One of the most important tools an online entrepreneur can have is an effective website. Websites can be places where goods and services are sold, and it can be a platform for self-expression. It is vital to learn how to create a site before starting. This article will go over some excellent advice that will let you get the ball rolling.
The graphics you use are important. Keep in mind that bitmap images are not usually the best type of images to use. Try PNGs instead. A PNG image should be used when it has less than 256 colors, so try to stay with that when designing text buttons, screenshots and images that are photographic quality. Use JPEG format for all photos on your website.
Avoid using a lot of graphics. Graphics are indeed important to make your website look well-designed and professional, but if you use too many, it just looks cluttered. Don’t just use graphics to decorate the website; they should be used to make it better. Your site will be much more usable and user friendly when you minimize the use of graphics.
Display a tagline in a prominent space on your website. A tagline will be a motto or some statement about your business focus. Having a tagline is important; most users know if they will stay on a page after about eight seconds, so you need to do whatever it takes to keep their attention.
Have the data that users enter into fields preserved so that it can be transferred over to other portions of the site where the same information has to be filled out. An example of this is if someone fills out a form to register, and then has to fill out other forms for other things. If the person’s info transfers from one form to the next, it will be much more convenient and less time consuming for the user. Your clients will thank you for saving them the time it takes to fill in information that they have previously done on your site.
Do not use pop-up windows. Nothing is worse that going to a website and being bombarded with pop-up ads. The majority of people will leave a site if it contains pop-ups, even if these sites are very large ones. Just avoid these irritating ads, so your users will be happy. If your host gives you no choice about using pop-ups, you probably ought to choose a new one.
Set up your website so that people can easily search it. This is especially important if you have a large website. The best place to put your search text box is in the top right hand corner as that is where the bulk of websites put theirs. FreeFind and Google can help you install a search function on your website.
Visitors will enjoy your website, if they can navigate it easily. It should always be easy to get from one page of the site to another. Menus also make navigation more user-friendly. Ensure that there are links to all of your main pages, such as the home and contact pages, in a prominent location on every page.
Skip the website counter that tells visitors what number they are. While this used to be a way for webmasters to show off their coding skill, it now only serves to make a site look dated. Eliminate visitor counters, and find other methods of tracking the number of visitors to your site.
Many hosts have website tools available. While you can use these tools for basic design, it’s not a great idea to completely rely upon them. You need to incorporate your personality into the website, and that can be done by adjusting some stuff and adding others that the host design tools don’t offer.
Your best bet is going to be to start small, and move up to larger websites. This way you can easily see what you’re good at, and what you need to work on. As a starting point, try to design two or three basic pages that only contain text, and then work your way upwards from there.
Include some way to help visitors search for content. A simple tool such as a search box lets the visitor easily a specific piece of information on your site. When you don’t have one, they are more likely to move on to another site that does. Always put the box somewhere near the right page’s top because people will look for it there.
As was said before, websites are a great tool to have. They serve a variety of uses, like forums or selling products. If you’re looking to build a website, the above website creation tips will be helpful.