Draw a few sketches of possible looks for your website. However people react to the sketches you draw out can be an indicator of where you want your site to go from there, it is always good to show people your work in progress as they can assist you with ideas and tips.
If your website is a commercial one, do not use a web hosting service that is free. A free web hosting service will place advertisements for other products on your site that could distract your potential customers. Consider a hosting service that you pay for.
Having unused space (white space) on your site may be a really good design feature, rather than cramming so much stuff thinking that visitors want to see something. White space helps people to clearly see your site, which in turn allows them to read and absorb the information much better than a site that is packed with too much stuff.
To help new web designers make good sites, use Photoshop. There are also programs that will allow you to design pages without knowing how to write HTML or other code. It can take a lot more time to build a nice site if you don’t use top-notch software.
A general rule of thumb for search boxes is that the character length is a minimum of 2 characters, and that it is placed at the forefront of every page. You want to be sure the button leading to your search actually says ‘search’ and not something like ‘submit’ or ‘go’. Those perusing your site, maybe even for the first time, will want a simple way to gain access to information via a search button.
Keep personal information handy in the event that it must be re-entered by a repeat visitor of your website. Saving data from one form to another, like username or email address, is imperative. Doing this will make everything much easier for the people that visit your page, and they will definitely appreciate the time saved.
Resist the temptation to make use of free web hosts for commercial sites. You will prevent headaches and loss of business. Though you can’t beat the initial cost of free, free hosting includes ads and other features that can detract from your site. Not only will this go against your beliefs, but it will also drive your visitors mad.
Make sure the combination of colors your site uses is attractive and makes the site easy to read. Your text should remain the main focus of attention and should be easy to read. The text opted for should be dark in color, with a lighter color used for your backgrounds. Ask someone to look at your color schemes to make sure you are choosing something harmonious.
If your website is going to attract visitors, it needs to be easy to navigate. Important links should be highly visible on every page. You can also make navigating your site easier with a menu. To help visitors find their way back, be sure to have a visible link to the main page on all your pages.
Flash is not something you want to use on your site. While Flash can look very high-tech and exciting, on some devices it will cause everything to slow down. Also, keep in mind that there are mobile phones and tablet PC’s which are not flash enabled, and if your visitor goes to your site it will not be a fun experience.
Realize that every step of web design will take a lot longer than you anticipated. Working toward an unrealistic deadline will cause poor work, and that will create larger issues down the line. The better practice you should follow, is to leave yourself enough time to do good work the first time around.
Have knowledgeable friends review your website, and ask them specifically to check on your use of Dreamweaver, Photoshop, HTML and the like. Obviously, you want to ensure that all the new information you have just learned has been remembered. It would be quite a nuisance to be halfway through developing a new site and find you can’t recall the details you need.
Attempt to make all content globally friendly. Measurements like date, time and currency need to be clear to a reader from any country. Not everybody going to your site will be from a specific country, so make it great for foreigners and locals alike.
Begin by creating smaller websites that allow you to gauge your strengths and weaknesses, and how to improve upon both. If you begin by creating only a few pages, it will be easier to gradually build your confidence.
Content is the most important element of any business website. Make sure that every piece of content, picture, and multimedia file you put on your website has a direct, positive impact on the message you want to deliver to visitors. The more simple the page, the quicker it will load.
Give your website some time every day. Dedicate some time since this allows you to complete some work, instead of doing some here and there. Diligent work with your website will boost your own profits as well as your skill level.
Make sure you have enough details on your company page to allow your visitors to know more about who you are and what you can offer them. So many sites have dull, boring information on these pages. Your site doesn’t have to be one of those sites, though! Let people see a bit of your personal history. Try including items like, how you entered web design, who inspires you, and what your wishes for your business are.
Again, you have to start your web design study by learning the basics of proper web design. You want your websites to both work correctly and look nice. Because there are so many different resources available, it can sometimes be difficult to know where to, or even how to, get started. The article listed above is a great start to the basics of proper web design.