Website Design: Design A Great Site

Searching the Internet for website creation tips can prove frustrating. There is plenty of content, but not much is helpful. Use the advice you find below, and you’ll be happy you did.

Try using fixed-position navigation to let your users navigate with ease. The navigation panel is essentially stuck in one place as the user scrolls down to view more content. This helps anyone who just stumbles across your site view it more seamlessly. It can also make it easier for them to do something you want them to do (like get on your email list).

The 90’s were the last time frame use was popular. Frames worked well in the earlier days, but there are too many flaws in the design. Frames make it hard for visitors to bookmark and scroll through the page. You can use much simpler methods to allow your users a way to navigate your content.

Do not overdo the graphics on your site. While they help to keep a visitor’s interest, they can also make a site look cluttered and push visitors away. Graphics should enhance what you have to say on your site. They shouldn’t be put there to just look pretty. Having the right amount of graphics improves your website’s usability.

Always delete any outdated content that is on your website. If you have a page that is promoting some type of special event that already went on six months ago, then you have lost readers. Visitors want to visit sites that have the most up-to-date information, and leaving up outdated information shows that you are not committed to that. Make it a point to regularly update your content, and replace dated information with current things.

Ensure people can easily scan your information. Many usability tests show that most online visitors do not read everything. They usually only scan for things that interest them. Divide your content into sections that readers can readily scan and your visitors will come back for more. Also, make sure to keep the most important information at the top. All of this ensures a more satisfying experience for your visitors because they can quickly find what they need.

Newsletters can generate repeat visits. Letting customers subscribe to updates and new information can keep them coming back. Put your sign up form on your site’s sidebar to keep track of how many people sign up. Make sure the newsletter only goes to those who actually asked for it, or you’re going to get some serious blowback.

Include photographs to make your site look professional. Your site looks friendlier when it has photos. People will spend more time on your site looking around when they see pictures they want to click on.

Keep all of the site files you use as small as possible, regardless of design. Your file sizes have a lot to do with the speed of your site loading. A website that loads more quickly is always a top priority in web page design. There are still people who will be using your website that do not have a high-speed connection. Test to be sure that even computers with slow dial-up modems can connect quickly to your website.

Be sure your site can handle Internet Explorer, both new and old versions. The Internet community loves to hate on IE, but in truth, a large portion of Internet traffic still happens through IE. These require the use of some workarounds. Specifically, read about the “box model bug” that plagued IE for years.

Website Design

In closing, you have probably already scoured the Internet for website design advice and ideas. Fortunately, this site can help to separate the wheat from the chaff in advice on website design. It is imperative that you use the information given as it will lead to your success.