If you are doubtful about the value of good web page design, just visit a site like Facebook and then check out a hosted site on Yahoo or Google. The easily notable differences between these sites should tell you that website design.
Use fixed-position navigation so that users can navigate easily. What occurs when the navigation is fixed is the panel follows the users scrolling. In other words, it moves down the page as the user moves down the page. You can use this both to allow your visitor to navigate more easily, and to keep your call to action in view.
Make sure that a tagline on your website. This will let people know what your site is about. This will give the average user knows if they want to stay and explore a quick first impression of what you’re about.
Pay attention to which colors on your website to make sure they match. Make sure that text can be easily read against the background colors. Dark text colors on light backgrounds are typically easier on the easiest for your visitor to read. Ask someone to look at your color schemes to make sure you are making the right choice.
Design your page so that previously entered information is saved and automatically used to fill in informational boxes. For instance, if someone fills out a form using personal information, he or she should have to enter that same information in again when he or she goes to fill out an additional form. Creating transferable form information will make the overall process simpler and quicker for your visitors, and they will be happy with the time you have saved them.
Don’t keep outdated content that is out of date linger on your website. You will lose the attention and credibility of your readers if you have information on events that have long passed. Users are going to want to spend time on websites that have been cared for, and leaving up old information shows a lack of attention to the site. Set a review schedule for reviewing your site and removing anything that is outdated.
Make sure you give your users the option to cancel an action if they choose to. This could be a form that they have been filling out, opting in to an email newsletter, or registering for newsletters. You will inevitably lose repeat customers if you don’t allow them the option of cancelling things they have decided against for now.
A search engine is an absolute must if your website is larger than a few pages. Place a search box in the top right corner on the home page where users can search for a term that may appear on your site. You can find search functions to use for your site on sites like Google.
It doesn’t matter how you have designed your website; you have to make sure that the files listed are on the smaller side. This is because file sizes are directly affects its loading time. You want your website to load very quickly as possible. You must keep in mind that not every visitor will be using a high speed Internet connection. Test each section of your website to ensure it loads quickly even on a dial-up modem connection.
Don’t allow pop-ups to your site. While these might seem valuable in some instances, most people find them rather annoying. When these windows pop up on the screen, you run the risk of frustrating people to the point that they won’t come back.
If you are agonizing over what color your website’s background should be, don’t be afraid to go with plain, effective white. If you use a white background, your content can end up being simpler to read — and build trust in your site. However, intricate designs on your background can distract users and give your site more of an amateurish look. It is usually best to keep a simple background.
Your graphics should be GIFs or JPEGs. PNG and BMP files take up a ton of disk space.Convert your graphics into file types with more manageable sizes if you want to ensure that your visitors happy.
A well-written “About Us” page will help your readers understand who you are and what you do.Many websites that you see will have boring pages for these areas.Let people see who you are by sharing your educational background, tell them how you started designing websites and show them examples of your achievements.
Do not forget to test your site on several major browsers. Each web browser has a slightly different way of how they illustrate the website, and in a couple of cases these little differences could have major effects on the experience for the user. It is easy to discover the most popular browsers. It is very crucial that you test your website with all of the browsers, and that will include all of the main mobile web browsers.
Always use fonts which are legible and easy to read.You can tell if a site looks professional just by viewing their fonts. If a visitor doesn’t have a font on his computer, another font is substituted. This may make your website look bad.
Usability tests that are task based are a great way to figure out what design works best for your website’s effectiveness. The purpose of these tasks is to be able to locate a piece of information within your site. A well-designed website will make it easy for the user to complete the task at hand. However, if it’s not, this exercise can shine a light on areas your site needs to improve upon.
Even if you invest a bunch into your site, hosting yourself isn’t wise. Design as much as you can on your own, though allow somebody else to do the hosting. This will save you a lot of time, and provide you with the ability to concentrate on other important things apart from the security and safety of your site.
Target Audience
Find out from your target audience and ask what they might like to see when visiting your site. This provides you better focus with site design as well as the many features to include. Advice and ideas from what your target audience wants to see is pertinent to the design of your site.
A captcha is a great way to improve the security of user registration pages, but there are hardly any other places where one should be used. Captchas tend to irk website users, because they force your users to complete a troublesome task simply to proceed to, or view their desired webpage. The only way they will stay on this page is if they’re already a member that’s devoted to the site.
Your site may not be the next biggest website sensation. The odds are not in your favor. However, using quality website development methods will help you quickly and easily create a website that is attractive and functional. Use what you learned from this article to become a great web designer.