As the Internet becomes more intertwined with people’s lives, any business wanting to stay successful has to be online. The last thing you want is to spend a lot of time building a site that doesn’t deliver. Use these tips to design a successful website.
Although it is common to see the www. at the front of a website URL, you should try to make sure that you can access your site whether you choose to include it or not. This will make it much easier for anyone to access regardless of how they type it.
Avoid cramming page elements together. Each section of your page should be naturally separated from the other, as this makes the purpose of each section more clear. The easiest way to separate sections is by using DIVs, but there are other ways, including absolute positioning (not recommended), the CSS margin command, and floats.
Incorporate a site map into your website. Site maps serve several purposes. First, they make navigation throughout your site much easier for visitors. Second, the major search engines can utilize it to index your entire site. This means your search engine optimization improves, and your website receives more exposure, giving you more profit-earning potential.
Use a descriptive title. Many site owners forget to name their pages, or name them something generic, such as “Welcome Page.” Search engines do use title descriptions in their rankings, so make sure you are as descriptive as possible, without going overboard. Make sure it is usable for your viewers and the search engines.
Don’t have pop-ups. Nothing is worse than going to a website and being bombarded with pop-up ads. Many people leave any website immediately if pop-ups occur, even if they’re interested in the website. Avoid annoying your customers, by staying away from these irritating advertisements. Is your host making you use pop-ups? Time for a new host.
The best websites communicate a lot of information in a small number of words. If you are long-winded, people will easily get bored and find another site that is more concise. Make sure any content is relevant and easy to understand – newspapers use an eighth-grade reading level, which is the most common literacy level.
Be sure the websites you’re designing are cross-browser compatible. You must check your site in the most popular versions of every top browser. Some examples include Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera. Many users use these browsers for surfing online, so you need to be sure your designs are being seen correctly on whatever they use.
When designing a website for a mobile application, it’s important that you pick the right screen resolution. From an Android to an iPad, the sites are going to be displayed on the devices differently. If you’re hoping for the best results, go with a screen resolution that looks good on any type of screen.
As you have learned, designing a website doesn’t have to be difficult. Learn the basic principles and you will be able to create a very fine website, indeed. To get the best results possible, use all of the tips you’ve read in the article above.