The idea of building a website from the ground up is exciting, but it is also intimidating! Understanding where you should start, who you should turn to for mentoring, and what kind of budget you will realistically need really can make your head spin. You can get off to a good start in planning out your website by taking a look at the handy tips provided in this article.
Watch your color scheme on your site. You have to be certain that your text will be readable on top of the background colors you use. Dark text on a light background is the easiest for your visitor to read. If you can’t decide if the colors are right, ask someone you know for feedback.
You must create a website that is easily navigable to attract and keep traffic. Display links prominently so that they can be easily found. Menus will make it a lot easier to navigate around your site. Post links that lead back to the homepage on each page of your website to make navigation easier for your users.
It is essential to test the pages in your website to be certain they look as they should on every different browser; a successful site needs to display correctly in all browsers. A site that works on Internet Explorer might not display right in Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari. Check how each page displays in the major browsers before your site goes live.
Set up your site so that visitors can cancel actions they initiate if they change their minds. This could be anything from filling out forms to registering for email newsletters. If your visitors can’t easily change their mind and back out of registering for a site feature, they may feel forced to complete a transaction. This isn’t good for your web traffic or your reputation.
Pay attention to the background of your website. There are sites out there that use animated GIF images for their backgrounds. This might be OK for a personal site, but it can also be a serious distraction that makes it hard for readers to focus on the text. Choose a background that complements your site instead, and visitors will easily understand they message you want to convey.
Do not overuse JavaScript. Although it provides many methods of building a site that is more responsive, this can cause some problems for some visitors. Keep in mind that your visitors use different web browsers. Your goal is to have as many website visitors as possible. You should also be aware that some of your users will have JavaScript disabled through their browser. This means that a portion of your visitors won’t be able to use your website.
With the information from this article, you should now be prepared to start designing your site. Establish a budget, ask for help from professionals if you need to, and start drawing sketches. If you use these tips, you can design a great website without having to spend a lot.