It can sometimes seem difficult to even think about entering into the world of web design. Yet you shouldn't let the world alone discourage you from trying to pursue and endeavors that you feel like you can profit from. The tips in this article can help you understand some of the key aspects of web design.
When designing your website, use contrasting colors and keep it simple. Do not use dark text and a darker background. This is hard on the eyes and makes the page difficult to read. Do not use complex patterns as a background, either. If you are not careful, the text will mix in with the pattern. It might be best to keep it simple: black text and a white background.
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 to report the error. You should have custom pages for 403, 404, and 500 errors, at the very least.
Many web designers make the mistake of trying to completely fill all the white space on their page. You do not have to do that. A clean, simple page can really come off as professional and informative while making it easy to find the information that the visitor had come to the site to find.
HTML5 video is set to become the next standard for displaying videos on the web and naturally, you should offer both a way in which users can stream your content through an HTML5 format as well as another format such as flash for those who have an older browser version.
Have a site map. These are useful to your clients and the search engines, as they give a detailed overview of your entire website. It can be a guide for viewers searching for a certain part of your site, and also allow you to keep track of its structure and layout.
Be sure to check around for people that can assist you with learning programs such as dreamweaver and photoshop. You can learn a lot through the internet but nothing beats hands on training from someone who is experienced with these programs, so talk to a friend and see what they can teach you.
Don't try to fit too much onto one page when you're designing a website. If your page is too busy it will take a lot longer to load and can overwhelm visitors. When you're going to be putting up a lot of content, create pages for everything you can to reduce the clutter on your page.
So now that you have a better idea of what to do when it comes to web design you should start to feel a little more confident in the subject. Web design is just like anything else, the more you learn the easier and less overwhelming the subject seems to become. Apply all that you learned today and success should follow.
