Web design can be quite intimidating if you don’t know a lot about it. Once you know the basics of good design, however, you will begin to see how easy it is to create an attractive, professional site. With the information provided, you can design your own website that is both effective and attractive.
Speed is vital online, so be sure your pages load quickly. A visitor who has to wait for pages to load is likely to seek information and help elsewhere. If your site has a reputation for loading slowly, it will be difficult to attract repeat visitors.
Make it easy for visitors to back out of a process if they change their minds. This includes anything from filling out a simple set of questions, up to registering for a product or service. If you do not give visitors the option to get out of an action they do not want to continue with, you are pressuring them into something. This makes them less likely to come back or buy from you in the future.
When a user enters personal information into a form on your website, give the user the option to have the server retain that information should it be needed again. For instance, if a person registers on your site and a portion of the same exact information is required for filling another form out, ensure that the information they’ve already put in is saved so that he or she doesn’t have to put in this information again. Creating “sticky”� information in this manner makes the whole process much more simple and smooth, and your visitors are sure to appreciate the time you save them as well.
Do not work with pop-ups. Nobody appreciates new windows popping up automatically when they visit a webpage. The majority of people will leave a site if it contains pop-ups, even if these sites are very large ones. Therefore, you should keep annoying ads off your website, in order to avoid irritating your visitors. If you are required by your hosting service to have pop-up ads, you may want to consider obtaining a new web host.
Utilize newsletters if you want repeat visitors. By giving your visitors an opportunity to keep current on your site offerings, you increase their loyalty. Stick the sign-up form in a spot that’s out of the way, such as in a sidebar, and keep good records of those who sign up. Only send out a newsletter to people who have subscribed to it, otherwise you will have angry customers.
Set up your website so that people can easily search it. This is especially important if you have a large website. It is best to put a search box in the top right corner right of your homepage. Make sure that anyone can search for any item that would be included in your site. FreeFind and Google both have these capabilities for a website.
Make use of free software in your site setup. Though expensive software is certainly available, free products can work just as well when it comes to setting up and running your site. You just need to do a little Internet searching in order to find some free tools that will work best for you.
Use Photoshop if you want to create stellar websites. This software will ensure that you have all the effects and tools you need to create graphics which look like they were completed by a pro. If you don’t have PS, it can be difficult and time consuming building a nice site quickly.
Ensure that you’re including a method of receiving feedback from your site’s visitors. This will clue you in to ways that your website falls short of their expectations or doesn’t work properly, enabling you to make the necessary changes. Remember, when your visitors feel like they are involved with your website, they are more likely to make repeat visits.
Even more important than a good looking website is one that loads fast, and that means all of your files should be small. The size of the files making up your website is the direct cause of your site’s load times. Maximizing the loading speed of your website is always better. Remember that some of your visitors are going to be using slower Internet connections than others. You should try loading your site on different kinds of connections to see how quickly it loads.
Don’t add any pop-ups to your site. While you might see these as valuable in some form or another, most people find them rather annoying. When pop-up windows come up, you are quickly bringing frustration to your visitors. This may make them leave your website and not come back again.
When you are choosing your background color, white is an effective choice. White backgrounds cause your content to be easily seen, and it gives your site a trustworthy feel and a more professional look. However, intricate designs on your background can distract users and give your site more of an amateurish look. It is usually best to keep a simple background.
The more you learn about and practice web design, the easier the process becomes. Test out your basic chops with C+ and HTML by building yourself a few simple web pages. Practice is one of the most reliable ways to improve web design skills; start practicing early and often to get the maximum benefit.
While using design tools provided by a web host is workable for establishing your website, it’s smart to add some unique, personal touches as well. If you stick with the plug-and-play site creator given to you by your host, your website is never going reflect your unique personality the way it should.
We hope this article has taken the mystery out of website design. As you develop your skills, you will find designing becomes easier. You should quickly learn what you need to know to succeed as a web designer using the techniques you just read about.
