There is much to the creation of an actual website. From the planning to the fine details, web design is an overwhelming undertaking when you don’t know what you’re doing. Let this article help you prepare for the challenges you might face.
Look at the site you are designing in many different browsers. What you get on your browser isn’t always what your visitors see on their browser. Make changes to your site to make it look good on all popular browsers. It’s also a good idea to send your website to someone who’s using another operating system in order to see if their browser and yours are compatible.
Make sure that your website has a tagline incorporated into the design. This is a statement or motto to define your business. This will give the visitor a quick first impression of what you’re about.
If you want your site to bring in more visitors, you should ensure it’s simple to navigate. You should have links that are easy to find, as well as displayed well. Menus also make site navigation much easier. Always post the links to your primary pages on every sub-page to keep visitors on your site.
Avoid using too many graphics. Graphics are important, but too many can yuck things up. Don’t just use graphics to decorate the website; they should be used to make it better. Your site may be easier to use with just the right amount of graphics.
Make sure that every action can be cancelled if needed. An action can involve filling out forms, registering for email notifications or newsletters, or browsing the site for various topics or archives. If you don’t let visitors back out of an incomplete action, it can be perceived as forcing them to do something, which will probably make them go elsewhere.
Have a search element included so visitors can search your website content. When visitors want to find something, they are going to search for your search box. If you don’t have a search box, they’ll just go to the next site. Put the search box in the upper right hand corner of the page because this is usually the first place people look for one.
Your background is the keystone of your design. You don’t want your text to be hard to read! A distracting background is…well, distracting. Make your site easy to read by choosing a background that complements the design of your website and doesn’t overwhelm it.
Adding some relevant pictures is always a good way to make your site more interesting and attractive. This will make it more appealing to your visitors. People spend extra time on websites with photos because they look at the pictures.
You should always make sure to implement a way that users can submit feedback to you about your website. That way, if they are having a problem or there are missing items on your pages, you will be made aware and can fix the problem. Involving your visitors in your website can help to bond them to your brand and bring them back time and time again.
Do keyword research. You need to focus on giving your audience good information, but keywords will help you gain a customer base. Knowing the right keywords to make people find you through the search engines is key.
File Sizes
While you want to keep the aesthetics of your site in mind, you also need to make every effort to keep your file sizes to a minimum. File sizes are directly responsible for how quickly a website loads. You want your website to load as quickly as possible. Remember that there are still lots of people who do not have high speed Internet. Run tests to ensure that even dial-up users report a smooth user experience.
Great meta tags can attract visitors to your website. Having some meta tags that offer quality will be able to help show different search engines what your site is all about. Poor or useless tags that are irrelevant to your site will deter future and returning visitors.
Keep all of the site files you use as small as possible, regardless of design. File sizes are directly responsible for how quickly a website loads. It is always better to have your website load as fast as possible. You should also keep in mind that not every visitor will be using a high speed Internet connection. Perform a test of your website to be sure that it will load quickly on every speed of internet connection.
The information provided here is basic information to get started, and becoming an expert will take a little time and practice. Once you begin to learn the different tactics available, you will start to understand the core concepts involved with website development and start translating this knowledge into features on your website. Take another look at this article if need be.