Let’s take a quick look at some basic web design concepts for you to keep in mind.
The best way to learn how to make a website is to analyse other websites and note what you like and what you don’t. How do different design elements on other websites make you feel? Is that something that you would want your own visitors to your website to feel or think?
In the same way that a photographer develops a great “eye” by looking at lot’s of high-quality photographs, or a animal breeder can tell a good dog just by looking at it because he has seen so many, you can train your eye with what it ought to see on a good webpage.
Besides load, some basic things that you need to pay attention to are:
- Navigability. Navigation on your website should be simple and straightforward. A visitor should always be able to tell which page she was on and how to get back to the page he was on before. Pages must be clearly marked and you should always have a “home” button at the top of your webpages that visitors can click on if they get “lost.”
- Compatibility. Make sure you check your site in a range of different browsers and screen resolutions to make sure they display correctly.
- Readability. Your web pages should get straight to the point. Keep webpages short in length to help with loading time and also to keep your website visitors from having to scroll a lot, which can be annoying. It would be better to have lots of short pages than just a few really long ones. Of course, you wouldn’t want to go over the top either and chop it up too much. You need to ensure a good balance of content on each page.
- Simplicity. Use graphics that are not outrageous, common fonts that are easily deciphered, and color and text color that your visitors will find easy to view. Although animations may seem cool they can be very distracting so keep them to a minimum.
- Harmony. Make sure that your pictures show and that your links work. You might need to use a friend’s computer to see if all of your images are visible. Make sure you always include the title tag with your images so that if they do not load your visitors will have a idea of what was supposed to be there. Nothing is more frustrating for a visitor than broken links and a big blank space where a picture should be.
- Accessibility. Always make sure you include contact details on a website. When building websites for others make sure you include your information as the webmaster of the site.
- Professionalism. For heaven’s sake, check the spelling and grammar that you use when building your webpage. Nothing will discredit you more than sloppy use of language and failure to proofread. You don’t have to write the great American novel; you should just follow the rules of spelling and grammar. If you think you can’t write, you can hire a writer to write your content for you through sites like Elance.
If you stick to the above principles, you will be able to build a website that is easy to use and invites your visitors to stay for a while. These general ideas are easy to implement, and it is worth the extra time that it takes to plan for the best website you can create!
Tags: How to make website, make your own website, web design basics
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