While some people think flashy websites are attractive, this is only the case when those who visit your page have fast web connections. Sites with success keep their pages simple in order to allow visitors to find what they are looking for. Keep reading to learn helpful advice about creating a simple and effective website.
When you are working on your web page design, use the proper graphics needed for the task. PNGs work well, but bitmap images may be too big. A PNG image should be used when it has less than 256 colors, so try to stay with that when designing text buttons, screenshots and images that are photographic quality. For pictures, use JPEG images.
Look at your site in multiple browsers when designing it. What you get on your browser isn’t always what your visitors see on their browser. Design your site with the limitations of the different browsers in mind. You will also want to send your site to someone that’s using a different operating system so you can see that their browser is compatible with yours.
You want to have a site that is easy to navigate, if you want to attract visitors. Links should be highly visible and easy to locate. A navigation menu will also help visitors locate exactly what they’re looking for. Link back to the homepage from every other page on your site; this makes it far easier for users to get around.
Make sure that you regularly remove outdated and inaccurate content from your website. You will come across as undependable or an amateur if you have information on events that have long passed. Users are careful with their time and if they can tell that your site is not updated often, they will leave. Set up a review schedule so you are able to update the content, and remove the items that have nothing to offer anymore.
Retain user information so that people don’t have to waste valuable time re-typing information into forms. An example of this is if someone fills out a form to register, and then has to fill out other forms for other things. If the person’s info transfers from one form to the next, it will be much more convenient and less time consuming for the user. Saving the user’s information in this way simplifies work for them, and is much appreciated by your website visitors.
Regardless of your client or website purpose, you need to strive for loading times of less than ten seconds. It is best if the page fully loads in just a few seconds. Most Internet users are looking for instant returns, and it would behoove you to make that happen.
When you design your website, avoid using a variety of different fonts. Learn how to use generic fonts to make your site look more uniform. Verdana is one of those popular fonts that is readable in all sizes and colors.
Search Engines
You don’t want to be using frames when you are optimizing your website. Information within frames cannot be read by search engines. Your rating will not be very high if search engines can’t see some of your important info. You won’t get as many visitors.
When you are facing a block in your design process, you have the Internet at your fingertips for help. Look around different websites for inspiration. Find one you like, figure out why it’s appealing, and decide what you can use and improve in your own. Just remember that borrowing others’ ideas isn’t enough to make your own page successful. You need to improve on them as well.
When shopping for hosting for your site, review all of the features of each plan before settling on one. It’s important to understand what your needs are in regards to CPU, RAM, bandwidth, hard drive space and specific software needs like PHP or MySQL. Be as informed as possible about the service you are receiving.
Sites using Flash may look “flashy,” but they take way too long for many people to load. Remember to keep things clean and simple; that’s always the way to make a good looking website. Use the tips here to assist you with building your website.