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Web Design Information |
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8 Tips for Designing a Great Website
Square buttons, round buttons, flashy buttons ? will they match my shoes, my handbag or my tie? Are you stuck in a maze of buttons, headings, bullets, sub-headings and colour schemes? STOP!!!! Take a deep breath and read some practical tips for professional looking websites. 1. Select a colour scheme and stick to it. If your company has a logo or preferred colours on its stationery that's a good start. For those of you starting from scratch, choose two or three complementary colours and stick with them - don't change colours on every page. The most common colour schemes include:
If you're not sure what colour scheme to choose, surf the internet and find a website that you like. You can then model your colour scheme on what already exists. 2. Use templates. Can't find a website you really like? Another option is to choose a template. There are many templates or pre-set designs. These come as part of your web design software (such as FrontPage) or you can check out some websites that specialise in designing templates. Visit:
3. Provide an easy to use navigation system. This is one of the most important issues to consider when designing a website. You need to ensure your visitors can find what they are looking for easily. Most websites either display their navigation bar on the left or at the top. And since most people are used to this type of navigation, it's best to stick with it. It also helps to include your navigation bar at the bottom of each page to save your visitors from having to scroll back to the top. 4. Don't go overboard on special effects Whilst it is ok to have one or two special effects to jazz up your website, spinning graphics and logos often distract your visitor from the content, not to mention they can take too long to download. Your visitors may click away even before your spinning logo finishes loading. 5. Backgrounds Ensure your visitors can read the text on the background, ie. no black writing on dark blue background or yellow on white. Also be careful that your links are visible before and after being visited. The default for links in most programs is blue (before being visited) and burgundy (after being visited), so if you have a dark background, ensure your links are light. 6. External Links It is a good idea to open links to other websites in a new window. That way your visitors can easily return to your site when they are finished browsing the external link 7. Site Map & Search Feature If you website is more than 15 pages, it is useful to have a site map or a "Search" feature to ensure your visitors can easily find what they're looking for. 8. Content is King While it is important that your website looks clean and professional, it is far more important that you concentrate your efforts on the content and promotion. If you want a professional website, things to stay away from include: Don't sweat the small stuff and get yourself focussed on what to include on the website and the best way to promote it. We will cover these topics in future articles. Copyright 2004 Ivana Katz About The Author Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. For more information visit www.web4business.com.au or email info@web4business.com.au
MORE RESOURCES: Digital Silk Unpacks How Los Angeles eCommerce Brands Are Balancing Aesthetic and Performance in Web Design markets.businessinsider.com Digital Silk Identifies Why Los Angeles Nonprofits Aim to Increase Impact Through Purpose-Driven Web Design The Globe and Mail UMF Art & Design Program seniors present capstone exhibit, “Circadian Limit,” April 10 – May 10 University of Maine System Digital Silk Advises New York Law Firms on Leveraging Information-Driven Web Design for Client Trust in 2025 Barchart.com Unveiling the invisible hand: how AI is reshaping web design UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media 2/6/25 – EXPLORE OUTDOOR HAWAI‘I SITE WINS WEB DESIGN GOLD Department of Land and Natural Resources - Hawaii (.gov) Web Design and Development Muskegon Community College Digital Silk Identifies Why Los Angeles Nonprofits Aim to Increase Impact Through Purpose-Driven Web Design Barchart.com Kicking It Website Design Analysis DesignRush 6 Great Resources to Learn Modern CSS Layout How-To Geek AI-Powered Web Design Trend Hunter ChatGPT was tasked with designing a website. The result was as manipulative as you'd expect Fast Company BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Young Web Design keeps businesses current The Bradford Era Best Real Estate Website Builders for 2025 HousingWire Best Website Design Inspiration: Amazon DesignRush Essential Web Design Principles NYC Businesses Must Embrace in 2025-Insights from Digital Silk Newsfile 11 Best Interactive Website Designs in 2025 DesignRush 16 Best Modern Website Designs of the Moment DesignRush Faculty Profile: Libby Perry (Editing for the Web, Web Design - Media Communications) Full Sail University The Future of Web Design in New York: How Agencies Like Digital Silk Are Shaping the Digital Landscape Yahoo Finance AI-Powered Website Builders: Real Results or Empty Promises? Analytics Insight 10 Best Medical Website Designs (2025) DesignRush Be The Buzz Web Design Analysis DesignRush Web 3.0 And The Evolution Of Website Design: What You Need To Know Harlem World Magazine Local Web Design Company Has a Long-Standing Relationship With the Sarasota Film Festival The Suncoast Post Web Design Statistics By UI/UX, Market Size, Web Development, Industry and Demographics Coolest Gadgets 5 Upcoming Web Design Trends for 2022 SitePoint The Best Web Design Comics SitePoint Best website design service of 2024 TechRadar Miami's Hospitality Industry Adapts to New Web Design Trends - Insights from Digital Silk markets.businessinsider.com USPS Website Design: A Detailed Overview DesignRush How AI-Driven Personalization Is Transforming User Interface Design Analytics Insight 18 Best Tech Website Designs in 2025 DesignRush Revolutionizing Web Design: How Squarespace's Design Intelligence AI Empowers Creators Boy Genius Report Beyoncé Website Design Analysis DesignRush Enriching U: Web Design with HTML & CSS The Press Democrat 11 Best Minimal Website Designs for 2025 DesignRush Amanda Braga Website Design Analysis DesignRush The Quake's Website Design Analysis DesignRush |
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