Web Site Design
Designing a Great
Website
Did you know
that a web site
design is much more than appearance?
As important as the look and feel there are other elements including
establishing site structure, navigation, consistency and more.
Website design is also about how you are going to lay out all the
components of your website plan.
(You did start by developing a website plan didn't you?)
It may sound like
a daunting task but it isn't really. Just take it one step at a time.
Let's start designing your website!
Now the fun begins! Let your
creative juices flow.
 Do you know the most important web design
standard?
K.I.S.
(Keep it simple.)
Creating the look and feel (L&F) is
the really fun part of web site design.
Website hosting companies typically have
a selection of website templates to help get you started.
Some host
companies even include the flexibility for you to customize the
template you select. This is a great feature to look for in a
web hosting service because it will allow you visually integrate
your "branding"
strategy into the L&F of your site.
Customization of features can range from changing the
template color scheme, adding graphics, adjusting the appearance to
both the
navigation bar and nav buttons to changing the font type and color.
Just refer to the most popular websites on
the internet as an example. For instance, check out Google's home page.
Can a website design get any simpler than that? However, there is far
more to your web site design than the look and feel.
You also need to consider many different factors
which impact your
overall website design including:
- Creating
your look and feel: Make a great first
impression! Create an
appealing logo that is recognizable and lends itself to branding. Your
L&F is your calling card after all.
-
Organization of your site's structure: Your site's
architecture serves as a road map for your
visitors.
-
Choosing your navigation: Implement the
mapping of your site
to ensure consistent ease in locating information.
- Web
page format and layout: Build "scannable" pages that
enable your visitors to quickly
get the gist of each page's content.
- Functionality:
Test all contact
forms, shopping cart, forums options to be sure they all work properly
and as expected.
-
Graphics: Use graphics related to your topic
and be
sure they have a quick load time.
- Utilization
of HTML: Double check to make sure
your use of html is
compliant so that your pages have the same in appearance in all
browsers as well as on different operating systems and even different
size computer screens.
- Optimization:
Ensure your web pages are visible
to search engines with proper use of keywords, Meta tags and such.
- Footers:
Copyright, notices, privacy policy,
disclaimer, mini-site map,
and/or social bookmarking options are options that will
enhance your
site's usability.
Let's simplify the site design process by paying a
quick visit to the grocery store as an example of designing the basic
structure of a website using the concept of "groceries" as the site
theme: Example
of an internet web site design
Quick Tip:
Even though
you think it might be cool, don't go wild with blinking ads, pop-ups
and gyrating characters and you'll creating a professional looking site
in no time.
Planning out
the entire design structure of your
site
will help your visitors find exactly what they want
in a quick and efficient way.
Be sure to sign-up today:
(Prepare
yourself to be spellbound!)
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