A well designed, efficient website is important to any business, brand or organization; however, it is not always obvious how to accomplish such a goal. There are pros and cons associated with both hiring a designer and trying to build it as a DIY project. In general, it is usually better to leave such work to a professional, especially for business purposes. Not everyone can afford such services; new companies and non-profit organizations may be forced to initially create an internet presence themselves. When facing such a situation, knowing how to create a functional, attractive website can be learned through research. Below are tips on this subject.
Building Basics
In order to create even the simplest of websites, a basic understanding of HTML and CSS or the use of an HTML editor program like Adobe Dreamweaver, Komodo IDE, CoffeeCup or UltraEdit is required. These programs can provide much of the necessary code to build each page. Some of these applications even offer free versions and allow for the addition of different types of interactive elements. There are always scripts that can be found online if what is needed isn't included in the coding software; with practice and learning more about this important subject, coding can be done manually.
Design Basics
The difference between basic development and design of that all important internet presence is that the design contributes to the look and feel of a website while the development is responsible for improving usage and functionality. Having a knack for creativity, or at least the ability to draw inspiration from other websites, is essential to achieve a fresh looking internet presence. The arrangement of colors, patterns and fonts are extremely important for a great end result. Poor use of design concepts will ensure that visitors won't stay long.
Research should be done on design concepts a few basic colors should be chosen and subdued patterns added that do not distract from the main content. Caution should be exercised when choosing fonts since it is very easy to overdue with different typefaces. White space is frequently more valuable than filled space and using the right images can enhance any development plan; however, the images need to be sized and placed correctly. Although it seems unlikely, design can be just as intricate as coding.
Navigation Basics
Understanding how to implement good navigation is very necessary as this is a large factor in usability. Being able to link pages that allow users to get from a home page to a shopping cart or any desired information while avoiding dead end pages does take some effort; however, the efficiency gained is worth the effort in the long run.
SEO Basics
While most optimization efforts involve generating new and relevant content, an understanding of how meta tags, captions, labels, sitemaps and other elements related to the website structure are essential as well. SEO advantages result from collective efforts that have to happen in all stages of the building process.
Though there are many small details involved in making a perfect website, the recommendations listed above represent main areas of focus for anyone wanting to completed such a task on their own. It is not an impossible feat, as there are thousands of people are able to create their own internet presence without too many problems or a poor result; ultimately, whether it can be accomplished successfully is the ultimate concern. If such a task doesn't seem a realistic possibility, other options include hiring graphics students, hiring freelance designers from the internet, or even using a template design. All of these options are a great choice to gain an exclusive internet presence for any company!
Designing a Mobile Website: What To Consider
0 comments:
Post a Comment