Are you considering web design as a way to make a profit from the Internet? If so, you need to learn all you can about it, and this article will help.
Check your site in all of the different browsers. If you just check it from you personal computer, what you see may be vastly different from what others see. Research every popular browser that people use, and adjust your design accordingly. Make sure to also send the site to someone running a different OS to make sure those browsers are compatible.
You must create a website that is easily navigable to attract and keep traffic. You should have the links on your site prominently displayed and easy to navigate. Having a menu bar on your site can also make navigation easier. Make sure that links to your main pages are on each page in your site so people can find their way no matter where they are.
Make sure your load times are low. Most visitors will leave if it takes a long time to load your website. When you reduce your graphics and other fancy elements, you will speed up access to your pages and retain your visitors.
If you feel stuck, do some Google searches to find out how others worked through it. There are literally millions of websites that you can browse to find the inspiration that you need. When you find things you like, think about how you can use those ideas or even improve upon them. Be sure not to plagiarize ideas, of course. You also need to take things up a notch.
Website counters near the bottom of the page are pretty unattractive. You might think they are a valuable addition to your site, but nothing could be further from the truth. Get rid of your visitor count and use other methods to see how many visitors your site is getting.
Start out with building small websites so that you can determine what areas you worked on that were good, and what areas you worked on that were not so good. Besides keeping them small, your initial efforts should also be simple. Avoid complex multimedia and advanced structures to begin with, and stick with basic pages of text and pictures.
There are many good books which can help you learn more about web design. Start out with selections that cover the basics, and add to your collection as you become more knowledgeable.
To help test your site’s effectiveness, make use of task-based usability tests. In general, the purpose of the tasks is to locate some information or functionality that is buried in your website. These tools would allow the user to perform a task that they will easily accomplish if the site is properly configured. If the user has trouble, it can provide you with valuable insight into areas where you can improve.
Entertain with graphics. Avoid a boring website by adding special features, such as wrap texts. People get more into your site if they see that you put a lot of effort into it.
Captchas are wonderful when used for registration, though they should not be used for anything else. This causes your viewers to believe they have to do some type of difficult problem just for viewing a webpage. The only way they will stay on this page is if they’re already a member that’s devoted to the site.
Remember literacy levels as you write your content. A variety of visitors will visit your site and you want everyone to have access to the information shared. Create content that can be understood by the audience you wish to grow.
Keep in mind that a website does not have to be designed only by you. Lots of knowledge from different areas must be known about web design, which includes user interface design, search engine optimization, web programming, content creation, and graphic design. Do not hesitate to call in the experts when needed. You can pick and choose which areas you need help in and farm it out accordingly.
Ask somebody to test the functions of your website at every step of your design process. Each time a new feature is created, have someone check it out and let you know their thoughts. Your readers will not appreciate it if they find something is slow, broken or crashes their browser. Make certain you are constant in your search for second opinions.
As you can see, web design is actually something you can wrap your head around. You probably aren’t as confused as when you first started out because the article here gave you great advice you can use to help you design great looking websites.
