Designing a website is no longer a task that only web professionals can do. With the latest design tools available, a person with no prior web design experience can build a real website and launch it in a couple of hours. However, that does not mean that the design is good. Anyone can fill in a template and make a web page. However, there would be nothing special about that website. Good design takes good planning. That is what sets the professional apart from the novice.
When you have an idea for a website, you first have to think about what type of content you want to include. Make an outline of the pages that you want to create. Organize them by main categories and subcategories. Do not forget to include basic pages like a contact page, an FAQ page, or a customer service page if appropriate. These will become the labels for your menu buttons.
Once you have an outline of your content created, it is time to figure out your basic design and layout. Start with your choice of color schemes. What combination of colors are appropriate for your subject area? For instance, if you are developing a website for promoting children's education materials, you may want to use primary colors. A website that sells skin care products may require softer, more neutral colors. Look through literature that is relevant to your business to see what colors are dominant. You can use those for ideas. Colors make an impact on your visitors, so choose them carefully.
The layout of your content should include basic sections, like your header banner that should have your company name and logo, a navigation menu, an area for your main content, and a footer. Sketch a wire frame of a couple of potential layouts and label the sections. Imagine how your visitors will land on your home page and navigate to other pages. Content should be laid out in a logical manner so your visitors can find things easily.
When you have settled on a wire frame, it is time to create a prototype of your template. Use the website editor of your choosing. If you do not have the actual text of your content yet, you can use generic “lorem ipsum” text to populate your text areas. At this point, you just want get a test page laid out. When you are satisfied with how your template looks, you can start to fill it with real content.
Website users scan through web pages quickly to find what they want. You should make sure that your pages load quickly. Avoid using too many graphics and images on one page because that will slow down the load time.
Make the text of your content easy to read. Stick with a basic font type for the content, and be consistent with using fonts in the same family. A consistent look is easier on the eyes.
A well-designed website will attract more visitors. If you give your visitors a good browsing experience, they will come back again and again.
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More keywords: Primary Colors, Designing A Website, Web Design Experience, Neutral Colors, Customer Service
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