Hiring a design firm to create your site can be expensive. Even after you have spent a small fortune, you may not have exactly what you hoped for. You might not be able to get a design firm to know exactly what you want. You’re the only one that knows what you want. Keep these tips in mind to create a good design for your site.
When designing webpages it is important that you use the correct graphics. Remember, bitmap images are huge and usually don’t work well, PNGs work fine. For non-photographic images, text buttons, and screen shots, use PNG or GIF. When using photos, make them JPEGs.
Use fixed-position navigation. This keeps the site menus in place as visitors scroll through your site. This is easy for the visitor and good for marketers.
Ensure your site can pass the NoScript test. Download the NoScript extension in Firefox and test it on your site to see if it is still readable. Certain content cannot be read unless scripts are present. A blank site without scripts can create big problems.
One of the biggest mistakes a newbie designer makes is not verifying how a site looks in several different browsers. If you just check it from you personal computer, what you see may be vastly different from what others see. Make sure to research the browsers available. It’s also a good idea to send your website to someone who’s using another operating system in order to see if their browser and yours are compatible.
Don’t use frames. Frames are flawed and they went out of style for a reason. If you use frames, visitors may find it difficult to add your site to their favorites,and scrolling is problematic. There are more modern ways to build layouts today.
Search Box
Visitors want to have access to a website quickly, which is why your pages should load easily. If a visitor needs to wait while the page loads, they may click off your site and not return.
Always include a search tool for searching through your site. When visitors want to find something, they are going to search for your search box. If your site is not equipped with one, visitors may go to an alternate site. Normally, the best place to include the search box is in the upper right hand corner, as that is where most visitors look for it.
Try not to use JavaScript too much. It does provide more ways for you to build a responsive and transparent site, but it can be problematic for some visitors. Web browsers have different capabilities, and they all have new versions that come out regularly. Not everyone will upgrade to the latest version of his browser. You should also be aware that some of your users will have JavaScript disabled through their browser. Your website may not have any functionality to offer these types of users as a result.
Whatever your design is like aesthetically, be sure all your files are small. There is a direct correlation between file sizes and page load times. You want your website to load quickly so visitors won’t lose patience with it. Remember that there are still lots of people who do not have high speed Internet. Try to test your site regularly, especially with a slower dial-up modem. This will help you to know for sure that it will quickly load in every situation.
Do not use any type of pop-ups. There is nothing worse than confronting a cascade of pop-up ads when visiting a website. Most people will immediately leave a website that has pop-ups, even if they are on big websites. Avoid using these irritating ads to keep your visitors happy. If you have a host that requires the use of pop-ups, then look for a new one.
Make sure that your front page is not too difficult to read. Your front page can be the determining factor whether a visitor decides to stay or simply exits without seeing more. While you should describe the purpose of your business and what it offers, reduce distractions be keeping all else to a bare minimum.
Always opt for fonts that area crisp and easy to read. Most corporate sites use just a few basic fonts. Avoid fancy fonts that are hard to read or unprofessional fonts such as Comic Sans. Your style should specify a default font in case a user doesn’t have your preferred font. Sometimes this looks worse, but often times it helps the reader who otherwise may not have been able to read your website clearly.
Always implement powerful site-searching capabilities when designing a large website. The upper right of the main page should have a search box for users to search your whole site. You can find search functions to use for your site on sites like Google.
Use original photos to create a unique and attractive website. Those photos can give your site a lot of personality. People like to look at pictures, so they will probably spend more time on your site.
Photoshop is a well-known editing program that is important to learn about in order to have successful website designs. Check out dreamweaver for a program that can help you with your web design endeavors.
Optimize your site for older versions of Internet Explorer (IE7 and IE8). Many people still use old IE versions. They don’t offer a lot of elements that comply with basic web standard, so customizations may be in order. An example would be the vexing “box model bug” which troubled IE for quite some time.
One of the best aspects of web design is how you can make your page however you want. Use keywords in your content, titles and HTML code to increase your visabilty. Use these methods on your design.
Implement a search tool on your site pages that allows people to search the entire site. By doing this you will help to increase your site’s usability, and allows easy access to any information that a visitor might wish to see. The ease with which these can be used, and the benefit to your visitors, make any effort worthwhile, to put them in place.