The Internet is one of the most popular things in the world today. You can have the perfect website for your needs, whether you want something simple or very detailed. If you’re trying to build a good website, you can do it but you have to learn about web design first. Here are some great tips to help.
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.
Avoid useless scripts. Scripts like counters and date/time scripts don’t really serve any purpose, and since they are all JavaScript, can add a few kilobytes to the page’s file size. Getting rid of these elements also frees up space on the homepage. Replace those useless scripts with useful content that keeps users coming back.
Be wary of web hosting companies who claim that they offer unlimited bandwidth to their customers. Usually there is something that is written in the small print that is far different than that. In many cases people end up having problems when it comes to fair use policies.
Before you publish any web page, check it carefully for broken links. There is not much that is more frustrating for visitors than to click a link and get an error page. Links can be checked manually, and you can also find software that will check your site to see if there are any broken links.
White space is an important part of web design, so don’t be afraid to use it. Cluttering up your web pages with too many images or too much text, or using a distracting background, will only irritate your visitors. White space can make the important elements of your page more visible.
To help your web pages load quickly, you should compress all the images on the website page. If you have images that are compressed then pages will load much faster. Nothing is more frustrating to viewers than waiting for a 250k graphic to load when it should really only be 20k.
To help you thrive-themes a more professional looking site, do not include an image in the page background. A background image screams low quality site, plus these site usually take forever to load. When you are going for a more professional look, the last thing you want is your visitors waiting forever because images are still loading on your pages.
Understand what your purpose is. If you’re planning to use your website for blogging or something similar, make sure to thoroughly research the subject prior to posting. Providing misleading information to your consumers will only cause them to leave your site. Knowing your topic is the way to build a great blog.
Don’t load rich content automatically. Rich content mainly refers to music and videos, but anything other than text or graphics qualifies. Many people browse in work environments where sounds suddenly playing is a big problem. Also, many people find such rich content annoying in general. Rich content should require some interaction from the user before playing.
Put your user’s needs in first priority. A good web design always has the visitor’s needs in mind. This can include user experience, accessibility, usability, and user interaction. These are the most important considerations to be made. Keep in mind that it is not your view that is most important, but the visitor’s view.
Watch the amount of flashy multimedia that is on your site. Don’t overdo it with a bunch of “extras”. Flash graphics and multimedia may appear enticing, but these may make it difficult for visitors to find the desired information from the site, particularly if they’re viewing your site from a non-Flash compatible device.
Make use of your grammar and spell checker. Yes, some mistakes may get passed some of your audience, but it will not get past everyone. You could lose some of your audience because of this, particularly if you make mistakes frequently. Do your best to correct your grammar and spelling on your site.
Stay with a layout that is basic and not all that confusing so that you don’t confuse yourself. Do this so that you get the basics down first then try your best to upgrade to an intermediate site and from there progress to a site that is more advanced in the end.
The Internet contains lots of information on building your first website. You have the power to educate yourself for free on the subject of web design. If you don’t spend time learning, you’ll never get better.
Focus on how you plan to handle interaction as you’re designing a site. Do you have a shout box on the site? Maybe you have a forum or some type of chat room. At the very least, however, you need to have some method by which a visitor can contact you. You cannot remain shut-off from communication.
Regularly maintain your site to keep negative content off of it. Blog and forum owners will benefit most from this. Great website designers stick around to get rid of garbage before it piles up.
When you know about web design, you can create the site of your dreams. The better you get at this, the better a site can look to people. Use this information to come up with a great website.