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Web Site Design Tips
Web Site Design Tips
1. Aesthetics-only May Not Click
Most of us think about web site design tips in terms of our aesthetic preferences, but good web site design incorporates some fundamental elements that will make your web site work for your business and your customers. Fancy graphics and the latest cool animations, sound, etc most likely will annoy your visitors.
2. It's All About Readability Make "readability" a fundamental part of your web site design. If you want a professional-looking web site design that encourages visitors to read about your business, products or services, the first thing to do is to make sure visitors can, in fact, read what's on your pages easily. Stay away from all capitals in your writing and use common fonts that are easy to read. The standard fonts that most web surfers are used to are Arial and Verdana. Don't try to be different.
3. Let Logic Prevail
Organize content into logical sections. This takes some planning but it's key to a successful website. Make it a snap for visitors to find the information they're looking for.
4. Browsing is not Reading
Of all the web site design tips, this is one of the most important: Incorporate headlines into your web site design. Web users will browse more often than read. Use headlines and subheadings to give customers a quick idea of what your page has to offer. Someone in a hurry should be able to read your headlines and subheadings to quickly understand what products, services, and benefits they will get. Put your most important phrases in bold letters, too. Include bold words, bullet points, section titles and short paragraphs. The visual experience on a web site is quite different than on a printed page.
Never (really, we mean never) use patterned or distracting background images as part of your web site design. Your content will be "lost" in the noise.
Eliminate bright background colors with bright text. Make reading easy on the eyes. Basic colors and a white background do best with the many different ways your page will look on different monitors.
Good web site design considers color-blind visitors. Certain combinations of colors, usually shades of red and green, may be invisible to some of your most potentially valuable customers.
Consider visitors with graphics turned off (yes, they can do that to your beautiful web site design). Always use ALT tags to label graphics with descriptive text.
Use an appropriate font size. Find a happy medium between too big and too small. Typically 10-12 pt fonts work the best.
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