There are many purposes behind a good website. You might want a social site, an entertainment gateway or even an information hub. Websites will need a quality webmaster. Here is some great website design advice.
Graphics are important for any designer but beginners should focus only on the standard graphics on their first several builds. Keep in mind that bitmaps don’t usually work well, while PNGs do. Use a GIF instead if the image contains over 256 colors and PNG for test buttons and screen shots. Use JPEG format for all photos on your website.
You will want to make sure you stay up-to-date with new information on website design found in various places around the Internet. Do an Internet search on web design to find numerous free sites and forums.
Speed is king when it comes to webpages, so be sure that your images are loading quickly. If visitors have to wait and sit for a long time as your website load, there is a big chance that they will click away from you website and go elsewhere. They will probably not come back as well.
Don’t have an abundance of graphics on your site. Graphics and images are definitely necessary to help facilitate professionalism and appeal, but they can also facilitate clutter if you’re not careful. Don’t use graphics as a decoration for your site; they should be used to make it look professional. Having the right mix of graphics will improve your site’s usability, too.
Keep personal information handy in the event that it must be re-entered by a repeat visitor of your website. For example, if someone registers for your site, and some of the same information is needed to fill out another form, make sure data that they have already entered is preserved, so users do not need to re-enter this information. Creating information that is “sticky” simplifies the entire process, and visitors are certain to appreciate all the time that they have saved.
Know your niche. If you’re going to have a blog site or something similar, you have to be sure things are done to learn about that subject before posting anything. When your visitors see that you can’t be trusted because you’re giving out erroneous info, you will lose them. Having a thorough understanding of your subject matter is vital to having a successful website.
If you are designing a very large site, you should always include search capabilities. In the upper right-hand corner of the homepage, include a search box that allows users to search for a single term that appears anywhere in your site. You can use Google search or FreeFind, as they both give you access to an engine which is free and simple to use.
Keep your content interesting and entertaining. Design is certainly important, but the content is the reason that people will come back to your site. When you can provide quality and useful information for your visitors, you will see those visitors coming back to the site regularly.
Think about your user at all times. A good web designer will always remained focused on the needs of the end user. Think about how a user will find information and navigate your site. It is essential that you don’t drop the ball on this. Therefore, it is important to look at the site from their angle.
Make sure to include a way to get feedback from site visitors. When you have this area, your visitors can let you know if something needs fixed or if they aren’t sure how use some of the site’s functions. Letting your visitors get involved helps to ensure they will come to your site again.
Be sure you’re testing your site early and it gets tested on an often basis. Running usability and user interaction tests early in the game can really save you frustration in the long run. Improve your site with every chance you get.
Are you stuck? Look online for inspiration. There are literally millions of websites that you can browse to find the inspiration that you need. Find an interesting site and borrow features that will work on your site. Remember though, you still want an original design, not a potluck of other site ideas. You have to think of creative ways to improve them.
As you can now see, websites have many purposes. You need design knowledge to create sites for any purpose. Apply the tips here, and you can design a website for any purpose you want.
Your website should be optimized for the older versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer, such as IE7 and also IE8. Internet Explorer is not well regarded, but many still use it, and some even have outdated versions. Workarounds are often necessary when standard elements can’t be rendered. Looking up “box model bug” can be very helpful.