At a minimum, novice web designers need to familiarize themselves with the fundamentals of website design in order to develop websites that are both appealing and effective. There are numerous references that a web designer can utilize in order to begin learning. This article is a great example of such a reference. Read on to find some amazing advice!
Your website should include a prominently displayed tagline. Using a tagline simply means that you will need to come up with a quick statement that lets visitors know what your site is all about. This can be beneficial in introducing users to your site.
A business website should always be one that is easy to navigate. Visitors should be able to locate clear, unambiguous links quickly and easily. Menus also make site navigation much easier. Make sure you have links back to your main pages accessible on every single page of your website; that way, visitors are able to always get around.
Check your pages for broken links. Visitors will be annoyed if they click on broken links. You can also check the links yourself or use a program to look.
You should update your content and get rid of expired content regularly. If you have something on your site that lists an event that happened months ago, chances are you have lost some readers. If your website looks neglected and disused, your potential customers will surely take their business elsewhere. Put removing outdated content on your to-do list, to do every 2-4 weeks.
It’s a good idea to set up your site so that it can retain a copy of user information that must be entered repeatedly. When a user needs to enter their information multiple times to sign up for various options you give them, make it so that they don’t have to enter duplicate info from beginning to end on their own repeatedly. This “sticky” information can make the process easier and smoother for visitors and they’ll appreciate it.
A simple way to increase your sites attractiveness is to make use of pictures you have taken. Pictures help your site seem more approachable and user friendly. People always like to look at interesting pictures that they have never seen before, and many times will spend hours on your site looking at them.
No matter how flashy your website is, it is vital that you keep the sizes of your website’s files small. This is because the size of your website’s files directly affects its loading time. You want the speediest load times possible. Bear in mind that some site visitors are still using dial-up. Continue to test your site to make sure it will load quickly, even with a dial-up connection.
Be sure you take care of the people that use your site’s needs. You as a web designer have to think about the needs of the end user all the time. These include usability, user experience, accessibility, and user interaction. These are vital considerations you must take into account. When approaching design, you should be paying attention to the perspective of the users.
Get in the habit of testing early and often. Running usability and user interaction tests early in the game can really save you frustration in the long run. Continue to test and make improvements throughout the life of your website.
When you are creating your website, remember that all available space is not required to be used. If you are using every single available pixel, the website may feel extremely cluttered. If you allow enough space between different elements on each page, the overall effect will be more relaxed and professional-looking. Sometimes, the value of blank space is equal to that of a website’s content.
As previously stated, beginning web designers must learn proper website development basics in order to create visually appealing websites that function correctly. With all of the resources out there, it may be hard to find the right starting place. The article you’ve just read should be a good starting point for understanding the general rules of good website creation.