Ask ten experienced web designers what makes their work stand out from the crowd and you will get ten wildly different answers. Web weavers all believe they know the perfect formula, yet when asked to prove it, they really can't.
The reason why web design and promotion can be a tad complex is because what works for one may not work for another. In other words, a website created for an insurance company will need completely different features and lay-out, than the pages for a dealer in children's clothing, adult toys, music or cars. While the first site will mainly consist of text, graphs, statistics and an occasional decorative picture, the other ones will need a truck load of pictures and maybe even some videos.
'Less is more' is a phrase also applicable to web design. How many times have we turned away from a webpage just because it took forever to load? You would think these creators, who should actually be applauded for their ingenuity and efforts, would know better. This is not the place to experiment, and as much as people love art and innovation, they just do not have the time and patience to sit there and twiddle their thumbs while a talking host, or a fancy picture cube, which they may or may not use, is being uploaded.
Creating an attractive site is more than jazzing up your text. It includes establishing your products or services, keeping your content innovative, establishing credibility and making things easy to find. Without these straightforward rules, it will be much harder for you to achieve your goals. Keep it simple, and remember, when you are completing a test run and find that a design element can be removed without compromising the overall appearance and effect of the site, do not bring it back. It will only complicate the design and confuse the audience.
Follow established web designer rules
People are creatures of habit and convenience, and when it comes to the Internet, these traits also apply. To optimize your website, research the design policies that worked for others. Just to name a few, studies have concluded that most Internet users associate blue-underlined text with a link. If you would choose to create your links in another color, let's say red, you will, without a doubt, reduce your chances that visitors will click on your text links. Research has also shown that flash introductions are an absolute turn off. People want to see your site and not blinking, right-in-your-face, advertising.
Setting user preferences
Your website is your pride and joy, and giving up some of the control may be tougher than you think. Unfortunately, if you have trouble letting go of some of your power, your success may be endangered, and not only for the reasons that first come to mind.
Users should be allowed to state their preferences in order to have their search results match their tastes. Some people have visual problems and may need large fonts, while others may have trouble distinguishing background colors, or their system does not support graphics. Not allowing these users to adjust these features may mean less website traffic for you.
Semantic tags versus format tags
To emphasize text, tags will need to be added. It is up to designer to decide which ones he prefers, the semantic tags, which will skyrocket visibility and be more usable across different browsers and platforms, or the format tags, which will allow more control over how the text will appear.
Helpful tips to increase website usability:
Do:
- Whenever possible, use black text on white background. It reads better.
- Avoid busy background patterns. Stick with plain-colors or extremely subtle background patterns.
- Use printable colors for text ' not white.
- Apply ALT tag attributes for all graphics, in particular navigational illustrations.
- Place navigation tabs in a fixed location on all website pages.
- Choose a popular location for navigation bars ' e.g. top left corner.
- Avoid a design which may require scrolling horizontally.
- Remember, an image split at the fold encourages scrolling
- Align text symmetrically on a page.
- Use small paragraphs when inserting lots of text.
Don't:
- Display static text and hyperlinks in blue color or underlined.
- Tolerate that ALT tags be clipped.
- Resort to long pieces of text. It slows the reading down
- Use boldface or ALL CAPS print.
- Leave extended white space - stops the page scanning process.
- Scatter important information, buttons or links all over the page ' keep it all together.
- Use horizontal rules to divide large portions of content.
- Make your pages too long, especially if no pictures are applied.
- Switch between centered and left-aligned text often. Traditionally, text is left-aligned.
- Use large pictures that force people to scroll horizontally. It's annoying and a big turn off.
With talent, common sense and the tips mentioned above, you will be well on your way to creating the kind of website that keeps your visitors coming back.
About the Author:
Irida believes that Web design is about creating interactive user designs. Web design is changing rapidly with the introduction of new technology.
One Response
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I am amazed at how much this article reflects my thoughts. This is not only well-written and interesting information, it's insightful and thoughtful. You really must have done your homework.
