Are you ready to design your own website but don’t know how to get going? Can you not afford to hire a professional? This article was written just for you, and it compiles great website basics that you can master in no time.
Try using fixed-position navigation to let your users navigate with ease. This allows you to lock the panel for navigation in place while users scroll. This is easy for the visitor and good for marketers.
You should update your content and get rid of expired content regularly. You will come across as undependable or an amateur if you have information on events that have long passed. Users will spend time on websites that are well-maintained, and the presence of your outdated information will tell them that your site it not being properly cared for. Establish a schedule to update your website, and get rid of the content that is no longer relevant.
Research keywords. Of course, you want to put up good, solid information. However, you also must draw visitors in to your site. Knowing what keywords will help to increase traffic is part of website design success.
Subject Matter
Understand what your purpose is. If you will be offering informational content, you need to have a firm grasp of your subject matter. Providing misleading information to your consumers will only cause them to leave your site. Having a thorough understanding of your subject matter is vital to having a successful website.
Add a link where your visitors can send you feedback. This will help you recognize mistakes in your design and give you the opportunity to fix them. If a visitor feel involved, he or she will want to see your website again.
Leave pop-up windows off your website. They may seem helpful, but they are seen as more annoying by visitors than not. A user who is constantly closing pop-up ads is more likely to look for information on a different site without endless nuisances.
Your site should be optimized to handle older editions of Internet Explorer, such as IE7 and IE8. While it is often viewed as a sub par browser, a large number of users are still using old versions of this browser. These require the use of some workarounds. Make sure to look at the infamous “box model bug,” which has been an issue for IE for several years.
Get in the habit of testing early and often. While you’re designing the website,it is very important you perform the usability tests and website’s user interaction as soon as you can. You never want to stop testing the website and trying to make it better.
When you are choosing your hosting service for the site, you have to be sure you understand everything that comes in the package. Make sure that you understand the bandwidth, storage space, CPU usage, and any extras that come with the offer. Know what you’ll end up with, if you decide to go forward with it.
HTML5 is a tool you are going to need to become familiar with. If HTML5 is something that is foreign to you, you have a learning curve ahead of you.
Designing your website and running it, requires your personal office space. Get rid of all distractions, and have you work space organized and ready for when you go to work. Have office tools and other things located within easy access, and ensure that you have an excellent space for your own web design needs.
Most people have heard of Photoshop and know that it’s a useful tool in website creation. Dreamweaver is less well known, but is another program you should look into.
Put these tips into practice to build a fabulous website. Whether you are looking to promote your business, your product, or yourself, a website is a great way to build presence. Wishing you the best of luck!