Thursday 11 September 2014

Learning Web Design As A Side Job

By Paulina Cordas


Many people believe that designing a website is difficult, but that in only true if you do not take the time to learn how to build one. Like pretty much everything done on the web today, there are many software programs available which can make web design really simple.

For multimedia presentations, take advantage of the new HTML5 standard. Although HTML5 isn't quite as robust for animation and games as Flash, it has the advantage of working stably on mobile phone browsers, including those contained in Apple hardware. HTML5 is also quite a bit leaner than Flash, so load times will improve, as well.

Keep your pages to a reasonable length. Add content through new pages on your site, instead of tacking it on to the end of a home page. For the most part, readers are hesitant to keep going on a page that seems to scroll on forever. If you must have a lot of content on one page, include hyperlinks at the top and in sections throughout the page. This allows users to navigate through the available content without excessive scrolling.

Avoid creating user interface (UI) controls that mislead your visitors. These controls include elements, widgets and more that create an interactive experience, such as a link, drop-down list or button. You do not want to make visitors think that clicking on an underlined word or phrase for example, will lead to a new page if it is not actually linked to something else. When your visitors have expectations of something working a certain way and it does not, they are more likely to assume there is something wrong with your site and leave.

Use images wisely. Bitmap images do not tend to fare well for internet use, and some GIFs do not work well with lots of color. Image size is important as well, as larger images may make your viewers have to wait for them to download. Choose smaller images, and use them sparingly to make your site more manageable.

Make sure to ensure priority of your user's needs. The web designer needs to be focused on the end user's needs at all times. These include usability, user experience, accessibility, and user interaction. These are vital considerations you must take into consideration. Try to see things from your visitor's perspective when you design.

Separate your topics. If you have several topics of discussion on your site, put them on different pages. This helps alleviate any confusion that your customers may experience, as well as giving search engines a broader and more clear view of your site, potentially bumping you up higher in their rankings.

Keep your front page as simple as possible. People shopping around will immediately decide whether they will use your site or not, simply by how your front page looks. Be descriptive about what your business does, and your unique offerings, but keep everything else to a minimum to avoid distraction.

The secrets have been revealed and you should now have the knowledge you need to get started on your website. Start your rough draft and make a list of all the elements that you loved on those other awesome websites so you can work them into your own. Get creative and have fun!




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