If you want to design a website as a hobby, for your business or even as your own career, a solid foundation of knowledge will help you get your foot in the door. From learning HTML to knowing search engine optimization techniques, there are many facets to web design.
Read on to find some advice which will cover all of the basics.
Selecting a good domain name is a very important aspect of website design. When you type an address in the web browser, do you use the famous www sub domain? Most people like to just type the address without using this, meaning you must design your site to be able to accept both.
Include a search element that allows visitors to search within your website content. If those visiting your site are looking for something specific, the first thing they will look for is a search box. When you don"�t have one, they are more likely to move on to another site that does. Always place the box at the top right of the page, as this is the first place visitors tend to look for one.
If you have never designed a web page, try using pre-made layouts. These can easily be found online for several blogging web sites like Blogspot or Tumblr. Having an interesting layout will draw attention to content and give the site a professional look. Just make sure your layout is appealing to your target audience!
Selecting the right server to upload your files, it is important for site design. You want a file server that is reliable, secure and fast. The pros go with FileZilla because it fits the bill in terms of speed and reliability. You can choose this or something similar; what's important is that you have a reliable file server.
Site security is always something you want to consider. If you're handling data on your site like credit card numbers or PayPal accounts, purchasing an SSL certificate is probably in your best interest. Also, check with your particular website host about any type of security features they're offering in your package.
You want to ensure that your site is capable of being viewed on all types of operating systems and programs, ranging from browsers such as internet explorer to firefox. You also want to be sure that your site works on both windows and mac operating systems so as many users as possible can view your content.
Many web designers would be wise to use wireframes as a way to plan out their website. This can range from anything as planned out simple shapes to actually map out the design and structure of your entire site. This will give you a good idea as to what you want from your final product.
You've read the advice here and are ready to put it into action, so get ready to design your site! Start by sketching out a design and making lists of the content you'll need and you'll have your website online in no time.
Don't forget to keep reading and learning so you're never left behind.
