So what do you want on this most important first screen? You naturally want the title of your website and you want to let visitors know what the content is as briefly as possible. Use short phrases and short paragraphs. You also want to provide links to the main sections of your site (making sure to include text links).
Set the theme
In addition, you are setting the tone/theme of your site with this first page. . . what visitors will expect to see carried out on every page within the site. This is also true of the navigation system you use.
Organize the pages
You want to use contrast to guide the eye around your pages. And, to be effective, the contrast must be bold. Also, any good web page design must have a focal point. Something on the page must be the dominant eye catcher. If everything has the same level of importance, then nothing is important. Group items and information that belongs together using white space so that the eye knows they are together
Alignment
The alignment of elements on the page - both vertically and horizontally - is also very important. Choose one alignment and stick with it. That doesn't mean you have to align everything similarly, it means things should be aligned the same on the page.
Webpage content
A webpage should not overwhelm the visitor with unnecessary animations, flash novelties or music. All these things can detract from the content of your page. If you want to present these things, do it on another page where you can isolate the full affect from other elements of the website or use them sparingly. Use white space to lead the eye around the page.
Rules of thumb
In order for visitors to understand your site you need to follow a few more rules of thumb:
Explain everything clearly and briefly
Make sure you present information in a logical order
Use plain language
How To Design A Website
Preferably, before you decided to start a website you did some keyword research. It is generally a good idea to choose a domain name that uses your primary keyword or keyword phrase. If nothing else, choose a domain name that works well with your company and what you have to offer.
Choosing a hosting provider is relatively easy as well. There are many available across the web. GoDaddy is one of the most popular and reliable of the hosting providers available on the internet. You want to make sure that you have a good uptime percentage and that your files are safe in their storage.
Designing A Website
You have a few choices when it comes to getting a design for your website. Your first choice is to hire your own web designer. They talk with you, figure out what you are looking for, and design the website per your preferences, specifications, and instructions. If this is the route you chose, make sure that you tell them you want a website that is clean and professional.
You can find great designers at freelance sites such as ODesk or RentACoder. You can create something of an advertisement of your needs within these sites and other web designers will start to bid. After receiving your bids, you should look through every designer that has shown interest, look at their portfolio, how much are they bidding and charging. After doing this, choose the one that most appeals to you and has what you are looking for.
Your second choice will be to choose a free template from the many available on the internet. This is ideal for those who are not willing to pay someone to do their design work. All you will have to do is download the template from your choices website, replace the content with your own, and then make it live on your hosting provider by uploading.
Your third choice is to use what is called a site builder. Your hosting provider may offer a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) site builder or you could opt for software programs such as FrontPage or Dreamweaver.
What Does Every Good Website Need?
A good website must:
- Be Professional - You should use professional colors, most any color can be professional if used right and should be neat, clean, and easy to understand.
- Be Simple - Avoid a graphic heavy website, flashy banners, and a multitude of animation, this can be distracting. Keep it simple, easy to use, and navigational.
- Contain a Search Function - You want to make sure that your visitors can find what they need without a lot of clicks. Visitors love searching because it allows them to easily go where they need and get what they want in terms of information and products.
- Have the Ability to Capture Information to build your Mailing list - on of the most important elements of building a successful affiliate marketing business is building your own mailing list. Having a box or method of capture on your website is crucial to success.
You know that a website is the first step in creating your affiliate marketing business, make sure that it is easy to use, informative, professional, and can be easily navigated at the same time.
Both Mr Peter & Jhon Cody are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Mr Peter has sinced written about articles on various topics from Web Development, Computers and The Internet and Site Promotion. Peter is an associate editor to the website an Australian based Website Design Website development firm specializing in cheap W. Mr Peter's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.
