Many people out there think that web design is really hard. After all, there are thousands of programs out there to create web pages and millions of people going to expensive colleges every year just to learn all about web sites! However, things are not nearly as hard as you would think.
The first thing a good site has is good content. People visit web pages for what is on the page, not how the page looks. Ger out some paper and start listing things you would like on your web site. Things like “links”, “About me” and “Home” are always good starting points.
Once you know what is going to be on your site, it is time to organize it. Clump similar things together to create your main pages. For example, talking about your favorite book and your favorite band could both go under your “About me” page. Less is more as long as each main page is well-defined as people do not like having to wade through a lot of links to find what they want to know.
Once you have planned out what is going on your web page and how it is organized, it is time to design your site’s layout. The three most important things are ease of use, visibility, and compatibility.
Visibility is not about site popularity, it is about how easy it is to read things. Choose two contrasting complimentary colors for your site. Remember: the greater the difference in color shades the easier it will be to read! This is why colors like black and white work so well. Avoid using patterned backgrounds as it makes things hard to read.
Ease of use means that it is easy for people visiting your page to find what they want. All the main pages you came up with earlier should be clearly linked on an easy to read menu that will be in the same place on every one of your pages. If you have any sub pages, a site map linked in the footer of your web page is also a great idea.
Last but not least is compatibility. How well does your website function across multiple browsers? Will something not work in Firefox or cause a slower computer to crash? Generally flash is very bad for compatibility, so avoid using it to make your web site. Using proper W3C compliant code will greatly help your compatibility, so do not be shy to keep yourself updated.
As you can see, web design is not as scary as it sounds. With a little planning and care taken towards visibility, ease of use, and compatibility your web site will be just fine. Do not be afraid to try to go out there and make your site yourself, there is plenty of help out there if you get “stuck”. Have fun with your web page, the world is waiting to hear from you!
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