Web sites are not created instantly, they're actually evolved. Before you start building your site, get the idea in mind that you can go "online" with your site as soon as it is adequate. It doesn't have to be perfect, and it doesn't have to cover every detail right off the bat.
You'll be wise to get online as soon as possible, then gradually improve your site over time. A year later, you should have quite an impressive and well developed site. But why put off making money until the site is fully developed?
On this page, you'll find the top 10 best web site design tips covering basic web design.
If you get the basics right, your site should at least make a profit. On the other hand, if you get the minor details right and miss the basics - you may be very disappointed.
Tip #1:
Marketing aspects are always senior to appearance.
Why? Because when your site has little or no traffic, it doesn't matter how nice it looks, does it?
Unless you plan to spend major bucks on advertising your site, you are going to depend on search engines to bring you visitors.
Marketing aspects, alone, will determine your ranking in most search engines and thus your level of traffic. Appearance will only become a factor AFTER you get a visitor.
So how does one get good positioning in these search engines? Good question. Find out at www.mywebpromotionservice.com
Top of Page
Tip #2:
Avoid using Frames.
Why? Beside being highly controversial and therefore unwise to use;
1. Many search engines simply cannot navigate a site using frames.
2. Frames are difficult to properly create so they work in all browsers.
3. Surveys of web surfers show - that many hate frames! Consider this; most people watch TV on screens over 20 inches across. Now they are using their computer to view things on a screen only 15, 17 or 19 inches across. Now along comes a "clever" web designer and divides this into yet smaller sections!
In this article, published on the MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) site, titled "Common Sense and Sensibility", author Robert Hess sums it up in the third paragraph with, "Avoid frames. Frames May look like a cool way to control the navigation and layout of your site, but they also make it difficult for the user to mark locations on your site as favorites. Think carefully before adding frames to your site, and do it only if frames truly add more benefit to the user then they take away."
Top of Page
Tip #3:
Keep it Simple.
Why? The KIS principle applies to designing web sites as it does in so many things in life. The biggest problem with web design is that we have so many cool toys to use; it's real easy to get carried away.
If you look at the top sites, you'll see that they all have relatively simply design layouts. If you want people to enjoy your site, take a lesson from those who already HAVE a successful site.
Google, the number one site of all, is based on a very simple main page design - 98% text on a white background.
Google's main page has no dynamic HTML, no java, no sound, no scrolling text, no animation, no irritating "pop-ups", no page fade-ins, no trick backgrounds and no frames.
Yet they enjoy over 200 million visitors each day! Yes, the simple web page design is definitely the most popular.
Top of Page
Tip #4:
Make it easy to navigate.
Why? Because if your visitors get frustrated or lost, they will LEAVE!
Once again, we can learn from the masters. Notice how Yahoo's links work. They use mostly text links. Where they do use a graphic image as a link, they put text under it as well.
Fancy link buttons are OK, but only when the site is laid out clearly and visitors can easily decide what button takes them where they want to go.
A simple test of your navigation system would be to have a volunteer, preferably a teenager, try to find some particular item on your site. If they cannot, simplify your layout. (A teen normally has an attention span of about ten seconds; great for testing web pages.)
Top of Page
Tip #5:
Use tables to break up monotony.
Why? A page can look pretty boring. Or worse yet, it can look cluttered. Tables make it easy to sort or divide up your web page into various sections. Look again at the Yahoo main page. It is made with numerous tables.
Tables also allow a web designer to put things wherever they are wanted. For instance, say you want 3 lines of text next to a picture. But the picture uses one line and normally allows only one line of text next to it.
Solution; you just create a 2-cell table like this:
 |
This is an easy way to put multiple lines of text next to a picture.
This table has a border of 1 pixel.
The table below is without a border.
|
|
Furthermore . . .
|
|
You can also put entire tables inside any cell to create many design effects.
|
Top of Page
Tip #6:
Regarding what software to use.
The best web page building software we've found is Macromedia's Dreamweaver. This is the program of choice for over 90% of the web masters in the US according to informal surveys.
The Help section is very easy to use and the learning curve is short, for all the basic features. Don't worry about the advanced stuff like frames and styles, or using templates. Start out just using the basic functions. As you become more familiar with things, widen your skills by reading the Help, tours, and tutorials that are built in.
If you have the time and money, taking a class on Dreamweaver is a great way to learn all the features from an expert.
You can get Dreamweaver at most software stores or online for $399 at: Macromedia.
If you cannot afford to buy Dreamweaver, you can use Front Page or Netscape Composer.
Top of Page
Tip #7:
Stick to Arial or Times New Roman fonts only.
Why? You tell me, which of the lines below is the easiest to read?
If people can't easily read and understand your page, they'll leave.
Another point here is that if you use a fancy font that your visitor's browser does not support, they will see a default font instead. This can mess up the way the page reads.
Top of Page
Tip #8:
How wide should we build a web page?
Most people use screen resolution settings of 1024 x 768 for their monitors. The optimum answer is to allow everyone to see your page with no horizontal scrolling needed. People HATE scrolling sideways!
Therefore, we must keep our page less than 1024 pixels wide, to allow for the browser frame and vertical scroll bar. Using about 1010 pixel width means everyone can see the full width of your page without having to scroll sideways.
A great way to do this is to build your page completely inside one large table that is 1010 pixels wide. Be careful you don't force the table wider by inserting over-sized objects into it.
Top of Page
Tip #9:
How much can you put on one web page?
Theoretically, you can put as much as you want on a web page. But, if you put too much, it slows down the loading time when someone tries to go there. If it takes over 30 seconds to load, most people won't wait.
You should check the loading time of any page on various connection speeds. If your page takes over 30 seconds on a 56K modem, it's too slow! Fix it by:
a. Divide the page up into two or more pages. Each page should contain no more than about 80 KB.
b. Optimize graphic images. Most graphics programs allow you to optimize images.
c. Eliminate some content; mainly it's the graphics that are the problem. Text loads very fast and only becomes a problem when there are thousands of words on a page.
Top of Page
Tip #10:
How do I make my site look more professional?
After surfing literally thousands of sites, I've noticed some common items. Here are some simple tricks that really come under the heading of "observing the obvious".
1. Use 10 pt. arial or times new roman fonts for most content.
2. Use 12 pt. font for minor headlines within page.
3. Use 14 pt font for main headlines only.
4. Avoid too much large type. It makes a site look "amateurish".
5. Leave plenty of white space on each page, between photos and text, and between columns. Visitors will feel more comfortable using a page that has things laid out in sections, separated by empty space. Things look more professional that way. Things are also easier to find when they are sorted out, rather than crammed together. Wise use of tables makes this quite easy to do.
6. Use very few pictures and small ones that will load fast.
7. Get to the point immediately on your page.
Top of Page
