Essential Tips to Improving Website Design
Whether you’re an experienced web designer or you are just starting out, there are numerous tips for improving the layout and design of a professional or personal website. While you will always find good ideas and tips from countless experts, there are many of the core essentials to keep in mind as you begin to design or improve a website. Here are some of the most important tips to keep in mind as you improve your page:
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Keep the clutter to a minimum
– There are many reasons why reducing the clutter on a webpage is one of the leading essential tips for improving a website. First, when there’s clutter on the page, it keeps visitors from noticing the components that really matter – links, graphics, contact pages. In addition, more graphics or text on the page means a slower loading time and most users aren’t going to wait around for a website to load on a mobile device or computer.
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Use a professional layout
– Are you a business or corporation? Then you will want to stick with a simple, professional layout. A two-column layout is often one of the best options as it keeps everything easy to find and organized. In many instances, your website might be the first impressions for visitors and if the page isn’t professional looking, they could go elsewhere.
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Provide navigation
– Internet users are in a hurry today and they aren’t going to spend time trying to figure out how to get from page to page on your website. Provide visitors with a navigation bar at the top of the website – preferably horizontal – so it is easy to find and use. If you want to include more navigational tools, you can add a sidebar on the left margin of the website for secondary searches.
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Keep it easy on the eye
– The use of font, color and patterns can make or break a website in a matter of seconds. Always try to use dark font on a light background so it’s easy to read, and look for basic font styles for body text. Helvetica, Arial or Times New Roman are easy on the eye and provide ample readability to virtually any visitor.
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Break up text
– No one wants to read large blocks of text – and they just aren’t going devote the time! Incorporate plenty of white space throughout the page – white space simply means breaking up text or putting space between images and the body text. By incorporating white space between the content and images, they become much more noticeable to visitors and they have something to focus on while navigating around the website.
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Choose colors wisely
– When you want to create a modern, clean website, opt for neutral colors. Accent colors along the header of the website can be used sparingly if you want to incorporate logo or brand colors into the design of the page. Be sure to add color into certain aspects of the page, such as with visited links, headlines or important visuals – adding color to components of the page will draw the eye in to areas of the page you want emphasized.
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Use a professional photographer
– If you are going to include images on the website, invest in quality stock photography or hire a photographer. Nothing brings down the look and value of a website faster than subpar images.
These essential tips are important for any website – especially if you are interested in improving an existing page! Spend time researching other pages to see what works and what doesn’t so you can be sure to provide all visitors with an exceptional experience.