Beginning web designers often wonder just how many custom templates and special software they need to be successful. What it takes to design a website, comes down to the amount of effort you’re willing to put into educating yourself. To avoid the most labor intensive and specialized areas of design, you’ll need to use special software and probably use a third party for some of the work. Use these tips to create a great site yourself.
When you design a site, pull it up in various browsers. What you see on one browser is not necessarily what others see on other browsers. This means that you need to understand which browsers are most widely in use today, and check the site in each one. You will want to have a person using a different computer operating system check on your site as well.
Good websites must function with all browsers, and therefore you need to test each page so you know they work correctly under all circumstances. A webpage that displays properly using Internet Explorer, could appear incorrectly or poorly on a different browser such as Firefox or Chrome. Go through every page with each browser and correct mistakes for a user-friendly website.
If users want to, let them cancel an action. This might include completing forms, browsing your site, or registering for newsletters. Visitors with second thoughts are not going to appreciate being locked into an action. They will feel that they are being forced to act against their wishes, and it will be unlikely that they will want to return to your site after such an experience.
Your website should be able to be scanned without problems. Many readers online look for information that is interesting to them. Break text into small, easy to scan sections to help readers quickly find the information they are looking for. Additionally, keep your most important info at the top of the page. Each of these things needs to be given proper attention because they are what will help keep visitors coming back to your website.
Personal Information
When a user enters personal information into a form on your website, give the user the option to have the server retain that information should it be needed again. 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. Developing “sticky” data like this streamlines the user experience, and your visitors will likely appreciate the convenience.
Use free software to set up your own site. Do not listen to people who tell you that you can’t design and operate a website without relying on pricey software packages; you can find a free alternative for virtually every task. All you have to do is a little searching to find the best free tools for you.
Learning how to properly design a website is not like learning on how to do open heart surgery. Compared to other careers or operations, website design is actually quite simple, and amateurs can learn to do it quickly. Just follow the strategies you learn above, and you could create a good website today.