Designing a great site takes a lot of work. It all starts with a good plan, then figuring out how to execute it by paying attention to the littlest of details, making sure that website development is not as hard as it seems. You can rise to the occasion by using this knowledge.
Keep page size to a minimum. For customers with slower Internet speeds, a slow loading site can cause loss of interest. You don’t want to leave your visitors waiting on each page, as they will likely just leave, never to return.
Keep personal information handy in the event that it must be re-entered by a repeat visitor of your website. For instance, people may already register with your site, and you should have it set up to preserve their information if they choose so they don’t have to register again. This kind of “sticky” information saves your users time and effort, and they will likely appreciate the streamlining this kind of good design provides.
When designing webpages it is important that you use the correct graphics. Keep in mind how big a bitmap image is, but using PNG images work better. PNG is the right choice for non-photo images, such as text buttons and screen shots. If an image has in excess of 256 colors choose PNG. If it does not, GIF is another option. For photographs, opt for JPEGs.
Make sure your first page is simple. Internet shoppers do, indeed, judge your site by its cover. Make sure that you provide a very clear description about your business or other purpose for your site. Other information on your site should also be minimal, but still clear, so that you don’t overwhelm your visitors.
Put compelling, interesting information on your website. While how your design looks is important, visitors will not return if there is no content worth reading. If you have insightful, useful content that people want to read about, you are much more likely to have repeat visitors.
Keep all of the site files you use as small as possible, regardless of design. This is because the size of the files dictates the speed at which your website loads. It is critical that your website load quickly for everyone. You should also keep in mind that not every visitor will be using a high speed Internet connection. Perform tests on your website to make sure that it loads fast, even when a dial-up connection is used.
You must create a website that is easily navigable to attract and keep traffic. Your links need to be prominently placed, easy to understand and functional. A navigation menu will also help visitors locate exactly what they’re looking for. Always post the links to your primary pages on every sub-page to keep visitors on your site.
File Types
File sizes affect the speed with which your website loads. You can control file size by paying attention to file types. Your graphics should normally be GIFs or JPEGs. Although there are a number of advantages to using PNG and BMP files for web graphics, these types of files take up much more disk space. To ensure your site is user friendly, these types of graphics should be converted to file types of manageable size.
You need to make sure the links on your site actually show content. The purpose is to ensure that your customer or client is clicking on exactly what they are hoping to find. If the links don’t have text content, they may appear as a keyboard shortcut.
A good website should display and function in any type of web browser, so it is vital that you test your website in every browser currently on the market. A webpage that displays properly using Internet Explorer, could appear incorrectly or poorly on a different browser such as Firefox or Chrome. Therefore, check to see that all pages display correctly in all the large browsers prior to your site going live.
Be very critical of the fonts you choose. Professional websites use professional fonts. Avoid silly, bubbly or hard to read fonts and especially avoid obscure fonts that may not be supported by all browsers. If they don’t have that font on their computer, it might be subset to their default font. This could cause it to look bad.
Don’t rely solely on the design tools provided by the host to build your site. Going beyond templates means you’ll have a website that stands out, offers your visitors content they’ll come back for and gives you greater profits.
Many people know there is a software called Photoshop and that they need to master it if they want to make websites that look awesome. Many people are not familiarized with Dreamweaver software, so research this program to see what it can offer you and your website design.
Use shortcuts when designing your website. Many things have shortcuts when it comes to web design, and by taking the time to learn them, you will find faster ways of doing many different tasks. You could even opt for editing the HTML first hand to make super-fast changes.
Learn all you can about website design to be successful. Research your chosen niche so you can better reach your targeted audience. Think about different ways to design the site and maximize your efforts. This makes your site more efficient.
Make sure all your domains, including sub-domains, include visible taglines. This slogan should be prominently displayed near the top of the page and be in bold text, so that visitors can’t miss it. They can quickly let the reader know what the offer, goal, or purpose is of the page, and whether they go back or stay on this page.
Include some form of “site searching” from your home page, and all sub-pages if possible. The simple, speedy access this capability gives to visitors will put the information they’re looking for at their fingertips, and make the site highly user-friendly. This feature can be included with ease, and is a worthy addition to any site.
Do not go overboard in using lots of fonts when creating your website. Also, think about how fonts look on a screen. For instance, tiny serif fonts, like Times New Roman, are difficult to read. Verdana is a good font that is popular on the Internet.
Never force your visitor to take a specific path through your site or interrupt their workflow. For instance, offers and surveys should be avoided. Forcing viewers to complete surveys or follow links will almost always ruins your website’s reputation.
Are you searching for info on building a site? If so, don’t waste money on literature. Yes, some may be helpful. There is a lot of accurate information to be found in books and magazines. However, this information can actually be found for free. Costly books don’t contain any information that you cannot find elsewhere for free.
To become a great web designer, take advantage of all the resources you can. This helps you approach site design with a very diverse perspective.
Research your subject thoroughly. Good research will help you to create the ideal site. Providing bad information will only lose you readers. Knowing your subject is very important when having a blog.
Make sure that when you add advertisements to your site that they aren’t overwhelmingly huge. It is important for visitors to be comfortable when they visit your site. By keeping your website free of ad clutter, it will look more professional. Visitors will be more likely to come back.
Your focus after reading this article should be understanding the fundamental basics of web design. Once you understand the basics, it gets a lot easier. Keep these tips handy for quick referral.