Avoid using so-called “mystery meat navigation”. This involves using unlabeled images or other elements for the site’s navigation. In many cases, the visitor has to mouse over the buttons to even see what they do. Navigation is best kept simple. Use text links across the top or along the left side of the page.
Watch your color scheme on your site. Your text should be easy to see against your background. In general, you want to use a dark font color and a lighter background. If you’re not sure what will work, show it to a someone for feedback.
Don’t use splash pages for your site unless required by law, and especially don’t use a Flash intro. Most people just want to get to your content as quickly as possible, and don’t care to look at useless splash pages. If you have some amusing content that you absolutely want visitors to see, integrate it into the homepage instead.
Always give your readers the ability to stop whatever it is they’re doing. An action can involve filling out forms, registering for email notifications or newsletters, or browsing the site for various topics or archives. If your visitors can’t easily change their mind and back out of registering for a site feature, they may feel forced to complete a transaction. This isn’t good for your web traffic or your reputation.
When you build a website you need to quit using a lot of fonts that confuse people. You need to consider how large the font is since some may be too small for concentrated website reading or smaller screens. Many sites prefer Verdana, which is readable in many sizes and colors.
Use a well-known software program that is known for getting the job done to help create a professional looking website. There are also programs that will allow you to design pages without knowing how to write HTML or other code. Building a site from scratch can be overwhelming for amateur designers, so take advantage of design tools and programs that can do some of the heavy liftings for you.
Do not use images for your background. When you think about some of the biggest websites on the Internet, they do not have images as backgrounds. When you use image backgrounds, you represent yourself as someone who is not well-versed in web designing. Images as backgrounds also cause your site to load slower, which can lead to user frustration.
Like we’ve said, designers who are just starting out need to learn the basics of design to make enticing sites that work properly. It can be hard to figure out where to begin when there is so much information available. This article is a good starting point, as it contains the basics of good web design.
