This article is just what you need if you are hoping to learn how to develop websites. This article will outline basic ideas to consider when designing a web site. Whether you are just starting out or a seasoned vet, there is so much more to learn in the following article.
Choose the right graphic formats for your site. Keep in mind that bitmap images are not usually the best type of images to use. Try PNGs instead. For simple images, GIF is fine, though. JPEG images are good for pictures.
Always include a search tool for searching through your site. Those searching for specific information will instantly scan for a search option. If you don’t get one of these, they may move to a site that has something like that. Always put the search box on the page’s upper right corner, since this is where visitors usually look first.
Do not overuse JavaScript. It does provide more ways for you to build a responsive and transparent site, but it can be problematic for some visitors. No two web browsers are the same, and each one offers up new versions on a regular basis. Some of your readers are not going to have the most recently updated version of their browser. Also, not everybody has JavaScript enabled on their browser. These problems will lead to people not being able to use your site.
You must always include the capability to search if you are working on a large website. People have become accustomed to search boxes being in the upper-right corner of the page, so put it there. These should let you at least search for one term, but it’s better if it allows multiple terms. FreeFind and Google both have these capabilities for a website.
Make sure the content on your website is compelling and interesting. The actual site design “look” is important, but content is king. When your content provides useful and valuable information that addresses the needs of your site visitors, those visitors are more likely to come back to your site in the future.
Make sure you give your users the option to cancel a given action if they choose to. Actions may involve searching the website for archives or a variety of topics, signing up for newsletters and notifications, or simply filling out forms. If your visitors feel forced into completing something they no longer want, it may leave a bad taste. They will probably avoid visiting your site in the future.
Make sure you optimize your website for older Internet Explorer versions like IE7 and IE8. Many consumers still depend on IE. They often don’t render elements to web standards, so you will have to work around them. You should read up on the frustrating “box model bug” that has plagued IE for a long time.
File types can affect the time it take for a website to load. Keep your graphics to GIF and JPEG file formats. You want to avoid PNG or BMP files as these take up too much memory space. You should convert graphics into a more manageable file type that will make an more pleasant experience for your users.
Make sure you test your site early and often. It’s very important that you carry out your site’s user interaction and usability tests as early as you can in the design phase of your website. Make sure you continue to test it as you grow and improve your site.
White is an effective and visually attractive background color for a website. Using white helps visitors be able to read your website, and gives your site a more professional look. Colors, patterns or other designs are distracting and don’t have a place on a website. Backgrounds should be simple and subtle.
Provide web browsers with independent CSS pages, and then use conditional loading. You will thank yourself later, when both the maintenance and testing process is simpler. All sites require maintenance from time to time and making that easier will save you time.
Your code is already created in development platforms, but classic text editors may be more reliable. Site features are designed within the platform, and then the generated code is pasted in. In order to minimize platform-created errors and really learn the nuts and bolts of web page design, you may want to consider editing your code directly using a simple text editor.
Begin by creating tiny websites in order to determine areas that you’ve worked on which were solid, and the areas that you’ve worked on which were bad. Try starting with a couple basic pages that just have text in order to see how you do.
Keep in mind that it is very important to have your website design tested on many different web browsers. Every browser will interpret the site slightly differently. Some of the slight differences can cause navigation to be difficult for the user. You can find more about which browsers are most in use and focus on them, so hunt down this information. Perform browser tests on your website, and include the mobile web browsers that are most popular.
You now should have a good base of knowledge about website creation skills, and you might just be ready to try to do some designing of your own. As long as you keep on increasing your knowledge of the field and adding to your skill set, you will become an excellent web designer very soon.