Take a look at a high-level professional site, then compare that to a personal site on a free host, and you’ll quickly see that not all websites are created equal. You will immediately see how they are different and will start to understand that web design is a crucial component of a site. Here are some solid suggestions on how to make web design work for you.
Make sure that your website has a tagline incorporated into the design. Using a tagline simply means that you will need to come up with a quick statement that lets visitors know what your site is all about. This allows them to quickly grasp whether or not your site has information relevant to their search.
Take the time to scour boards and forums for new techniques that work for others. This is how we develop our skill set and stay one step ahead of our competition who wait for things to dwindle before taking action. Performing a simple web search can provide you with the information you are interested in at no cost to you.
Never underestimate the value of a site that is simple for visitors to navigate. Display links prominently so that they can be easily found. Menus can make navigation on your site easier. Make sure that you have links posted to every page of the website. This will allow visitors to easily navigate the site.
Do not add pop-up windows to your site. While you might see these as valuable in some form or another, most people find them rather annoying. 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.
Alt Tags
Remember to utilize ALT tags for images as you design your website. Tags such as these are key because for those who browse without graphics or who are vision problems, the tags provide descriptions of the images. If images are links, your ALT tags can help you describe the link’s behavior, too. Also, search engine crawlers use ALT tags, so your site is going to rank higher.
Navigation should be easy, clear and maintainable. Navigation links are very important for any site and controls how much time a visitor spends on your site. It is important to keep the navigational structure tidy and organized.
Test your site early and often. You need to use your website as a reader would in usability tests early in the design process. Make sure to keep improving and testing it as your website continues to grow.
Do not clutter your website by using every square pixel of space that you have available. Just because you have all of that space does not mean that you have to use it. The layout of your site will appear clearer and easier to deal with, if the elements that make it up are separated by plenty of space. In some cases, empty space can be just as valuable as content.
It’s highly unlikely that you’ll create the next hit social network site. It’s possible, of course, but unlikely. Yet don’t be discouraged by this because you can create sites with high quality that millions of users can come to appreciate. Implement the ideas and insights of the preceding paragraphs and get started!
