Websites are valuable tools for a variety of reasons. Websites can be a virtual store front or a journal of thoughts and ideas. Most people would love their own custom website but don’t have a clue where to begin. Continue reading and learn how you can create your dream website.
Pay close attention to the backgrounds of your site design. Some sites include complex or patterned GIF backgrounds that can make text hard to read, no matter how novel it may look. Make sure your background doesn’t detract from your content, or make it hard for your viewers to read your font.
Regardless of your target audience or what type of site you have, try to keep your loading time under ten seconds. A well designed website will show up on a browser within moments. Most Internet users are looking for instant returns, and it would behoove you to make that happen.
Use a newsletter to gain repeat visitors. Having customers subscribe to your newsletter allows you to send them important updates about special events, which in turn can get them to keep visiting your site. Track the number of visitors who sign up, and position the sign-up form in your site’s sidebar. Do not distribute the newsletter to people who have not specifically requested it; otherwise, recipients might become irritated.
When you build a website you need to quit using a lot of fonts that confuse people. You must also consider how different fonts appear on the standard computer screen; smaller serif fonts (Times New Roman, for example) are somewhat hard to read. Verdana is one of those popular fonts that is readable in all sizes and colors.
Leave pop-up windows off your website. Most people will be turned off by a site that pop’s windows up in their face. When you have pop-ups, the chances increase your visitors may get frustrated by them and choose to leave your website with no interest in returning.
Don’t forget about Internet Explorer 7 and 8. Lots of people grumble about IE, but they still use it, and they often use outdated versions. You will have to use workarounds when dealing with this issue, so keep that in mind. Specifically, you should get up to date about an issue that plagued IE called “box model bug”.
Test your site early and often. It’s imperative that you employ usability tests frequently to ensure a pleasant user experience. As your website grows test it.
Create a comprehensive “About Us” page. A lot of websites contain ugly, uninformative, generic “About Us” pages. Add a little spice to this webpage! Try giving people a tiny peek into your personal background. Try showing how you got into website creation, who inspired you, and what you hope to accomplish with your business.
Having a website counter at the bottom of your page is really an unattractive feature. 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. Get rid of the counter and monitor your traffic by other means.
To show that you care about the quality content on your website, always that the time to carefully proofread. It should be easy for people to read. A site with errors is not very professional and it will make people want to stay away from your site.
Adobe Photoshop is widely-known, and a lot of people are sure that becoming familiar with the program is vital to, if not entirely synonymous with, successful web design. On the other hand, Dreamweaver is lesser known, and many people are unaware of the benefits it has for web designers. It’s important to get to know this application and learn how it can aid your design.
Get help from a professional. There is much to learn from someone who has already mastered website creation. When you consult with a pro, chances are that you’ll be one someday.
Getting help in designing your website isn’t a failure. Website development includes web programming, interface design, creating content, as well as search engine optimization. You shouldn’t be embarrassed if you aren’t an expert in all of them. When you are not sure how to design something, keep in mind that there are professional web designers out there who can help you get it done.
As noted at the beginning of this article, having a website can be a very useful tool. Websites are used for everything from sales to spreading information. If you are interested in a website, it is not beyond your reach if you follow these tips.