When creating a website – web designing – there are a lot of things to consider. What should your website look like? What types of people are going to be visiting your site and so much more. It can all seem quite confusing and complicated in the beginning but it definitely doesn’t have to be. With our simple guide, you are going to be on the right track to getting the visitors you desire and getting that much closer to having the website you have always dreamed of. You might want to bookmark this post so that you can check back with it when you progress with your site design. Thus you can be sure that you’re doing the right thing.
Simple Layouts Are Best
The most important thing when it comes to your website would probably have to be navigation. We say this because you can have the most amazing website, beautiful content and offer picture perfect services but if your website is too complicated for people to get around; they are likely going to leave before they get a chance to reap the benefits.
Organization
Make sure all of your content is organized. This means giving descriptive titles and using proper keywords in your tags. If you need to add a search feature to your website, be our guest. People love those because it means less time searching and more time getting the information they desire.
Eyes on the Prize
The most important information on each page should be located at the top without any need to scroll down. So, make sure you capture the reader’s attention right away. Add images and videos as necessary to make people want to scroll down and continue exploring. These additions should compliment your content and add a bit of life to them.
Avoid Spam (Intentional and Unintentional)
Sometimes things new web designers do come across as spam to visitors. Maybe you have too many ads on your website or your ads are right in the meat and potatoes of your content. You do not want people to have to work around you ads, but you definitely want them to see your ads as well 🙂 .
Avoid pop-ups altogether because let’s face it, we all hate them. They get in the way and really lower the quality of a website. Another thing to avoid is photos that flash. Even if they are for decoration, they always appear to be an ad and this can turn people off instantly.
Do Not Overcomplicate
Try not to complicate your website. Stick with a few basic colors so your readers do not get overwhelmed. The same goes for fonts. In general, you should typically only have one or two fonts on any given page. When you get into more than that, unless you have a good reason for doing so, it just makes a page look a bit messy.
Break Up Your Information into Smaller Bits
If you have articles or blog entries on your page, do your best to break them up into smaller paragraphs. Also, add headings and subheadings so that people who are on the page can easily skim and do not have to read the entire text. Think of it this way, when you are on the web, would you be more likely to read a 1,000 word article that was only separated by paragraphs or one that had headings, bolded text and so forth? Most people would pick the latter because it’s much easier on the eyes.
Consider Your Audience
Always keep your audience in mind whenever adding anything to your website or making changes. Consider what it is they are interested in and how your website is going to help them. Do not rush through any aspect of your website because if you do, this is going to be displayed on the page. It is better to take your time and come out with something great than rush and post something of low quality. Quality as well as quantity is equally important so do not focus on just one aspect.
Be Viewable in Various Ways
Having a website that is viewable on all browsers and devices is extremely important these days. More and more people are turning towards their phones and e-readers when they surf, instead of just their laptops and desktops like in the old days.
Be Passionate About What You Do
In order to be successful at anything, one must be passionate. This does not necessarily mean the topic you are focusing on has to be your absolute favorite subject in the world but there must be a personal connection with it. This is going to keep you motivated and shine through into your work.
Give it time. A website does not rise to fame overnight. It is going to take a lot of hard work and dedication on your part to reach your goals and with the rules of the web always changing; you will definitely be on your toes. Think of it as an educational journey that never ends.
About the author
Vadim Kirichenko is an ace web designer and webmaster with BusinessMedia.ca. Vadim loves to create unique designs and also enjoys sharing his web design ideas through blog posts and articles.
