If you are one of those non-believers who think all websites are created equally, then visit a site hosted by Google or Yahoo, or a site such as Facebook or Twitter to see the difference. The easily notable differences between these sites should tell you that web design is important. Here are some solid suggestions on how to make website creation work for you.
Have your website prominently feature a tagline. A good tagline is a central motto or exclamation that lets a reader know what your website is focused on. This can be beneficial in introducing users to your site.
Speed is king on the Internet, so you need to make sure your web pages load quickly. No visitor is going to wait more than a few seconds for your page to load, so ensure they get what they want quickly so they don’t go to your competition’s website instead.
A fast website is a good website. No visitor is going to wait more than a few seconds for your page to load, so ensure they get what they want quickly so they don’t go to your competition’s website instead.
Never underestimate the value of a site that is simple for visitors to navigate. Place your links so they can be found easily. Menus can also help with site navigation. Make sure that links to your main pages are on each page in your site so people can find their way no matter where they are.
You should always take time to removed old, irrelevant content. If you’re talking about events that happened a year ago, you are behind the times. If your website looks neglected and disused, your potential customers will surely take their business elsewhere. Make it a point to regularly update your content, and replace dated information with current things.
Keep in mind that you shouldn’t overuse JavaScript. It has several useful benefits, but can also be problematic. Everyone uses a different web browser, and all of them have new versions released fairly regularly. Many visitors use outdated versions of various web browsers, which means your code might not be supported. Also, people sometimes don’t have JavaScript enabled in their browsers. This means that a portion of your visitors won’t be able to use your website.
Retain user information so that people don’t have to waste valuable time re-typing information into forms. 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. This information retention and re-use makes site transactions much easier, and many people will appreciate that.
If you’re creating a large site, include search functions for your visitors. Put in a search box in the right-hand corner up on top of the homepage, as this allows the site visitors to type in a single keyword that shows up anywhere on your site. If you can’t code one yourself, Google and a few other websites offer free search functionality for websites with no programming required.
Free Tools
Free software is great to start with when you’re getting into web page design. Costly software is also available, but you can get good results with free tools since you are the main factor in the success of your site. All that is required from you is a little bit of effort in finding and choosing the free tools that will give you just what you’re looking for.
Use shortcuts when designing your website. There are often shortcuts that can be used for just about anything when it comes to web design. Even HTML codes can be used to implement quick content updates.
You probably won’t create the next Facebook or Twitter. There is quite a bit of amazing competition out there already! However, your website can be every bit as professional as the big cheeses. All this requires is some knowledge and effort on your part. Apply the info from this article and get busy designing!