Is designing web pages something you are interested in as a way to become profitable in the future? If so, you need to learn as much as possible. This article will help you increase your knowledge base.
When you design a web page, always choose the graphics that are appropriate for your purposes. BMP files are large and can slow down a website. A PNG image should be used when it has less than 256 colors, so try to stay with that when designing text buttons, screenshots and images that are photographic quality. For photos, you can use JPEG images.
Make sure that your clients can cancel an action when they need to. These actions involve signing up for newsletters or email notifications, filling out forms, or searching the site for different topics or archives. Visitors with second thoughts are not going to appreciate being locked into an action. They will feel that they are being forced to act against their wishes, and it will be unlikely that they will want to return to your site after such an experience.
If you are designing a website, choose proper graphics. PNGs work much better than bitmap images, which are huge. For screenshots, text buttons, and other non-photographic images, use PNG if the image has more than 256 colors, and GIF if not. When using photos, make them JPEGs.
File Sizes
Regardless how your website is designed aesthetically, it is important to make certain that all of the files have small file sizes. The reason for this is that your file sizes directly affect how quickly your website loads. Maximizing the loading speed of your website is always better. Remember that there are still lots of people who do not have high speed Internet. Perform a test of your website to be sure that it will load quickly on every speed of internet connection.
Avoid having pop-up windows on your website. Pop-ups can disturb your clients and will distract them when they are navigating. When you add pop-up windows to your website, you run the risk of frustrating people to the point that they won’t come back.
Your website needs to have easy navigation, if you want to have multiple visitors. Ensure that links are easy discovered and displayed in a prominent location. Menus also make site navigation much easier. 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.
When you are choosing your background color, white is an effective choice. White puts the focus on the content, making it easier to read. If you are trying to to exude a professional tone, a white background lends a trustworthy feeling to your site. Crazy backgrounds can just cause confusion and make your content become lost. It also tends to make your webpage look much less professional. Simple is almost always the best option for background.
Stick with common fonts that look professional. They are common for a reason. A site that uses classic fonts will look more professional. Don’t use fancy fonts, such as Comic Sans since many computers don’t have them. Unique fonts tend to default on most user’s computers if it’s not available to them. This can look worse.
Double check to make sure that all your links function properly. The best time to do this is just before you FTP the page over to the server. This is necessary because when you have visitors come to your site they will find that the information they want to see is not available anymore and if this is to happen a lot on your site, they will leave. In order to prevent this from occurring, proactively test thoroughly for full functionality.
Incorporate a search function that lets visitors find what they need. A simple tool such as a search box lets the visitor easily a specific piece of information on your site. If you don’t have a search box, they’ll just go to the next site. Normally, the best place to include the search box is in the upper right hand corner, as that is where most visitors look for it.
When you design your website, remember that you do have have to fill up every bit of space. Using every pixel available to you can make the website feel overwhelming or cluttered. However, by leaving some space between your site’s content, you can provide your visitors with an experience that’s more comfortable. Sometimes, the value of blank space is equal to that of a website’s content.
Visitors do not enjoy seeing a website counter on your page. While this used to be a way for webmasters to show off their coding skill, it now only serves to make a site look dated. Find another way to track your traffic.
Practice web page design and you will get better. This will help you cement your knowledge. You never want to read something great but not actually “get it” because you didn’t try it out on your own.
Make it possible for users to cancel action if they want to do so. This could mean ordering products, opting in to an email newsletter, or returning to the homepage from deep within your site. 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.
Web design really isn’t that complicated. Now that you don’t feel flustered when thinking about web page design then you want to use all of the information from this article and apply it so that you can reach your short and long term goals.