Web design companies get a lot of business from people just like you. However, what those people don't know is that they can design an attractive website themselves. Don't fall prey to having someone else do for you what you can learn on your own. Keep reading to get a better understanding of web design.
Keep the size of your web pages small. A lot of modern web pages are full of unnecessary elements, including huge images, Flash advertising, and lots of AJAX. Many people, especially those in rural areas and other countries with less-developed internet infrastructure, don't have high-speed Internet and will have to wait forever for a large page to load.
It is essential to test the pages in your website to be certain they look as they should on every different browser; a successful site needs to display correctly in all browsers. While a certain element may look wonderful in Firefox, it may appear incorrectly on Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or Safari. Monitor how the pages look in major browsers before taking your website live.
Let your users have the option of canceling any action if they wish to do so. Actions include registering for any e-mail notifications, browsing the site, or filling out forms. If visitors cannot cancel an action they are not interested in, such as providing their contact information, they will feel they do not have a choice and won't buy anything.
Personalize your site. Your clients want to feel comfortable with you, so use testimonials from trusted customers, as well as photographs of people. Building trust with your customers is very important, so be sure to let them know you personally care about the product or service you are providing them.
Don't use splash pages for your site unless required by law, and especially don't use a Flash intro. Most people just want to get to your content as quickly as possible, and don't care to look at useless splash pages. If you have some amusing content that you absolutely want visitors to see, integrate it into the homepage instead.
Use custom error pages to make your site more informative. For instance, if you want people to report dead links on your site, either put a server-side script on your 404 page or have a form or email address that visitors can use get more info to report the error. You should have custom pages for 403, 404, and 500 errors, at the very least.
To be updated on the new web design tricks, you should join an online forum. When joining these message boards you meet people who usually have an understanding of all the new web design technology. Without this new web design technology you could end up with a site that is completely outdated.
If the design of your website needs to be mobile friendly, keep in mind that mobile devices have smaller screens and limited bandwidth. To account for smaller screens, you should try to design your website as a single narrow column so that the user only needs to navigate vertically, as opposed to both horizontally and vertically. Limited bandwidth means that you should be extra concerned about your file sizes. You can also opt to create a separate version of your website specifically for mobile devices.
It's very important that you do all that you can to get load times for your website down to a minimum. When visitors are faced with long load times, the usually leave soon. Minimize the amount of Flash, scripts and graphics on your site. Optimize the site with HTML, SSI files, caching options and minimize CSS and JS coding.
Pay attention to your background colors and your text colors when designing a site. Something like red text on a blue background doesn't work well. And if you think that white text will pop with a black background, it could be a little too bright for your readers. Go with something subtle.
Don't copy other websites' designs in your niche or make websites that are too similar to your competitors' websites. Look at competitors' websites to ensure that you haven't accidentally made a similar design for your site. Remember that if your website is too similar to that of one of your competitors, you will not seem unique, and you might even accidentally send business to your competitor. In addition, you will just be a generic version of a similar site that came before yours.
When using FileZilla as your file server, make sure that you program the quick menu settings with your domain, your username, and the correct port. This will allow you to quickly choose your settings from the menu when you log into your server. This simple tip will allow you to log onto your server quickly.
Steer clear of captchas. While captchas may be useful in some cases, forcing them to do so for mundane tasks, will make them leave your site quickly. Unless they have already registered, they will probably leave your site and browse somewhere else.
Avoid every instance of spammy "sell language" that you possibly can. Studies show that users are likely to jump off of a webpage the instant they pick up the "salesman" vibe. This is because it is said to actually trigger a predatory response in human brain function! So next time you want to sell a product, remember that the potential consumer may view you as a predator and run!
The most important thing in site design is that you do it correctly. Other than that, you're free to roam wherever your imagination takes you. Use what you have learned throughout this article so that you understand how to code correctly. After that, you're ready to put your personal touches on your own website.
Katlyn Slocum Design
104 SE 93rd Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98664
360-784-1465