If you plan to include video content on your website, you should first verify that your web host allows it. Many hosts forbid hosting video using their servers. The FLV files used for modern video can either consume too much storage space or use too much bandwidth, so don’t waste your time and check beforehand.
Speed is vital when it comes to the Internet; therefore, you should ensure that your pages load really fast. Realize that visitors to your site have many options and will just go somewhere else if your site does not load right away.
If you develop sites that are functional across different platforms, you can attract more visitors. Your future efforts will be more productive the sooner you learn platforms like Java, PHP, and MySQL. Whether it’s working on your own site or helping someone you know get a site off the ground, keep developing yourself into a multifaceted web designer.
Make sure that your website links are current and in good working order. A good website should be user-friendly, and if links are broken or incorrect, your users will become frustrated. Check every single link on your web site on a regular basis so you know they all work. Remove any broken links immediately.
Focus on making obvious changes that have major impact. Look over everything you have written prior to uploading the page onto the server to ensure that there are no problems with the text. If your site’s content is bad, you’ll appear to be very unprofessional. Nothing will send a potential customer running more quickly than a website that looks unprofessional.
Don’t assume that the design process has wrapped up just because the site is live. It’s important to actively monitor, adjust and update your site. It will not be necessary to update every day, but do realize that fresh content must be a priority. If you write about current events or shoot timely video, this is particularly true. Updating a site is different than updating your blog. Website updates require more time and work.
If you have questions about popular site design software like Photoshop or Dreamweaver, you may wish to speak with an experienced friend or coworker. They can be a great resource for those times when you get stuck on your design and need a little help remembering how to do something for your site.
Most visitors don’t like to come to a website that has pop-up windows. A large number of your visitors won’t even allow popup windows to load. Drop these features from your design to address this. If you want to use them for navigational reasons, you might think about whether your site’s entire navigation system needs to be improved.
If you are determined to purchase a particular domain name, but discover that it is already in use, you should visit some auction sites that sell used domain names, for example Sedo. On these auction sites you will be able to purchase great domains that have previously been used for websites that have since been abandoned, sold, or are otherwise not needed.
Your website needs to function properly for visitors who use any kind of browser, so be sure to test out your site for browser compatibility. While a certain element may look wonderful in Firefox, it may appear incorrectly on Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or Safari. Go through every page with each browser and correct mistakes for a user-friendly website.
Dedicate some time to working on and updating your website every day. Working for hours at a time is more efficient than focusing on your design for a few minutes here and there. As you progress, you’ll find that working for solid chunks of time on your personal sites will also help you remember information that you need to finish your projects.
Design tools included in a hosting package are adequate if you just want to build a simple website, buy you should not depend on these completely. It’s important to have your personality show through on your website, and the way to do this is by adding extra touches the host site doesn’t offer.
Stick with common fonts that look professional. They are common for a reason. Check out a site’s fonts to rate it’s professional quality. Don’t use silly fonts, especially Comic Sans, or rare fonts that most people won’t have installed. If a visitor doesn’t have a font on his computer, his browser may display a default font that doesn’t look right. That can ruin your design!
You can use a What You See Is What You Get code editor (WYSIWYG), but using a text editor such as Notepad, gives you full flexibility when editing your code. With a platform, you design the features and the platform provides the code, which can then be pasted wherever you want. But if you are looking for a more hands-on experience where you can control everything, including fixing the errors, then a basic text editor should be what you choose.
A visual sitemap should be made so that you are able organize your next steps in an effective manner. When you utilize a sitemap that is visual, you can see just how the site’s structure is developing. This allows you to quickly identify areas of your website that have been overlooked, or could use improvements. There isn’t a substitute for a concise, clear visual map of your project.
With the information from this article, you should now be prepared to start designing your site. Decide on a budget, talk to advisers and map out a game plan. You’ll see that designing a website that you can be proud of IS possible – so get to it!
