Singing Pig

Web Site Design

Web site design might seem daunting at first, but if you want to build and maintain a web site, then the best way is to start learning about the processes and techniques of web site design. If you want your homepage to look great, then follow these web site design tips:

Be creative

Web site design, like any other design process, is subjective. There are no definite rights or wrongs, and you need to be creative with what you do. Everything has a place, but you need to try and give the web site a style all of its own. Try and avoid common features such as page counters and text scrolling. Use a mixture of tried and tested techniques and innovation to help convey the content of your web site in a stylish and interesting way. If you are creative and fresh, then your web site design will stand out from the crowd.

HTML

One of the first things to learn about when building a web site is HTML code. This is the code that web sites are built upon, and although some web site creators can be used without knowing HTML, your homepage will look a lot better if you know how to use it. If you follow the standards of HMTL you will make sure that your site looks good to everyone who views it. Browsers are usually more efficient when correct HTML code is used, and this allows more people to see your web site more quickly.

Stick to the standards

Although being creative is a good thing, it is also important to try and stick to tried and tested web site design techniques. Although there are new features and techniques almost every week, you want to make sure that the things you use are accepted by most developers and users. If you put elements on your website that cannot be easily viewed with conventional software, it will limit the appeal of your site. If you do want to try something new, then make sure that it looks good on a variety of screen sizes, browsers, and resolutions.

Get your message across

Web site design is all about making an impact quickly, so try and get your point across on the first page. People will not browse through your site unless they can quickly and easily see what it is all about. Make it easy for people to find things on your site by including a way for them to search content from the main page, or include a site map so they can see a summary of all the content on your site.

Don’t overdo it

One common web site design mistake is to include too many features in their site. It is very easy to use too many tricks and images, but doing so will make your page look cluttered and confused, as well as slow down loading times. If you use each technique in moderation, it will have a much greater impact.

Keep your content fresh

One good way to keep people coming back to your web site is to keep the content fresh and new. If you update your site regularly, people will have a reason to keep visiting. People will soon stop visiting a site if the content always remain the same. It might even be a good idea to change your entire web site design every few months, as this allows you to keep up with new technology and techniques as well as keeping your page looking up to date.

Make the layout clear and consistent

Although web site design is very subjective, it is important that your site does have a layout that is consistent and clear. If you make your site easy to navigate, and keep a common them throughout, then this will make your sight more aesthetically pleasing, and people will be inclined to look at your content in greater detail

Graphics

Graphics are an important element in web site design, because they are often the key between an average site and a great one. Getting the graphics right can be tricky, but if you have a good graphics package and understand the different formats that you can use then you will get better results. Good graphics will make your site look more coherent and professional.

Keep loading times quick

One final factor to consider in web site design is the loading time of pages. You may have created a beautiful web site, but if the pages are really slow to load then people will get frustrated and move on to another site. You can keep loading times down by compressing graphics and images, as well as separating content onto multiple pages. For your homepage, a size of under 50K is recommended, as this will allow for good graphics use as well as quick loading times.

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