Most people think flashy sites are going to gain more visitors; this is only the case for those with speedy Internet connections. Simplicity is often the key to success. Keep reading to learn how to create a simple and clean site.
Have a visible tagline. Using a tagline simply means that you will need to come up with a quick statement that lets visitors know what your site is all about. This is important since the average user knows if they want to stay and explore a site within eight minutes.
Make sure the color combinations that you use on your site don’t hinder their ability to be read. Be sure that your written content is clearly visible and easy to read against the background you choose. Reading dark text on lighter backgrounds is simpler than the opposite. If you’re unsure about the color combo you’ve used, solicit feedback from a trusted friend before the site goes live.
A fast website is a good website. If Internet users have to wait a long time for your website to load, they will probably leave your site before it loads and vow never to return.
It is important that your website is easy to read. Usability testing has shown that visitors are interested in scanning the content for items of value, rather than reading every word. That’s why it is smart to break your information into smaller, more easily comprehended chunks. It is also important that the key information is at the top of each page. Your visitors will enjoy their time on the website more.
Educate yourself with regard to shortcuts, and make ample use of them. In website design, there are lots of shortcuts that will decrease the amount of time it takes to do things. You can even use HTML codes that let you make quick changes to pages without the need to upload them again.
Avoid pop-ups. This is one of those most hated marketing tactics on the web! Most visitors to your website will not like pop-up ads, even on big sites, they are aggravating and cause people to leave. Stay away from these types of annoying ads, and your customers will be happier. If you have a host that requires the use of pop-ups, then look for a new one.
Have you considered writing a newsletter? Letting customers subscribe to updates and new information can keep them coming back. Have a signup form in one of your sidebars, and document everyone that signs up. Just send your newsletter to those that ask for it, or you may get in trouble.
Avoid excessive use of pop-up windows. Pop-ups can disturb your clients and will distract them when they are navigating. In fact, you may drive them to leave your site out of irritation and frustration with your pop-ups. You could lose a visitor for life.
Make sure you design your website with older Internet Explorer versions in mind. While IE is the bane of everyday browsing these days, you would be surprised how many people use outdated browsers for web surfing. They don’t render pages that have to do with regular standards on the web so you have to figure out a work around. An example would be the vexing “box model bug” which troubled IE for quite some time.
As you begin to develop your web page design skills, you should start small. Build a series of simple sites, then use them to identify areas for improvement. Begin by making a few very simplistic pages that offer just basic text, and check out how well you do with that.
Skill Level
It is wise to buy some books that will help you learn how to website creation successfully. Buy books that are appropriate to your skill level. You do want to increase your skill level, but since website design skills build on each other, missing things can be problematic.
As previously mentioned, the load times of flash sites just aren’t really worth it. If you have a good understanding of what it takes to create a site that looks nice without being overly flashy, then your site will be successful. Use the ideas within this article to keep things focused for your visitors.
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