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6 Tips for Better Web Design

January 19, 2008

Anyone can make a website, but not everyone can make a website
that works. Fun as it may seem, web design isn’t all about
choosing fancy colors  and creating flashy graphics.
It comes with its own set of rules. After all, web users are
different from TV viewers and newspaper readers for one thing,
they’re much more flighty, unpredictable, and harder to keep interested.

If you want your website to do its job (i.e., draw in customers),
you  should  put  a little more thought into web design.

Here are some things to keep in mind.

 Use graphics.

Studies show that pictures, not text or headlines, are the first
things people notice when they look at a page. Typically, a viewer
will look at the picture first, then read the caption, then read
the accompanying article.
A page with nothing but black-and-white type will turn off viewers.
Break up those big blocks of text with interesting pictures and add
a catchy caption to make your page more appealing.

  Keep your files small.

Unlike pictures on print, web images don’t need to be
of high quality in order to be published. In fact,
high-resolution images are discouraged because they take
time to load and eat up your site’s bandwidth.
Instead of uploading a resized 10-megapixel picture, make
a smaller version with a photo editor and upload it instead.
If you think a full view is absolutely necessary, make the
thumbnail a hyperlink to the full-res image.

 Make your site navigable.

Web readers are impatient. Unless they’re really interested,
they won’t take the extra five seconds to find the Next button
and read the rest of the page.
Make life easier for them by making all your controls accessible.
Keep a static menu bar on the top or side of your page.
This way, they can simply go back to the home page if they
lose their way around.

 Use simple layouts.

When you’re new to web design, it’s fun to try out new styles
such as side scrolling, multiple frames, and complex tables.
They may be cute for a personal blog, but not for a corporate site.
Stick to tried-and-tested layouts that have worked for a dozen
other sites.
Two- to three-column layouts are the most effective. They may
not be original, but the reason they’re so popular is
because they work.

 Less is more.

Avoid animated graphics, marquees, blinking text, and anything
too flashy. They take attention away from your site content
and make it look unprofessional. Also, try not to cram too
much material into the page. The recommended ‘weight’ is one
to three main blocks of text per page and a few well-chosen
pictures, plus the menu and hyperlinks.
If you have a lot to say, put them on a separate page and link
to them on your front page.

 Do browser tests.

Don’t assume that a site that works on your browser will look
the same on others. To ensure compatibility, avoid features
that require browser plug-ins, such as Flash animations and
Java programs. Before going live, test your site on all versions
of the most common browsers.

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