There are few things that have taken the world by storm as the Internet has. No matter your likes, dislikes tastes of preferences, sites out there beckon your interest. The sky is the limit when you are designing your site. Read on for a variety of tips to assist you.

Watch your color scheme on your site. Be sure that your written content is clearly visible and easy to read against the background you choose. The better choice is using darker fonts against backgrounds that are lighter. If you’re unsure about the color combo you’ve used, solicit feedback from a trusted friend before the site goes live.

Go easy on the graphics in your website development. Having graphics are good for anyone who wants an attractive and professional site, but an abundance of them makes your page look cluttered. Graphics are not meant to be used as mere decorations; they’re meant to better your site content. Having the right amount of graphics that does not impede on the overall website design is key to how well the site looks.

When you design a web page, always choose the graphics that are appropriate for your purposes. PNGs work much better than bitmap images, which are huge. PNG should be used for buttons with text and screenshots that have 256 colors or more. Try using JPEGs for photos.

Regardless of your client or website purpose, you need to strive for loading times of less than ten seconds. A website that is designed well should load up very fast no matter what browser the visitor uses. Your viewers want instant gratification, so you need to provide it.

As you design your site, avoid overuse of multiple fonts. Also consider how the fonts look on a regular screen. Small serif fonts are harder to read. Lots of sites use typefaces like Verdana since it reads well in different sizes and colors.

Avoid excessive use of pop-up windows. They may seem helpful, but they are seen as more annoying by visitors than not. When pop-up windows come up, you are quickly bringing frustration to your visitors. This may make them leave your website and not come back again.

Color combinations are key in branding your website. Your text must be easily readable and not disappear into your background. Generally speaking, it is easier on the viewer’s eyes when they see darker text on paler backgrounds, rather than the other way around. If you’re unsure about the color combo you’ve used, solicit feedback from a trusted friend before the site goes live.

The next time you design a website, consider using conditional loading in conjunction with independent CSS pages. These methods will ensure easy testing and maintenance going forward. All websites will have to be maintained, and this will help make it easier to change things.

You don’t want to utilize a counter on your site. While this used to be a way for webmasters to show off their coding skill, it now only serves to make a site look dated. Eliminate visitor counters, and find other methods of tracking the number of visitors to your site.

Building small websites can help you see what areas to get better at. You need to begin with perhaps a few basic pages with just enough information so that you can determine how you feel.

Let your users have the option of canceling any action if they wish to do so. Whether filling out forms, signing up for email notices or even needing browsing options, users will find this useful. If your visitors feel forced into completing something they no longer want, it may leave a bad taste. They will probably avoid visiting your site in the future.

Most people know about Photoshop, and they realize that it takes some effort and knowledge to use it effectively in web design. Most people have not, however, heard about Dreamweaver and do not understand how it can benefit web designers; take a look at the program and figure out how it can assist you with your goals.

Stay creative when designing your site. It’s okay to get ideas from other websites, but make your site as original as you can. Come up with interesting new design elements and website features. Don’t be afraid to also improve on features that are considered best practices, however. This is a good way to develop your own understanding of web page design.

Creating a website and imprinting and leaving your legacy for others to behold is quite simple if you understand the fundamentals of web page design. Your site will be even better when your skill improves. Use this information to come up with a great website.

When designing a site, use free software. Oftentimes, people erroneously believe that shareware is inefficient for certain tasks. However, there are many free programs designed to help you keep your website neat and current. You simply must be willing to find these helpful design resources.