The idea of building a website from the ground up is exciting, but it is also intimidating! You are probably wondering how much designing your website will cost and where to find a designer. Read on to learn some principles of basic website creation planning so that you can do things the right way from the beginning.
Graphics are important for any designer but beginners should focus only on the standard graphics on their first several builds. Remember, bitmap images are huge and usually don’t work well, PNGs work fine. Consider PNG files for non-photographic images, text buttons or screenshots that require over 256 colors. If not, use a GIF. JPEG files are best for photographs.
Before you publish any web page, check it carefully for broken links. People will become frustrated if they a link leads them to a broken page. Check out your links manually on your own, or use a program for the scan.
Build a feedback-gathering mechanism into a website to gather visitors’ opinions. This way, you will know what you’re doing right and wrong and you can fix any problems that your visitors are coming across so others don’t have to deal with the same issues. Give your visitors a sense of engagement so that they will return to your website in the future.
File Sizes
Bearing aesthetics in mind, you should remember to keep file sizes small. There is a direct correlation between file sizes and page load times. It is always a good idea for your website to load as quickly as possible. Remember that some of your visitors are going to be using slower Internet connections than others. Perform tests on your website to confirm that it can be quickly loaded, even on the slowest internet connection.
Make sure to ensure priority of your user’s needs. You as a web designer have to think about the needs of the end user all the time. These include usability, user experience, accessibility, and user interaction. These are the most important considerations to be made. Look at things the way your readers would see things when you go to design a page.
Keep in mind that your resources for web design are practically limitless since they can be found throughout the Internet. There is no shortage of websites from which you can draw inspiration. Find an interesting site and borrow features that will work on your site. Expand on those appealing aspects to help you build your own website. Improve upon the ideas you find.
By following the tips above, you should be able to create an attractive, professional looking site. You will need to draft a budget, look for advisers, and start making a sketch of your site. You are now able to design a website that will fit all your criteria, and you won’t have to spend a fortune doing it.