The Basics Of Website Design

by Madison Jones

When it comes to your website design, never compromise efficiency for a beautiful design. It is a common mistake among many amateurs webmaster to include too many visual elements in order to entertain the website visitors.

Here are five important website design rules of thumb to observe which should ensure your website performs well.

1) Don’t use splash pages. The splash pages are the fancy pages you see when you enter a website. Made up of pretty designs, they are usually lavish images and graphics with accompanying words such as “welcome to our site” or “click here to enter”. In fact, they are just a ‘pretty vase’ that serves no real purpose. Give them the value of your site up front without the splash page.

2) Use any form of banner advertisements sparing. Although these can be at the foot of a web page, adverts like this are primarily placed right at the top of the page in what is called the ‘header’. Adding banner ads are actually futile efforts to maximize the use of your website as space research shows that people tend to ignore such advertisements. The right way to use the space is to add contents that are engaging and informative and add your affiliate links into them so that they would feel natural instead of sounding like and advertisement.

3) Keep it simple. The navigation should be made very simple that even a young child can manage to find their way around. It is good to leave out any fancy flash menus or even multi-tiered drop down menus, they only serve to make navigating the site harder. There are so many websites competing for attention, if your menus make it difficult for them, they will leave. It is good in any website design to include a sitemap to help them find what they are looking for.

4) Don’t let your visitors feel as if they are lost. Give them a clear view of where they are now and how to get to where they want to be. This way, they can head to the right information they are looking for. Ensure every page of your website has its title and a tracking system is used to allow visitors to see where they have been and where they are. If you create any form of confusion, you will drive the visitors away.

5) Reconsider the necessity to include audio in the website. Your favorite tune may be repulsive to some visitors, so use music sparingly. A sound file should not be played continuously it can be irritating on the user. Adding audios may seem cool but provide some form of user control such as muting ability or volume control so that your visitors can adjust accordingly. If you diligently apply these website design tips, you will be rewarded with retuning visitors again and again to your website.

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