Building a website is not as easy as 1-2-3. First thing you have to consider is your web design, next comes the more technical stuff that you would have to learn. Web design is the arrangement of web pages that make up a website. Starting a web design is a process that involves conceptualization, modeling, and execution. It is through this process that you can easily create a web design. To conceptualize means creating a flowchart-- a flowchart shows how you would like your website to flow. It shows primary headings and subsections of each heading.
This will aid you in steps 2 and 3. The modeling stage lets you create a layout for the website. It will show a skeleton view of each of the web pages. It will help you plan where your elements will be placed; elements being audio, video, graphics, sounds, etc. Last step is execution, wherein you will implement your planned web design. All throughout the process, you should keep in mind that the web design must be well organized and user-friendly.
The four basic things to consider in designing a website are:
? Content ? it must be relevant and should be in line with its main purpose. Add to this, it must also be able to convey the right message to the target audience.
? Usability ? it has been mentioned that a website must be user-friendly so visitors won't find it hard to navigate through the website.
? Appearance ? the website must have the right amount of elements. Do not exaggerate it. Make sure that design looks professional and appealing at the same time. Also, too much video, audio, and images in a website takes longer to load than usual and this can definitely annoy visitors.
? Visibility ? it is crucial that the website is easily tracked by search engines to increase traffic and some advertisements.
Common errors done in web design would include:
? Failure to have a target audience and purpose. This happens when there is too much content in the website that the purpose gets lost in all the non-important elements.
? Navigation errors. This would include broken links that easily annoy visitors when they are directed to an error page. Another would be having too many hyperlinks to get to the target page. It is a poor web design when the user has to click on a lot of links.
? Appearance.
o A web design is poor when color schemes are not friendly to the eyes; like neon-colored combinations.
o Fonts. Make use of fonts that are commonly installed in other people's browsers. Also, choose fonts that are easy to read.
o Theme. Be consistent with the theme used all throughout the webpage.
o Too many advertisements. They tend to mess up the web page and appear disorderly. It takes the user's attention from the main website.
o Spelling errors make the website appear unprofessional
? Because of too much elements in the web design, the website takes forever too load.
? Browser Incompatibility. It is not the user's fault if he is not using Internet Explorer or Firefox. So make sure the web design can be viewed by any web browser.
The key idea in web design is to create it suited to the target audience with the ability to convey the purpose clearly. If this is fulfilled then you have created an effective website that can attract traffic.
Since you can't pop out and shake hands when someone searches for your business online, your website stands in to tell people who you are. As your online ambassador, you want a website that makes a good impression. In this respect, your web design is as important as your content. An easy-to-use, visually pleasing website keeps your visitors sticking around for longer. The more time they spend on your website, the better chance you have of converting them to a customer.
There's no mystical secret formula for creating a winning web design. Just follow these simple guidelines. Implementing these principles into your web design will give you an instant leg up in the competition.
* Design a user-friendly navigation system. Place navigation buttons on the left hand side or top of the page. That's where your visitors will expect them to be. Also, choose obvious navigation buttons.
* Make sure your navigation system stays consistent from page to page. Position your navigation buttons in the same location on every page. Use the same graphics for your buttons and list them in the same order. Your visitors will have an easier time navigating your site, and you'll be enhancing the unified theme of your website.
* Allow visitors to retrace their steps with a breadcrumb trail. Part of being able to navigate a site is knowing where you are. Your visitors should be able to clearly see where they are and where they've been. Breadcrumb trails enable your visitors to go back and find information after they have navigated away from a page.
* Keep lines of text short. Because they are being displayed on a computer monitor, web pages should use shorter lines than you would see in a book or magazine. Group your text into blocks, leaving a good amount of white space in both margins.
* Group together similar content. All of your content should be displayed in a logical, organized manner. Include only one general topic per page. For instance, don't place your company history, customer testimonials and contact form all on one page. It's confusing for your website visitors, and important information winds up getting lost or buried. Your visitors shouldn't have to jump back and forth between pages in order to find the information they need. New information should build on the content that came before it, increasing their knowledge of your company and their interest in your products or services.
* Maintain a common theme throughout your website. If just one page of your website is too different from the others, your visitors may think they've left your site and clicked onto another one. To avoid this problem, be consistent with your use of design elements such as color schemes, layout, font style and buttons. Visual repetition makes each page flow naturally to the next.
Select colors that complement the business image you want to portray. These are the colors you should continue to use on each page. Stick with the same size and style of font for all of your content. That makes for an easier, more pleasant reading experience for your visitors.
* Use images and graphics that suit both your audience and your business. A plastic surgeon probably shouldn't feature a glittery Mickey Mouse graphic on his homepage. On the other hand, if you're catering to a more free-spirited audience, you don't want to seem stuffy. Choose graphics that are appropriate for your image as well as the products or services you sell.
Most importantly, know your audience. Think about your key demographics. What are they looking for in a website? The first thing your visitors should see is your business message. Overall, your web design should accomplish one major goal, which is conveying your sales message quickly and efficiently. Potential customers want to know two things -- what do you have to offer me? How will I benefit from it? Presenting these two pieces of information succinctly in an attractive format is the objective of good web design.
A visitor is more likely to check out a site that's aesthetically pleasing. To keep them there, however, the site must also be easy to navigate. The goal is to encourage exploration which will ultimately lead them to your website's virtual checkout counter.
Both Rajesh Khanna & 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.