There's more that goes into creating a website than you may be aware of. From the initial planning of the site to ensuring that even the smallest border around a block of text is aligned correctly, web design can seem daunting if you dive in unprepared. Allow these tips to help you become better prepared to face the challenge.
Develop a checklist of items you want your website to display. Even the best web designers out there sometimes lose ideas if they don't act on them. If you create a checklist, you can always make sure that you're putting everything you wanted on your website. Keeping it written down is also a way to brainstorm for new ideas.
We are all used to seeing the letters "www" at the beginning of a website address. But this well known sub-domain is not always necessary to gain access to a site. Be sure that your site works with or without this, as you could lose a lot of traffic by users who don't know that it works both ways.
Have clear navigation. When a visitor comes to your site, make sure they can go through your site. You must have clear navigation to do this. Have all important links in prominent places. Try linking many pages in your site. Allow information be found from every part of the site.
Do some keyword research. While your main focus should always be on providing your customer with relevant and current information, you first need to work on gaining a customer base. Understanding what keywords will bring people to your site from a search engine is a needed step to becoming a successful site.
Don't force users to install strange BHOs. Many tech-savvy users won't do it. Common offenders include unusual video players, image viewers, and platforms for interactive games. For most standard use cases, there is a trusted plugin, such as Windows Media Player or even Flash) that will do what you want without driving away users.
Try to code using only CSS. We're moving away from table-based sites to only CSS sites because they are reusable, accessible, and they can greatly reduce your file sizes. This allows you greater control of the appearance of your site. There are various CSS resources you can use, therefore, knowing CSS is invaluable to web design.
While bright and bold may be your style, you have to remember that designing a site is just as much for your visitors as it is for you, so take it easy on those bright, bold color options. Having a bright site might just scare people away. The last thing you want is a blinding shade of neon green making it hard to see your content.
The general idea here is to get the gist of web design, not to become a pro overnight. Once you start to learn about a few different tactics, you will understand the concepts behind web design and will be able to translate your knowledge into tangible design features. Check back with these tips if you've had any difficulties.
