It is always good to add a favicon to your website. The favicon is a 16x16 image file in the .Ico format. This image is the one you see next to the URL bar, next to the title of the page on an opened tab and is also visible on your bookmarks tab if you choose to bookmark a page. The favicon will help users quickly recognize your page in their browser without reading any text or directly viewing the page.
Don't force users to install strange BHOs. Many tech-savvy users won't do it. Common offenders include unusual video players, image viewers, and platforms for interactive games. For most standard use cases, there is a trusted plugin, such as Windows Media Player or even Flash) that will do what you want without driving away users.
You must always look at your finished websites in multiple browsers. Your content may show very differently to customers using alternate browsers. You need to know how your site looks to all visitors that are arriving at your page. It's also a good idea to send your website to someone who's using another operating system in order to see if their browser and yours are compatible.
Regardless of your target crowd or your site's purpose, you always want to aim for a ten second loading time or better. A great website should pop up without lagging delays. Most online users crave instant gratification, so your success relies on providing it.
Test your website before it goes live. There's nothing worse then launching your new website and having to take it down right away due to bugs or other issues. Get a group of people together who are using different web browsers and computer platforms, and ask them to use a beta version of your website, writing down any issues they come across.
Build your website using a content management system. Knowing how to build a website using just HTML and CSS is good foundation knowledge, but this can only produce a static website. Website creation has evolved into providing dynamic content. If you couple your coding skills with the use of a content management system, you can practically build any type of website that you desire.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPhf1Dw9TeI
Where you can, recycle certain pieces of your site like navigation bars and logos. Not only does this help with creating some sort of brand consistency to your website, it also helps speed up the page load times for your visitors. Web browsers will cache these pieces upon first load, making them quicker to reappear the next time they are found on a page.
Graphics and various media are great for your site and help keep the attention of the viewers, but don't load every page from top-to-bottom. Pages that are extremely heavy with media will consume bandwidth on yours and the viewer's network, which often leaves both parties suffering. Include graphics when they are relevant and do your best to minimize bandwidth consumption.
White space is actually essential in order to perfect website design. You don't want to clutter everything together and make it seem unorganized. Eliminating clutter will let your customers have an easier experience in navigating your website, and will let them relax and enjoy the experience.
Go ahead and seek some advice from people who are pros in programs like photoshop and dreamweaver. You want to make sure that you're at least seeking advice from another individual so that you don't miss pieces of crucial information that could be vital towards you creating a website one day.
You now should have a good base of knowledge about website development skills, and you might just be ready to try to do some designing of your own. Keep on learning, and you soon will be as comfortable as a professional.
