Many people do not think they have the time need to design a website. However, we do have the ability to create our own websites. It takes learning a little bit about how they’re made, and you’ll find that you can design a site soon enough to bring in visitors to your new site. Read on to learn just how to do this.
256 Colors
When you design a web page, always choose the graphics that are appropriate for your purposes. Keep in mind that bitmap images are not usually the best type of images to use. Try PNGs instead. Try using PNGs for images that are not photos or text buttons or if an image has over 256 colors. Use GIFs for something with less than 256 colors. When using photos, make them JPEGs.
Use a fixed-position navigation format for easy navigation for your users. The navigation panel is essentially stuck in one place as the user scrolls down to view more content. This is good for visitors, but also for internet marketing professionals, because it helps facilitate the desired action.
Use fixed-position navigation so your users can navigate your site with ease. What occurs when the navigation is fixed is the panel follows the users scrolling. In other words, it moves down the page as the user moves down the page. This is convenient for visitors and helps frequent visitors quickly find what they need.
Keep your page sizes to a minimum. Some people do not have speedy Internet connections, and if they have to wait a long time for your site to load, they probably won’t be interested in viewing it. Reduce your load times so visitors have no reason to leave.
A good website will never require that a visitor provide the same information more than once. Ensure that personal data for each of your website’s visitors is preserved. When visitors may be filling out multiple forms or information pieces, have the data fields retain their information, and auto-fill subsequent forms that are filled out. “Sticky” data will ensure that the user fills out all the forms they need to instead of leaving when it becomes too difficult.
Your website should include a prominently displayed tagline. Using a tagline simply means that you will need to come up with a quick statement that lets visitors know what your site is all about. A clear tagline lets the reader quickly to see what the site is about, since most people make a decision to stay or go usually within 8 seconds.
Skip the pop-up windows. Even if you believe it is a good strategy, most visitors will be annoyed by them. As a result, your users may just go away from your site, too angry to come back.
Make sure that your load times are up to par at all times. Visitors are not going to wait around for a slow site. Try reducing your number of graphics, Flash, and script on your pages, optimizing your HTML, using SSI files, using client and server caching, creating expire headings, and minimizing your JS and CSS coding.
Broken Links
Avoid using a lot of graphics. Although graphics are necessary make your site project a professional, well-designed and cohesive look, having too many can make it look cluttered. Graphics are not meant to be used as mere decorations; they’re meant to better your site content. Your site will be easier to use if it’s not overly cluttered, too.
Be sure there are no broken links on your website. Do this from time to time, before uploading it to the server. You want to avoid broken links, because they make your visitors especially frustrated by promising certain content and then failing to deliver it. To keep this from happening, check everything to make sure that it works.
You don’t have to use every inch of space when you design a website. Utilizing all pixels available can cause your site to feel cluttered. Leaving sufficient gaps between the different page elements will make people more comfortable. A proper amount of empty areas is just as important as the amount of content your webpage contains.
If you want to build an excellent website, give Adobe Dreamweaver a try. Even amateur users go through a fast learning curve in this program. You can do a lot of editing and testing on your local computer before uploading them to be live on your site.
A website that appeals to many is within your reach using the different types of programs available. Programs made specifically for web design are often easy to use and can help you craft good looking websites quickly. The monetary investment is typically worth it; if you try, and fail, to create a nice website on your own, visitors just aren’t going to come to your site.
Target Audience
When you design a site, keep your target audience in mind, ask, or poll people to see what they’d like to see on your site. This will make the design process much easier. Taking the advice of your target audience is crucial if you want your design to be successful.
Do not require each new user to enter a CAPTCHA for your site automatically. Captchas can trigger a negative response from a viewer when it makes them perform the task just so they can view a basic webpage. Unless they are already a devoted member, they will likely just leave the page and browse elsewhere.
Utilize newsletters if you want repeat visitors. Let your customers sign up for important events and updates so that they return to your site. Have a signup form in one of your sidebars, and document everyone that signs up. Just send your newsletter to those that ask for it, or you may get in trouble.
If you want to host any type of video on your website, make sure to first check with the web host to be positive that this is something that is allowed. Many web hosts will not let people host videos on their servers. The FLV files used for modern video can either consume too much storage space or use too much bandwidth, so don’t waste your time and check beforehand.
A regular check of the statistics for your website is a good way to gauge your website appeal. You can learn where people are coming from and who is on your site. You can use this information to edit your site.
One reason to keep up with your website, is to check for negative comments or spam. Forum owners and bloggers will find this to be extremely important. Keeping your site clean will give it a good reputation.
Keyword research is important. You need to focus on giving your audience good information, but keywords will help you gain a customer base. Making use of keywords is what drives traffic to your site and makes it successful.
Put your search box in an easy to find location, and make sure up to several words can be entered. Use the word “Search” on the button for starting a search and avoid words like “go” or “submit”. Those perusing your site, maybe even for the first time, will want a simple way to gain access to information via a search button.
To practice what you learned above try signing up with one of the free web hosts. Once you start working on a website you will realize very fast how simple it is. Before long, you will be able to create attractive sites that people are sure to love. Keep these tips in mind when you do.