Many more people are becoming intrigued by website development. But there are lots of people with a high level of proficiency out there too; it’s highly competitive. Read this article to help you design a fabulous looking website.
Avoid using frames. Frames worked well in the earlier days, but there are too many flaws in the design. Frame designs make scrolling frustrating and it makes sites more difficult to bookmark. There are better ways to allow your users to browse your pages easily.
Be careful with your color schemes while designing your site. If the text fades into the background due to poor contrast, the text will be hard to read. Dark text on a light background is the easiest for your visitor to read. Let your friends see your color scheme to get their input.
Help your visitors navigate your page via fixed position navigation. This technique locks the navigation panel on the site in place whenever the user scrolls on the page. It benefits virtually everyone who will visit your site.
Minimize the use of JavaScript. JavaScript does open many doors when it comes to website design, but it can also close the door to your website for some visitors. Each web browser displays content differently, and your visitors will be using many different versions of each software platform. Some of your readers are not going to have the most recently updated version of their browser. Keep in mind that not every users keeps JavaScript enabled while they browse. Both of these elements can prevent users from fully experiencing your website.
No matter the audience you seek to target or the focus of your site, it is important to focus on load times that are under ten seconds. Sites that are well-made and efficient will open in a browser in moments. Most visitors want instant gratification, so give it to them.
Leave pop-up windows off your website. Although you may think they are helpful, many people think they are annoying. Frequent pop-ups can cause your visitors to become disturbed enough to leave your site, hurting your reputation.
Check your webpages for broken links before publishing them. Visitors become frustrated easily when they click a link and find that it leads to the wrong place. Use a program or check links manually to be sure you have no broken links on your site.
Your site should be optimized to handle older editions of Internet Explorer, such as IE7 and IE8. Many consumers still depend on IE. These do not render the web elements to the web standard, so there must be workarounds. Make sure to look at the infamous “box model bug,” which has been an issue for IE for several years.
Get in the habit of testing early and often. Check the usability and user interaction of your site as soon as possible while designing the site. Make sure you continue to test it as you grow and improve your site.
Knowledge is power, and the more you know about web design, the better off you will be. While this article has plenty of information to help along the way, you should continue learning whatever possible to stay sharp and ahead of the competitors.
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 you don’t let visitors back out of an incomplete action, it can be perceived as forcing them to do something, which will probably make them go elsewhere.
