Tips For Web Designers: A Basic Guide


TIP! Always be open to new ideas that may appear on forums that can provide you with additional information with regard to web design. You can find the answer to almost any web design question by simply searching with your favorite search engine.

Have you ever wondered how certain websites look so good? From the layout to the graphic design, many elements must be considered. This article can show you pro web design tips. Continue ahead to learn these important web page design secrets!

TIP! Does your site pass the NoScript test? You want to activate NoScript after downloading the extension on Firefox so that you can read your site. Some stuff won’t work unless there are scripts.

Always give your readers the ability to stop whatever it is they’re doing. This could be a form that they have been filling out, registering for newsletters or emails, or even browsing the website for certain topics or archives. Visitors with second thoughts are not going to appreciate being locked into an action. They will feel that they are being forced to act against their wishes, and it will be unlikely that they will want to return to your site after such an experience.

TIP! Make sure you give your users the option to cancel a given action if they choose to. For example, allow users to cancel registration for newsletters or easily back out of a search.

Take advantage of as many shortcuts as you can. In the world of web design, shortcuts are common place. Look into them and you will discover that they can help with most things. You can even use HTML codes that let you make quick changes to pages without the need to upload them again.

TIP! Make sure all topics are clearly divided. If you have many different topics on your websites, place each topic on a separate page.

You never want to use too many fonts when it comes to site design. Also, think about the way various fonts look on a standard screen. Little serif fonts (such as Times New Roman) can be difficult to read. The most widely-used font is Verdana since it’s appealing to almost everyone.

TIP! If you are designing a very large site, you should always include search capabilities. Put in a search box in the right-hand corner up on top of the homepage, as this allows the site visitors to type in a single keyword that shows up anywhere on your site.

Do not put pop-up windows on your site. While you might see these as valuable in some form or another, most people find them rather annoying. Internet users will be more likely to leave your site and not find it trustworthy if you use pop-ups.

Search Engines

TIP! Make sure your site navigation is simple, well-maintained, and transparent. Navigation links help ensure a visitor can successfully navigate the website.

To create a better-optimized site, avoid using frames. Website visitors like framed pages, but the information isn’t easily viewed by the 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.

TIP! Take the time to actually use your site as you are building it. Testing early can help weed out problems before they get bigger or affect other aspects.

Use fonts that are both easy to read, and professional. You can make a pretty good judgment of a website’s professionalism simply by looking at its font selections. Don’t use handwriting or comic fonts as most people won’t have them installed. If you use a font that not everyone has, a default font will appear on their computer. Try to use common browser fonts so your users don’t see unexpected type layouts.

TIP! 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. There are a lot of websites that do not utilize compelling or original content for their “About Us” webpages.

Always check for links that are broken. This should be done frequently, before uploading to the server. It is incredibly important to keep broken links to a minimum. If visitors encounter them often, they will disappointed and no longer come to your site. Therefore, you want to double-check that everything is working as it should so you can avoid this from happening.

TIP! Try to include some “site searching” on your index page and sub-pages if you can. Site searching makes it easier for users to access information, and increases the overall usability of the site.

Find a good website development newsletter to subscribe to. This will give you something to fall back on for inspiration when you need it. Newsletters are helpful to both beginners and experienced designers.

TIP! Never be forceful in the direction a viewer wants to take. This also means avoiding surveys or pushy offers that cause viewers to break their focus and lose interest.

Keep the curiosity of your visitor in mind. Don’t disrupt the natural flow of his or her exploration of your site. Don’t push surveys in their face that they have to continue to keep using your site. Forcing your visitors to do things they don’t have time for will only annoy them and drive them away.

TIP! Do not feel as though you must design every portion of your site yourself. Great web design incorporates many different skills, including graphic design, programming, SEO, and the creation of memorable content.

Don’t pay for information on how to create a website. Although you may think it is a wise idea, it isn’t. While there are many helpful materials. However, it is often possible to get the information you need without any cost to you. Books you have to pay for don’t feature any secrets or knowledge you can’t find for free.

TIP! Your computer’s copy/paste capabilities are some of your most powerful tools when you’re building a website with many very similar sub-pages. Rather than rewriting new code for each page, simply copy a main section of your code from the first page.

Look for unusual sources of inspiration when designing your website. TV, magazines, and art projects are just a few places from which you can find ideas. Keep an eye out for any new ideas, as you never know when inspiration will strike and you will create new unique content for your users to enjoy.

TIP! If you want to be successful at web design, you should learn everything you can from several different sources. Do this so you know something about everything to do with the process.

Be certain that everywhere your logo appears on your site, the logo links back to the home page of your site. Most people now expect clickable logos that take them back to the main web page. Visitors will become frustrated if there is no easy way to return to the home page. If your logo is clickable, people will find your site more navigable.

TIP! You should not only place your search box close to the top of the page, but should allow visitors to type 27 or more characters into the box. You want to be sure the button leading to your search actually says ‘search’ and not something like ‘submit’ or ‘go’.

Make sure your logo is on the top of every web page. It keeps your website branded across all pages. This also creates recognition for your brand. Make a logo that represents what your company stands for.

TIP! Be sure to make your site title as descriptive as possible. If you want to partake in a little experiment, search the web for “untitled document.

For most standard websites, maintain neutral background colors. Textured backgrounds can be overwhelming and sometimes look cheap. Stick to white or other neutral shade. Studies indicate that text set against neutral colors such as these are easiest to read.

TIP! Get inspiration from other websites to make your site even better. Learn from them and avoid making their mistakes so you look better than your competition.

Draw inspiration from other pages that you feel you can gain great influences from so that your site can become a piece of excellent work. This helps you stay away from pitfalls and lets you use good ideas that you wouldn’t otherwise have thought of doing.

TIP! Make sure that you thoroughly check the code on each webpage that you design. If you use an WYSIWYG editor, your code is not clean.

The secrets were told to you, and now you’re able to begin creating a website that does well. Make a long list of the great things you saw on other sites. Be creative and make sure you have fun!