Effective Web Design
By P.V.RAMESH BABU
E f f e c t i v e W e b d e s i g n - Some helpful tips about how to get an effective website . . .
Making the decision to get your own website is usually easy - many businesses are successfully promoting and selling their wares over the Internet, and there's no reason why you should miss out on having the all-important Internet presence. But, home pages, forms, pictures, graphics, text . . . putting it all together can all be a tad overwelming if you're not a webdesigner, graphic artist or writer, let alone if you're new to the Internet. If you follow a few simple guidelines, you can be online in a jiffy with the right website design for you.
F i r s t T h i n g s F i r s t . . .
Let's start with the basic website structure. Successful websites have a well laid out homepage, which includes the title or business name, a navigation bar and a general introduction to the site. From the homepage, you can usually link to other pages of the site, such as an article page, contact page, whatever is relevant for that site.
Other factors to consider when planning a website include graphics, forms, advertising, pictures and images, to name a few.
E f f e c t i v e W e b d e s i g n . . .
You want your webpage to look amazing, but you also need it to be practical and functional. There's no point having the flashiest graphics and the most sought after information on the web if the Internet user can't find the information they are looking for, or they simply give up on waiting for the darn page to load.
W h i s t l e s a n d B e l l s . . .
There are many programming tools available to create special effects on your webpages - flashing things, twirling objects, we've all seen them. All these whistles and bells can look wonderful but too many can cause problems for a website. Too much data on a webpage can mean it takes too long to come up, resulting in Internet users giving up and looking elsewhere. Overuse of flashy things or just poor page layout and design can also make a website difficult to read and follow - or just plain annoying. Some research has shown that Internet users often hold their hand over a flashing graphic while reading the text around it.
P a g e L a y o u t . . .
There aren't many graphic designers making web sites yet:
"Visually, most web sites look like road kill, not rest areas, and the addition of Netscape backgrounds didn't help. I am not missing the point: if people can't read your material, your message won't get through. It's as true in Cyberspace as it is in print. That doesn't mean your web pages should look like Moby Dick, but it doesn't mean we should throw out four centuries of graphic refinement and sensibility."
When designing a website, it needs to be clean, uncluttered, attractive and easy for users to read and find what they need. This doesn't mean your website has to be boring
P l a n i t . . .
So, like anything in business, you need to approach the development of your webpage with a plan. Working with an experienced webdesigner, such as Componic Webdesign, should be your first step. However, it doesn't hurt to consider the following questions so you have an idea of what you want before you contact your webdesigner:
D e s i g n - what is your business colour, logo, design? How can they be incorporated into your website?
L a y o u t - Look around at other websites, what kind of layout do you like?
C o n t e n t - what pictures/text/information do you want/need on each page?
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About P.V.RAMESH BABU
Find out more at http://nextlevel.com.my/tutor/rameshpvb.
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