There are few things that have taken the world by storm as the Internet has. Regardless of what your interests are, there is a website for you. The sky is the limit once you have a firm grasp of web design. The following suggestions will help you achieve your goals.
Always look over your website in many types of browsers, as you are designing it. What you see might not be what users will see. Make sure that your site is compatible with all popular browsers. You will also want to send your site to someone that’s using a different operating system so you can see that their browser is compatible with yours.
Although it is common to see the www. at the front of a website URL, you should try to make sure that you can access your site whether you choose to include it or not. This will make it much easier for anyone to access regardless of how they type it.
While you might be inclined to add a lot of bells and whistles to your website, flashing graphics, loud music and neon colors will just distract from the purpose of your website. Visitors who are bombarded by too many sights and sounds might be inclined to leave your website before they even start browsing. Keep the colors simple and the content relevant and your website design will be a winner.
To get repeat visitors, use an e-mail newsletter. Letting customers subscribe to updates and new information can keep them coming back. Your website’s sidebar is an ideal location for the signup form, and you should make certain to stay on top of who has registered. Avoid trouble by only sending the newsletter to people who have signed up for it.
If the site you are designing is large, make sure to include a search option. At the top right of every page in your site, incorporate a search box which will let visitors search for a term that appears on your site. If you need a search function, FreeFind and Google offer their services for your site.
You want to make your site content compelling and intriguing. It is the value of the content, not necessarily a flashy design, that keeps visitors coming back again and again. Useful, informative content which matches what visitors are looking for will ensure your visitor numbers continue to increase.
Minimize the amount of clicking or scrolling visitors must do to access information. The more a user has to click or scroll around to find the information they seek, the more likely they are to give up looking for it. Aim for having at least 400 words on every page of your site by combining pages that have content that falls below this number of words.
Leave out the frames if you want the website you create to be optimized for the major search engines. Although users like pages that include frames, the information inside does not show up in search engines. The search engine will give your website a lower ranking if it can’t see the great content you are providing. When there is a low rating, there is little traffic.
Make sure your business logo is well-designed and prominently on every page of your site. Your logo is a key component of your brand, and it should be one of the first things people see when they go to your website. If you can’t come up with a good idea for a logo, there are design firms that will make you one at relatively low cost.
Once you know the basics of creating a solid website, you can make a presence for any purpose. The more web design skills you have, the better the sites you will build. Use the tips you learned here if you cannot wait to design an excellent site.
