You may be a master at all thing related to web page design, but your site could still benefit from the basics. It is easy to get lost in the abundance of sources though. However, the following article can provide you with some assistance. Featured below is a compilation of easy-to-implement website design tips that will help you to develop some amazing websites.
Use the proper graphic tools for website creation. Bitmap images usually are big and don’t work as well as PNGs. For simple images, GIF is fine, though. When using photos, make them JPEGs.
Users can navigate easier when you use fixed-position navigation. This means that when the visitor goes down your page, the navigation panel will be locked. This is convenient for visitors and helps frequent visitors quickly find what they need.
Functional websites work out for all visitors, regardless of their browser, so it’s essential that your website is tested across all the major platforms. Each browser is a little different, and a site that looks fine in Firefox may look wrong in Safari, Chrome, or Internet Explorer. Before you set your site to go live, look at how every page shows up in all the major browsers.
Aim for page loading times of under 10 seconds. Sites that are well-made and efficient will open in a browser in moments. Most online users want to be gratified instantly and you need to be sure you can do this for them.
Leave off frames if you want to design a well optimized site. Frames are good for some situations, but they don’t allow your content to be indexed. When information isn’t seen, your ranking with the search engines goes lower. Your traffic suffers if you fail to do this.
Internet Explorer
Your site should be optimized to handle older Internet Explorer versions. Many people detest Internet Explorer, but some still use these older versions today. This creates problems for web designers, but there are things that can be done. It is important that you are familiar with “box model bug” which has harmed IE for awhile now.
Your links should always contain content in text form on every page you insert them. The content makes the link visible to the users who are on your site. When there is no text content on the link, a keyboard shortcut could be stumbled on.
Step up your creativity when you write your site’s “About Us” page. Too many websites do not spend enough time creating an original ‘About Us’ page. Make yours exciting and interesting! Your “About Us” page should contain information about your goals, background and inspiration.
When you are creating your website, remember that all available space is not required to be used. By overusing the space available on your webpage, you can cause your site to appear cluttered and confusing for your visitors. However, leaving just a bit of space between all the different aspects of the webpage will provide a much more comfortable experience. Space can lend just as much value as information.
Hosting your own website might not be a good choice. Design as much as you can yourself, but letting someone else host it will free up some of your time, allowing you to work on other things.
Get a few books on website creation and study them. Choose books adapted to your current level of skills and very comprehensive. Read reviews before buying anything.
Properly maintaining your website gives you an opportunity to remove negative comments and spam that might accumulate on your pages. Forum owners and bloggers will find this to be extremely important. A critical aspect of great web page design and management is getting rid of garbage.
Search Box
Your search box should appear close to the top of each webpage and should contain a minimum of 27 characters. The button you use to start the search should also say only “search” to thwart any confusion. Doing this makes sure the search box can be easily seen, used and helps visitors to your site find exactly what they were looking for.
You can’t rest on your laurels with a site that did well in the past as times change quickly as do successful techniques. Keep up with changes in the field for a competitive edge. Websites are replacing brick and mortar companies more and more, becoming the future of business. With that being said, web design is becoming a good area where people can make a lot of money.
Make your interface tools easy for your visitors to use. Anything with an underline must be a link, and links should change color when clicked. When your website is easy for users to navigate and all the pages are consistent, people are likely to make repeat visits to your site and stay for longer periods of time.
Don’t overlook the power of inspiration from unusual sources in your website design. Keep your eyes open when watching television program or reading magazines. Try to look for new and original ideas for your website. A unique and interesting website will keep visitors coming back.
As you’ve read, it doesn’t matter what your skill set is in website design, you must study the basics. The basics are explained in many different ways, so it can be confusing which source of information to trust. Thanks to this article, you should now have a comprehensive list of techniques that you can draw on to make a great website.