Websites are used for many different purposes. They can be hubs for information, entertainment portals or social networks. A well trained webmaster is the key to making any website successful. This article is a compilation of design tips that will help you along your way.
Use graphics that are right for your website. Keep in mind how big a bitmap image is, but using PNG images work better. Consider PNG files for non-photographic images, text buttons or screenshots that require over 256 colors. If not, use a GIF. JPEG images can be used for photos.
Ensure your site can pass the NoScript test. Download the extension to ensure your website is readable. While you may need to have some scripts running, you do not want to see a completely empty website if they are turned off.
Successful websites work well with any browser, so you’ll need to do some testing of your paging using various browsers. What works in Chrome may not present properly in Safari, Internet Explorer or Firefox. Before you website is launched, test the display of each page in all major browsers.
You don’t ever want to use too much graphics. Even though graphics might give you a professional looking website, too many may result in a crowded site. You should never use graphics simply to decorate your site; they are used to improve your site. Having the right amount of graphics improves your website’s usability.
Outdated Information
Make sure that you regularly remove outdated and inaccurate content from your website. If you have a page that is promoting some type of special event that already went on six months ago, then you have lost readers. People want the most accurate information available, and by leaving outdated information online you’re showing you don’t really care what they want. Set a schedule to review the site, to ensure that outdated information is removed, and fresh new content is added in its place.
Programs are available to assist you in creating an attractive website. These professional programs are easy to use and can help you make beautiful sites faster. If your website has no appeal, the visitors will not come.
Have a simple front page. People judge you based on that front page. Describe your business in detail and what it does, but keep other distractions and details to a minimum.
Research your keywords. Although you want to mainly focus on providing relevant content to your viewers, it is important to first establish a healthy customer base. If you want your site to be successful, you must understand how to use keywords properly.
Make sure the content on your website is interesting. Yes, your design should be nice, but the content will bring visitors back. When the content on your site is valuable and useful, visitors will continue visiting your site.
Other than the aesthetics of your site design, one of the most important things to consider is keeping all your file sizes to a minimum. The smaller the size of each of your files, the quicker your pages will load. You want your site to load instantly. The other factor to bear in mind is not all visitors access through high-speed connections. Run tests to ensure that even dial-up users report a smooth user experience.
It’s vital that you test your web designs on multiple browsers. A given web browser will interpret a website differently than another one will, and sometimes the differences are quite drastic. Utilize the Internet by researching which browsers are the most commonly used. Make sure to beta-test your site on all popular browsers, including those used on mobile devices.
When designing your website, create independent CSS pages for the web browsers and use conditional loading. These techniques can help you test and easily maintain them later. All websites require periodic maintenance, and you want this to be as easy as possible.
If at all possible, incorporate a way for visitors to search throughout your site for the information they are seeking. This is absolutely essential for maximizing the site’s usability, and creates easy access to whatever information the viewer is seeking. Site searches are easy to make, and the benefits are worth the effort.
As stated before in the introduction above, websites can be used for many things, such as providing information, communication, and entertainment. Getting a website built for whatever reason means you have to know what you’re doing. Use these tips to design a site that viewers flock to.
