How a website is designed is important when it comes to keeping a customer’s interest. Visit a few of the most well known websites to see how they are designed. You will realize almost immediately how much the design of their pages are well thought out, much more than you probably realized. Check out the tips below to expand you web page design knowledge.
Have some search element which lets visitors search your site’s content. People who are seeking something in particular are bound to be interested in finding a search box upon reaching your site. When one is not available, chances are they will move to a site that is searchable. Put the box on the right-hand top of the page.
Always double check pages for broken links before publishing a page. Visitors can get frustrated when they click a link and come across an error page. You can either check links manually, or use a program that will scan the website for you to report links that are broken.
Use shortcuts when designing your website. There are often shortcuts that can be used for just about anything when it comes to web design. Some of these shortcuts include HTML codes that can help you quickly make changes to your web page.
Make sure that each different subject area in your content is seperated. Break up pages by discussion. In this way, your visitors will not be confused. Additionally, this will provide the search engines with better information to rank your site properly.
Regardless how your website is designed aesthetically, it is important to make certain that all of the files have small file sizes. The size of the files making up your website is the direct cause of your site’s load times. You want your website to load as quickly as possible. Even though broadband is common these days, there are still people stuck on 56K connections. Test to be sure that even computers with slow dial-up modems can connect quickly to your website.
Older Versions
Your site should be optimized to handle older editions of Internet Explorer, such as IE7 and IE8. Most people have a love-hate relationship with IE; however, many people are still using it, including older versions. The older versions do not render all site elements to comply with web standards, which means using workarounds. It is important that you are familiar with “box model bug” which has harmed IE for awhile now.
Make sure your webpages are designed in a way that is easy for people to navigate through. Navigation link placement is very important and ensures visitors stay on your site. The navigational structure must be neat, consistent, and easy to access for your users to have a better experience.
Be sure to make sure that your website works on the different browsers that are out there. Every browser is different; as a result, each can interpret your design in a slightly different way. While sometimes these differences do not make a difference, there are times when it can transform the look dramatically, or create an entirely different experience for your site visitors. Learn which browsers are used the most. View your website in each of these browsers to ensure that the page will be viewed correctly.
Most hosts provide design tools that make building a simple site easy, but these tools will not cover you when you want more advanced features. Try to integrate your personality into the site by adding and tweaking things without just relying on dragging and dropping things your web host provides.
Classic Text
While development platforms are great for doing the job of creating your code, they are not always able to be relied on for classic text editing. What a platform does is help you paste the code onto features that you have made. But if you desire a true creator experience and want to reduce errors, stick with classic text editors.
You really should have a dedicated space set aside, where you can design websites and manage your own site. Remove distractions and set up your work station in a way that allows you to jump into work quickly, and accomplish tasks efficiently. Make sure everything that you need is within reach, and create a space that is efficient for all your design needs.
Keep the literacy level of your audience in mind when writing content. Not all users will be well educated, and some may actually be beginning readers. To build your site’s popularity, create simple content.
It’s highly unlikely that you’ll create the next hit social network site. Such a success would be very unlikely. The great reality though, is that solid design skills will help you design sites that are very attractive and work well. Your sites will be able to function just as perfectly as sites of those with much higher budgets. Use everything you have just learned and start designing your site today!