Basic Web Design Tips Anyone Can Use

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Basic Web Design Tips Anyone Can Use
Most of us do not have the time, money or skill to build custom cars or choppers. But we all have the tools necessary to design custom websites. As long as you can grasp how web design works, you will be able to design stunning pages that attract people instantly.



If you want to know more about web design, read through these tips below.

Use JavaScript to include a custom font on your webpages. Libraries like Typekit and Google Web Fonts make it easy to include esoteric fonts on webpages, even if most visitors don't have those fonts on their computers. It works by embedding the font itself into JavaScript so that it can be decoded by the client on the fly.

Don't use OnExit popups on your website. This tactic is mainly used by internet marketers who are trying a last-ditch attempt to get a sale. Word about these kinds of popups get around, and they will kill your reputation as a marketer. Mozilla has even taken steps to suppress the text on these popups, citing security risks.

Use a style sheet to stay consistent. There is almost nothing more disconcerting than being sent to a page that looks at nothing like the site you were just looking at, even if it is concerning the same subject. Style sheets help with saving your formatting, so each page looks similar to the rest.

If your site users will be registering to use your site, you should use their personal information to auto-fill forms. For instance, if someone fills out a form using personal information, he or she should have to enter that same information in again when he or she goes to fill out an additional form. Your clients will thank you for saving them the time it takes to fill in information that they have previously done on your site.

Do not use pop-ups. Your customers will hate being flooded with popup ads. Many people will close a site immediately if it uses pop-ups, even if it's a site run by a well-known brand or company. Keep your customers happy, by steering clear of these annoying ads. If you are required by your hosting service to have pop-up ads, you may want to consider obtaining a new web host.

You should always put in the effort to make a customized error page for your site; this page should include a basic sitemap that links users to the major sections of your website. This ensures that if visitors follow a bad link or spell your URL wrong, they will be able to find what they are looking for.

Make sure to include a way to get feedback from site visitors. This will let them communicate with you if they feel something is missing, or they do not understand what they see on your webpage, and you will be able to fix it. Give your visitors a sense of engagement so that they will return to your website in the future.

Make sure your website content is both interesting and compelling. While the look of the design is important, the content is what keeps visitors returning to your site. When your content provides useful and valuable information that addresses the needs of your site visitors, those visitors are more likely to come back to your site in the future.

Optimize load times on your website. If visitors must wait a long time for something to load, they will want to leave the site. Try reducing your number of graphics, Flash, and script on your pages, optimizing your HTML, using SSI files, using client and server caching, creating expire headings, and minimizing your JS and CSS coding.

Step up your creativity when you write your site's "About Us" page. Many sites use very boring, trite ideas on these pages. Try spicing things up! Get a little personal with this information by describing how you got started with web design, who your family members are, and what your business goals are.

To help make sure your website works as you are designing it, test it one of the browsers like Internet Explorer. When you test the website as you go along building it, you can quickly correct any problems that might show up once you live. When your website goes live you want your visitors to be able to see everything working correctly.

After reading these tips, you can instantly start practicing by signing up with a free web host or some type of demo service. You will quickly realize just how easy it is once you know the basics. From there, you can start designing picturesque sites that everyone will love. Just remember to use what you've learned above.