Trying to design a website can be extremely intimidating! What can you do to maximize your site’s appeal? Do you know enough about coding? Read this article to learn how to feature your content properly thanks to a great design.
When doing web page design, use the appropriate graphics. Remember, bitmap images are huge and usually don’t work well, PNGs work fine. For non-photographic graphics choose a PNG if the graphic has less than 256 colors. Otherwise, choose a GIF. For photos, JPEG images work well.
Users can navigate easier when you use fixed-position navigation. By locking the menu to a fixed point on the screen, you can make sure it is constantly visible to the user regardless of where they scroll to on the screen. You can use this both to allow your visitor to navigate more easily, and to keep your call to action in view.
This isn’t the 90’s, so avoid frames. Frames were in heavy use during the beginning days of the Internet, but they were very flawed. Designs on frames can make it hard for people to get your site bookmarked and they won’t like scrolling either. Use other ways to make your site easier to navigate instead.
Always give your readers the ability to stop whatever it is they’re doing. Types of such actions would include registering an email, filling out forms, or browsing your site for archives or topics. If you do not give site users the opportunity to cancel an action, they are not likely to return to your site. Over time, this could negatively impact your sales and site traffic.
Choose a good background. Certain sites contain GIF backgrounds that move, and although it may look nice, it can be harder to read the page’s content. In order to preserve your website’s focus, and make it easy for your visitors to comprehend, you should choose a background image that harmonizes well with your site instead of clashing with it.
Put together a nice page about you or your organization and title it “About” or “About Us.” Web designers often forget to be creative when they create the company bio area of the site. Make this area of your website more exciting. Let people see a bit of your personal history. Try including items like, how you entered web page design, who inspires you, and what your wishes for your business are.
Be aware of the background on your website. Certain sites contain GIF backgrounds that move, and although it may look nice, it can be harder to read the page’s content. Select a wallpaper complementary to the rest of your design, so that your users will be able to negotiate the site more easily.
Selecting a professional looking font is an important web design consideration. Professional websites use professional fonts. Don’t use fancy or non-standard fonts. Some people may not have these fonts installed on their computers. If your reader doesn’t have the font you require, their browser will substitute a default font instead, possibly throwing the layout of your entire page off. This can look worse.
If you’re stuck in your designing, keep in mind that you can usually find help online. You can find millions of different websites where there is so much information to help you design your own site. There is nothing wrong with using a feature or design idea that you like from another website and making it your own. Remember that a successful website needs more creativity, not just the stuff you have borrowed from others. Improve upon the ideas you find.
You don’t have to fill every pixel on the screen with content! By overusing the space available on your webpage, you can cause your site to appear cluttered and confusing for your visitors. Give your users a break by allowing space between different elements on each page. There are many cases in which empty space is actually more valuable than other content.
Use pictures on your site. This will make it more appealing to your visitors. The visitors will want to stay on your site for a longer period of time.
The tips you’ve read here are a great start for you, so take notes and use them when you begin your layout sketches. The field of website development is constantly evolving. Keep educating yourself on the subject so that you can keep your website abreast of the pack, if not right out in front of it!