Are you
interested to become a fantastic web designer? Are there many goals on your
plate, but your lack of knowledge in website design are keeping you from them?
The following article can teach you the things you should know to become a
better web designer.
HTML5 video
is set to become the next standard for displaying videos on the web and
naturally, you should offer both a way in which users can stream your content
through an HTML5 format as well as another format such as flash for those who
have an older browser version.
Avoid using
so-called "mystery meat navigation". This involves using images
without labels or other elements for the website navigation. In many cases, the
visitor has to mouse over the buttons to even see what they do. Navigation is
best kept simple. Use text links across the top or along the left side of the
page.
It may sound impressive but stay away to get animations on your site. Having your splash page turning, spin and blinking may sound cool to you, but it will likely drive potential viewers. When you add too much flashy splashes like this, it makes your site look amateur that is not the message you want to convey.
Make sure all
your web pages actually have titles, and make sure they are descriptive. A
surprising number of web pages out there are called "untitled
document" or "new document". This not only denies visitors a
useful information to remember your site, but also absolutely destroys your
SEO, since search engines weight page titles heavily when ranking sites.
Web design is a
topic you always want to stay informed. With that in mind, if you have friends
who are also in developing websites, then you will want to stay in touch with
them. You can exchange all the new information you learn so that you are both
on top of your game when it comes to web design.
If you have
multiple pages on your website, use a navigation bar at the top to help
visitors find the information they need immediately. Include contact
information, so they can talk with you if they wish. Titles must be clear and
visible, and paragraphs must be concise and easy to read.
Minimize the
number of clicks or scrolls that visitors need to take to access information.
The more a user clicks or scrolls to find the information you are looking for,
the more likely it is that they will stop looking for it. Try to have at least
400 words on each page of your site by combining pages whose content is less
than that number of words.
Make sure your site uses a consistent font throughout. Some sites change fonts without any design reason to do so. This makes the content difficult to treat for visitors. Most websites, especially corporate websites, will only do well collage to basic fonts like Arial, Veranda, or even Times New Roman.
It is imperative that all your web pages have titles. Forgetting to include titles while designing your website can have disastrous consequences. The biggest reason is that it makes your website unprofessional when there is no title, both on the web page itself, and also on a page of search results. Search engines also focus on titles when determining the content of your website. Do not forget to use keywords, and make your titles descriptive.
The loading times for your website depend on the file types you use for the images. Your graphics should normally be GIF or JPEG. Although PNG and MBP files may be the best options for Web graphics, they occupy too much disk space. You can convert larger graphics into a more manageable size to help your viewers have a better user experience.
Test early and often. You should use your website as a reader in usability testing at the beginning of the design process. Be sure to keep improving and testing as your website continues to grow.
Try to make sure that the music or images you connect to are hosted on your own web server. Do not connect to other Web site images. This can be interpreted as a bandwidth theft and it could put you in violation of a copyright too. It's not worth the risk.
While you are designing your site, remember that you do not have to use all the space available on each web page. When you use all the available pixels, the result can be an overwritten website. Divide the elements of your site with empty space, can make it easier for visitors to distinguish which elements perform what function. Space can lend as much information as value.
Using the tools of a host to build your site is ideal for the basic layout, but do not depend entirely on them. It is ideal that you add an element of uniqueness and personality to your website. This means that you need to find new design elements that are not available using the options provided from the host's WYSIWYG editor.
Hosting your own site is a bad idea, even if you have the money to do it. Do as much of the design yourself as possible, but if you hire someone to host it for you, you will not have to worry about basic security.
Start by making small websites, so you can see your strengths and weaknesses before starting a major website. Create pages that encompass the raw text to begin with, and build from there that you gain confidence.
As you design a site, look at your target audience. Ask them what is important in the sites they like. This can help you with the design as well as the many features available on your site. Taking advice from your target visitors will help your site more relevant.
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