Learning The Basics Of Web Design Is Pretty Simple
Getting into web design is something that is going to open a lot of doors for you in the future, especially with the way the digital world is expanding and being integrated into our lives. If you want to learn about web design, then read through this article and see how you can get into it and feel confident in the subject.
Keep the size of your web pages small. A lot of modern web pages are full of unnecessary elements, including huge images, Flash advertising, and lots of AJAX. Many people, especially those in rural areas and other countries with less-developed internet infrastructure, don’t have high-speed Internet and will have to wait forever for a large page to load.
White space is an important part 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.
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.
When designing your site, try to come up with three or four keywords that you expect users to input into search engines as they try to find your page. These keywords should then be repeated frequently throughout the title, page body and description meta tag. This will make it easier for users to locate your site on the web.
If you want more visitors to your site, you need to design it in a way that makes it easy to update content. If your site can be easily updated it helps you to be able to quickly add new and relevant information. A site that is constantly updated will keep your visitors coming back for more.
As you go about setting up your website, make sure that you add ALT tags to all images on the site. These tags are very important for the handicapped segment of your target audience. When links are used for images, having an ALT tag lets you describe the link’s behavior. Lastly, ALT tags offer search engines a target that will help in boosting your rankings in searches.
Try designing for all screen resolutions. A simple website can always encourage visitors to remain and read the content. If your site doesn’t look good for a specific resolution, the visitor may leave since they cannot view it. Designing a stretchier layout that fits any screen resolution lets you know that all visitors can enjoy the content.
Try including real customer testimonials. Very few want to be the first to try a product or service, so let customers know that others have tried your wares and that they were pleased with them. Try asking some clients that have done projects with you to create a short paragraph about their experience with your company, to put on your site.
Every website designer needs a good platform to test their work out on, and XAMPP is probably the best out there. XAMPP will allow you to run your test sites with PHP and MySQL, so you will always be able to spot anything that needs to be changed. XAMPP is a relatively light download and it’s also easy to figure out.
Any good web design must include proper planning as you are getting started. This planning process includes selecting a domain and a hosting package as well as planning out the information layout and designs. Planning is essential to web design, as it gets you ready beforehand to carry out your idea of the website.
Keep in mind that the site you create does not have to be built entirely by you. You’ll need to have an understanding of graphic and UI design, coding, SEO and the creation of effective content to create a great website. Getting help shouldn’t be embarrassing, everyone needs it – even the experts! When it comes to those web design areas that you lack expertise in, hiring a specialist or a professional company may be well worth the cost.
Before you begin creating your website, it can be beneficial to have your design laid out as a wire-frame image on your computer, or drawn out on a piece of paper. This will provide you with a reference that you can look back to as you begin implementing your ideas. It can be an effective organizational tool, and additionally, can serve as a prototype to identify potential problems early on.
Now that you’ve learned some of the ins and outs of web design, you should, hopefully, be a bit more eager to use it to your advantage and gain a reasonable amount of profit through it. Web design is the future and now you have a good idea of how to become good at it. Use this to your advantage and become successful for years to come.