If you are the proud owner of a new website, then you know how confusing and downright difficult the process of designing and building a website can be. It’s not uncommon to go through the trouble of finding a hosting service and choosing a domain name, only to get stuck when it comes to actually putting a site together and making it presentable for viewers.
Fortunately, there are some very basic things, even for newbies, that can make the process much easier. Here are some simple web design tips for new website owners:
Templates. One of the fastest and easiest ways to design an effective website is to choose a customizable template. Customizable templates are easy to find. Simply search online, load them to your site, and make whatever changes you want to make the design your own. If you use a blog hosting service like WordPress to build your website, you will be pleased to find that you automatically have hundreds of templates to choose from. (Editor’s note: Of course, be sure you also check out our ultimate list of WordPress templates.)
Content. Of course you want your website to look “pretty.” But even more important than that is what you provide for viewers who land on your site. Content is king, and if you don’t have something of substance to offer your site visitors, they will visit a different site.
Image backgrounds. Don’t use them. Period. They take longer to load, are distracting, make it difficult to read the foreground text, and are widely regarded as the mark of novice web design.
White space. While it may be tempting to fill your pages with as much information and ornamentation as possible, remember that your site visitors will be most attracted to crisp and clean looking pages… which means plenty of white space. Keep your site uncluttered and easy to navigate by cutting the frill and flare out and focusing in on the purity of the information you are providing.
Browser compatibility. Check your website from all of the most popular browsers – Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and Netscape (plus mobile device browsers) – to make sure your site works well in all of them. If it doesn’t, it is time to make some adjustments to your site, as these browsers account for over ninety-five percent of all Internet users.
These web design tips will help you attract visitors, and keep them interested. Even more, anyone can implement them, no matter how inexperienced. You’ve already put the time, energy, and money into establishing a website. Now it’s time to make it the best it can be.
About the author: Celine Garramore is a web designer who enjoys helping small businesses find a place on the web. She highly recommends using a website template to ensure you have a search engine and user friendly design.
