Posts

Jump Into Web Design By Using These Tips

Just getting into a website and trying to design it is a great way to learn about design overall. It is not necessary to go to school to learn good web design techniques. Independent study can keep you up to date on the latest information. Read on to learn how you can design a great basic website.

For multimedia presentations, take advantage of the new HTML5 standard. Although HTML5 isn’t quite as robust for animation and games as Flash, it has the advantage of working stably on mobile phone browsers, including those contained in Apple hardware. HTML5 is also quite a bit leaner than Flash, so load times will improve, as well – Webstick.nl

Avoid using frames. Most sites have abandoned frames on their own as better alternatives have become available, but there are still sites out there that are trapped in 1996. Alternatives to navigational frames include fixed-position navigation panels, having navigation in multiple areas (e.g. left and bottom) or simplifying page structure so that navigational links are never far away.

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.

design1Use a descriptive title. Many site owners forget to name their pages, or name them something generic, such as “Welcome Page.” Search engines do use title descriptions in their rankings, so make sure you are as descriptive as possible, without going overboard. Make sure it is usable for your viewers and the search engines.

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.

You should always put in the effort to make a customized error page for your site; this page should include a basic sitemap that links users to the major sections of your website. This ensures that if visitors follow a bad link or spell your URL wrong, they will be able to find what they are looking for.

Free design software is a valuable tool for quickly setting up a website. Costly software is also available, but you can get good results with free tools since you are the main factor in the success of your site. Do some research and try different software to find the tools you need the most.

One thing you should always take into account when you’re thinking about web design is the latest technology that is out today. As technology advances to does the web, so be sure you are always up to date with what is changing so that you’re that much more understanding of how the web works.

Make sure your website uses a consistent font throughout. Some websites change fonts willy-nilly without any design reason to do so. This makes the content difficult to process for visitors. Most websites, especially business websites, will do just fine sticking to basic fonts like Arial, Veranda, or even Times New Roman.

To help your website function the way it is intended to, make sure all your links are working. If you have broken links then your visitors may get frustrated when they try to click on something that interests them. Frustrated visitors is not something you want because they end up leaving your site mad.

These tips provide many ways to make your websites better. You’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish with the right knowledge. Try using this advice to make your own great web designs and boosting your business.

Author: Webdesign Amsterdam

Need Help With Designing Your Site? Then Read These Tips!

This article is just what you need if you are hoping to learn how to develop websites. Here you will learn some great tips for getting started that will help you design a high quality web site. There’s a lot of knowledge out there, and nobody can possess it all. You can learn and improve your skills regardless of how much web design experience you already have.

Be considerate when it comes to your site background. Certain sites contain GIF backgrounds that move, and although it may look nice, it can be harder to read the page’s content. Your audience will have a more pleasurable browsing experience if your background is conducive to reading your text.

Never use pop-ups. Few things are worse than being overloaded with pop-ups. Most people will immediately leave a website that has pop-ups, even if they are on big websites. Keep your customers happy, by steering clear of these annoying ads. If you use a host who forces you to utilize pop-ups, you probably need to search for another host.

With large websites, it’s always best to add in good search capabilities. People have become accustomed to search boxes being in the upper-right corner of the page, so put it there. These should let you at least search for one term, but it’s better if it allows multiple terms. You can add search functions to your site with Google and FreeFind.

Regardless how your website is designed aesthetically, it is important to make certain that all of the files have small file sizes. Keeping your files small will directly affect how fast your website loads. You want your website to load as quickly as possible. You must keep in mind that not all visitors will have a fast Internet connection. Your website should be tested on all connections, even a dial-up connection, to make sure it loads quickly.

Good meta tags are a quick way to ensure your website makes it to a good rank on search engines. Quality and relevant meta tags will provide search engines with information regarding your site. If your meta tags are poorly thought out and do not reflect your site’s content, then you will not get many visitors.

Always check for links that are broken. This should be done frequently, before uploading to the server. This is important, as visitors who click on your links expecting useful information, only to find a 404 page, will leave your site in disgust. So you don’t run into problems, make sure you check to see if everything works.

Sign up for newsletters that can help you learn about web design techniques periodically. Web designers can derive great benefits from newsletters, whether they are self-taught amateurs or experienced pros.

Start out with building small websites so that you can determine what areas you worked on that were good, and what areas you worked on that were not so good. Try starting with a couple basic pages that just have text in order to see how you do.

Choose some reference books on design principles in general, and web design in particular. Stick to books for beginning web designers until you’ve mastered the basics, so that you won’t miss anything you need to know as you study web design.

Most people know about Photoshop, and they realize that it takes some effort and knowledge to use it effectively in web design. Dreamweaver is less well known, but is another program you should look into.

So, now that you’ve learned about some of the ways you can go about becoming a better web designer, you should feel more optimistic in your future web designing skills. Always be open to new information about web design. You’ll be a great designer quicker than you think!