Many people get involved with web design without being aware of many of the techniques. Are you interested in a career path or just to make your own site worth visiting? Learn how to create an excellent site by reading this piece.
HTML5 video is set to become the next standard for displaying videos on the web and naturally, you should offer both a way in which users can stream your content through an HTML5 format as well as another format such as flash for those who have an older browser version.
Make sure that there is a site feature that will allow users to seek for specific content. If visitors are searching for something specific, they should be able to use a search box. When there isn’t one available, they may just decide to try another site where they can find that information. The ideal placement is the upper right hand corner of your page.
Always mark files that must be opened in an external program with an icon. Many sites host PDF files, and less commonly, DOC files, that must be opened in Foxit Reader and Microsoft Word/OpenOffice, respectively. These files should be marked with an icon representing the file type, and a link to download the appropriate viewer if the user does not have it.
Use ALT tags whenever possible. These helpful tags describe an image to a viewer, assisting the visually impaired, as well as those who prefer to browse without images. As an added bonus, some search engines include these tags in their rankings, so you may get a boost by using them.
Incorporate a site map into your website. Site maps serve several purposes. First, they make navigation throughout your site much easier for visitors. Second, the major search engines can utilize it to index your entire site. This means your search engine optimization improves, and your website receives more exposure, giving you more profit-earning potential.
Retain user information so that people don’t have to waste valuable time re-typing information into forms. Make it easy on your visitors by keeping information that they may need for other forms or orders. Saving the user’s information in this way simplifies work for them, and is much appreciated by your website visitors.
Make sure that your page loads in less than 10 seconds. Efficient sites that are well-designed need to show up in the browser for your readers in just moments. Most visitors want instant gratification, so give it to them.
Be sure load times for your site are good. Visitors won’t wait around forever for pages to load. You can make your page load faster by reducing the amount of content, such as Flash objects and graphics, which both increase the page’s loading time.
Learning new website design strategies is something that becomes simpler the more you practice doing it. So once you have the basics, start a simple web page using HTML and C+. See if you’ve got what it takes. It’s never too late to start practicing, so start today.
A great web design tip is to ensure that your site is able to be found with or without the subdomain. You should be able to find your site by typing www.mysitehere.com and also http://mysitehere.com. Sites that work like this are also able to be found without a prefix at all. You can type mysitehere and find it.
When selecting a domain name, it’s important that you’re creative. A big part of web design is having a site with a good, on-topic name. Having a catchy, relevant name will make people remember your website just as much as any design features would. Don’t think that a name isn’t an important feature.
Are you ready to create a great site? Between the tips learned today and future knowledge gained, you can be a successful web designer.
