yourself or use a program to look.
Avoid using too may font types. Depending on what browser you use, or type of computer screen resolution, different fonts might be difficult to read. Verdana is a good font that is popular on the Internet.
Make sure you site is optimized for previous versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer, especially IE 7 and 8. While it is often viewed as a sub par browser, a large number of users are still using old versions of this browser. Many elements are not in compliance with web standards, so finding a workaround will be required. Make sure you look at the very vexing “box model bug” that IE experienced.
Try you best to write an informative and interesting “About Us” page. Too many websites do not spend enough time creating an original ‘About Us’ page. Spice things up. Aim to give visitors a small glimpse of your personal background. Demonstrate how you began website design, the people who inspired you to do this, and what your business goals are.
Be aware of your background. Some sites use moving GIF images in the background which may at times be good, but mostly it just makes the text hard to read. Choose a background which coordinates well with the message that you are trying to impart, it must blend in well with the balance of your website design.
If you are using captchas on your site, limit the use to user registration. This causes your viewers to believe they have to do some type of difficult problem just for viewing a webpage. Most visitors will leave a webpage that requires too much personal information or the completion of difficult tasks.
Do repetitive testing on your website to make sure it works once each development milestone is reached. Each time a new feature is created, have someone check it out and let you know their thoughts. For instance, you might not be bothered by a video that loads slowly, but someone else may have a different opinion. Remember to always solicit outside feedback.
Don’t purchase books showing you how to build your own website. It’s true that it’s not always a poor investment. Many magazines have books have numerous tips and tricks. However, all this information can be found free. Free books have just as good information as those that cost you money.
Regardless how your website is designed aesthetically, it is important to make certain that all of the files have small file sizes. Large files take longer to load when people visit your website. Maximizing the loading speed of your website is always better. Remember, too, that some visitors may be using dial-up or other low-speed connections. Take the time to test your site, and make sure that various connections speeds receive quick load times.
Always maintain your site so that you do not have users placing spam and negative commentary on it. This is imperative for forum and blog administrators. The quality site designers are consistently removing trash from their sites to improve visitor experience.
There is no “right” way to do website design. Therefore, learn from as many designers as possible. This will ensure that you are well versed in the different techniques used and can work on any type of website you come across.
Make an effort to spend time each day on the improvement of your site. Make a concentrated effort, instead of a hit-and-miss approach periodically. Working on your website is a good way to improve your skills and find new ideas to make your site look more appealing.
White is generally a safe background color to use when designing a professional website. If you use a white background, your content can end up being simpler to read — and build trust in your site. If you make your background design too complicated, however, it’ll distract your visitors and detract It is usually best to keep a simple background.
Error Message
Take the time to design good error pages. Often a person will click on a moved or broken link, and receive a error message that is generic and confusing. The error message page should explain why the issue has arisen and a link that leads them back to the point they came from.
Be sure you keep up on what’s going on with web design so you’re able to compete with other people. You do not want to miss out on the next best thing. Design blogs are fast and useful ways to stay current and competitive.
Consider visitors when constructing your site. Your focus should remain on the end user at all times. Examples of this would be user interaction, accessibility, usability and the users overall experience. You must consider these aspects when designing websites. View the site’s design from the potential visitors’ perspective.
Make sure you utilize social media plugins so that people can share your content. You want people to be interested with your site and have the ability to share what they like from your site with their friends as well. Also, it will give you more attention once these items are shared.
Use contrasting colors on your website, and make sure you keep it simple. Avoid a dark background and dark text. It is hard for visitors to read. Also, avoid backgrounds with patterns. This can make some text difficult to read. Do your best to go with a professional appearance by using a white or off-white background and standard fonts of black color.
The above tips should’ve given you enough to start building several kinds of websites. You will be surprised what is accomplished with the right now how. So take all the information you have gleaned from this article, and design a great website that showcases your business.
A visitor counter on the page is unattractive. While you might think that it’s adding something to your site, it’s really something that your visitors don’t want to see. Do away with that visitor counter and rely on other means to tell you how many people are stopping by.