Many people are using the Internet to start a home business. A web site is a key element in this business. The tips that follow will help you create the best website possible.
Be sure you have a search tool that lets others search when on your site. If visitors are searching for something specific, they should be able to use a search box. When there isn’t one available, they may just decide to try another site where they can find that information. Always put the search box on the page’s upper right corner, since this is where visitors usually look first.
Don’t overdo it with graphics. Graphics are essential to make sure your site is pleasing to the eye, but overusing them just clutters the page. Don’t just use graphics to decorate the website; they should be used to make it better. Your site will be much more usable and user friendly when you minimize the use of graphics.
Don’t disable the visitor’s right-click functionality. Some sites do this in order to prevent people from copying and pasting text or saving images from the site. The thing is, it doesn’t work and disables other useful functions. OCR can be used to capture text from such sites, and grabbing images is as simple as taking a screenshot.
Make it easy for visitors to back out of a process if they change their minds. This might include completing forms, browsing your site, or registering for newsletters. If your visitors can’t easily change their mind and back out of registering for a site feature, they may feel forced to complete a transaction. This isn’t good for your web traffic or your reputation.
Educate yourself about shortcuts, then make a habit of employing them. Just about everything in web design has some sort of shortcut and learning what it is can save you a lot of time. You could even opt for editing the HTML first hand to make super-fast changes.
If you want your site visitors to spend as much time as possible on your site, make text easy to read. One of the most common design mistakes is using graphic backgrounds with patterns or dark colors; combine this with equally dark text and you have a recipe for disaster. Unless the text is clear and easy to read, your site will not be a success.
To help your website visitors find their way home on your site, always include a link to your homepage on each page of your site. Having a home page link that is visible allows your reader to easily make their way back to starting point. If you do not have a home page link then your visitors might get frustrated and leave your site altogether.
Regardless of your target crowd or your site’s purpose, you always want to aim for a ten second loading time or better. A well-designed, efficient site should pop up in visitors’ browsers in a matter of moments. Most people who use the Internet want instant gratification, so it is best that your website provides it.
The best web sites communicate a lot of information in a small amount of words. If you are long-winded, people will easily get bored and find another site that is more concise. Make sure any content is relevant and easy to understand – newspapers use an eighth grade reading level, which is the most common literacy level.
Do not use blinking, scrolling text or other animations. Also, steer clear of sounds or music that plays automatically. All of these things are distracting to users and provide nothing of value. In addition, connection speeds vary from one site visitor to the next, and everyone does not have the same speed. Those users with slower connections will resent the slow-loading elements of your site.
Meta tags that are pertinent, are one of the best ways to ensure your site attracts the right visitors. High-quality meta tags will let the search engines know what your website is about. If you use meta tags that do not correspond to your content or to your target audience, do not expect to get a lot of visitors.
Website design doesn’t always have to be such a complex project. Some techniques are more difficult than others, but the tips here have simplified the process for you. No matter why you are interested in web design, this article should have helped you out.