subject: How To Create Killer Websites [print this page] How To Create Killer Websites How To Create Killer Websites
Web design can be daunting, especially when you are new to it, but by following a few simple rules you can create killer websites that people will want to visit and/or buy from.1. Before you begin to design your website, think about your audience and the purpose of the site. Write this information down so that you can remind yourself of it while designing the website.2. Decide whether to use a template - something you can base your design on. Templates can be found all over the internet (google it).3. Sketch out a a simple layout and stick to it when designing your website. Each page should be consistent and company logos, navigation menus, etc., should always be in the same place.4. Decide which pages you need and arrange them by their relative importance and/or subject.5. Remind yourself of your target audience and write in an appropriate style for them. Abbreviations should be spelled out the first time they are used, and jargon should be avoided.6. Break your text into short sections and paragraphs. This will make it much easier to read.7. Use a spell-checker.8. When using images and photos, keep the file size small so they don't slow page-loading times.9. Use tags ("alt") for all the images and photos, for those who want or need text-only views of your website.10. Make links descriptive. Instead of "click here", use words or short phrases, such as "Price List". Don't use "Home Page" or "Contact Us" as the names of your links. Use something more descriptive, such as "XYZ Corp Home" and "Contact XYZ Corp".11. Display an email link ("mailto:") so that people can contact you. If you don't have a separate contact page, put it at the bottom of your home page.12. Test your website on the main browsers in use today e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome.13. Adjust your display monitor to different resolutions to ensure your website still looks right.14. When designing a website, you inevitably get too close to it to spot errors. Get someone else to read and navigate your website before you publish it.15. Check all the external links on your website about once a month to make sure the links are still OK. Quite often you will find that other websites get changed and pages get renamed or disappear altogether.By following these basic design principles you will be able to create smart, appealing websites that are user friendly.
