You must always look at your finished websites in multiple browsers. If you just check it from you personal computer, what you see may be vastly different from what others see. This means that you need to understand which browsers are most widely in use today, and check the site in each one. Have a friend or colleague pull up your site in an http://friendfeed.com/rachelrobinson1986/c2ae2bc3/word-or-two-about-seo-and-small-business of web design, so don't be afraid to use it. Cluttering up your web pages with too many images or too much text, or using a distracting background, will only irritate your visitors. White space can make the important elements of your page more visible.
White can be a smart and effective choice when you're contemplating which color should be the background for your site. Having a white background tends to make the website easier to view and read and it also gives it a professional look that makes it appear more trustworthy. However, intricate background images are often difficult to pull off; more often than not they appear sloppy and distracting. Simple backgrounds are generally better.
If you have several pages on your web site, use a navigation bar at the top to help visitors find the information they need right away. Include contact information, so they can speak with you if they'd like. Headings should be clear and visible, and paragraphs should be concise as well as easy to read.
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.
File sizes affect the speed with which your website loads. You can control file size by paying attention to file types. In general, it is best to use JPEGs and GIFs for your graphics. PNG and BMP files are probably better for web graphics, but they also use much more disk space. To be sure visitors have a positive experience, graphics should be converted to file types that are better-sized.
To help you design a website that is free of clutter, do not include any scrolling text on your site. Websites that have things constantly moving back and forth on the screen is really distracting to the visitor. Not only is this distracting and annoying, it screams unprofessional and will cause your visitors to leave quickly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOfhmzNLWzY
Avoid adding in fluff and other unnecessary things to your site that can discourage people from exploring your site more or from coming back in general. You want to make sure that everything on your site is of great quality and has substance. When you do this people really appreciate that you took the time to put real effort into your site.
From the graphics to SEO to content, there is a lot to consider when designing websites. A well-designed website includes many different elements, but that does not mean that learning them all is impossible. Use the information you've learned from this article to help you build an attractive and successful website.
