Sunday, September 12, 2010

Few Effective Steps on Making of Good Website Design

When you create a new website or if you are looking for a revamping your original site then it is must for you to create a web page which gives easy navigation and also looks good with the eye soothing composition. In short what you need is a good web page design.

How you would measure the qualities of good web page design is also a necessary aspect. Many different thought schools are there which gives different ideology for that as it varies as per the business type. The corporate look gives good effect for finance and accounting sites. Dramatic look with artistic look will serve the purpose if your site works with artwork. The sites which designer's product or links with any designer products need designer touch in its appearance. Homely look with comfort works best for the interior designing site. When you think of your site at that time think on a way that it is some shop and you are designing a website like a window display which attracts the consumers to come to your shop and to shop more. The site should be attractive in a way that it should encourage them more to visit your site.

Website design speaks a lot about your business and your products like if you visit a stock brokers office you never expect frilly curtains and kind of dreamy artistic look. Same applies to the website also. Decorated gift shops give nice feeling and gives you urge to shop more. Thus, it is a signature step that you should design your website and web pages which goes well with your business type. The first impression creates a lasting impression in both the aspects negative and positive.

When you make a new web page design try to experiment with that but do not make it very much different or else you will end up confusing your visitors.

The basic page layout contains the right and left margins where you can put the different search tabs like newsletters, free offers and other search boxes. As per the typical layout all these tabs appear on the left hand side while ads appear on the right hand side margin. The top quarter of the website is for the photo or banner advertisement. To run banner advertisement is the latest trend. On the few websites those banner advertisements are on the right hand side also. Few banner advertisements of discount sale which consumes large space on the home page gives a strange look to the visitors and they thinks in a manner that you have diverted from your business. Your company logo with a nice photo on the left margin gives a nice appeal to the visitors.

You can also add flash displays to make it more attractive. Search boxes will also make it user friendly. Always make your site Google friendly it will give more searches on the Google and you will end up having more visitors.

The Best Software For Creating a Website

Most people don't realize that they already own an acceptable piece of website design software. If you have Microsoft Office Word you can create a document and save it as a web page which can then be uploaded to your hosting site. Of course this is probably not the best alternative, but if you are familiar with Word, you may want to explore the possibilities here first.

Free options abound online and you can locate them with a simple search for "free web design software" but then what. How do you choose which software is right for your needs? You don't want something that is complicated with a high learning curve. You just want to make a quick website to promote yourself or your business. But you want it to look professional.

There are many options but two of my favorite are "PersonalWebKit" and "Kompozer".

PersonalWebKit is a FREE software program that is one of the easiest to use, especially if you plan on developing an image heavy site. Complete with a few included templates this program allows you to add or remove pages with a few clicks of your mouse and it will auto-link all your pages for you. Just a few clicks allows you to customize or change your design, import, edit, and add effects to your photos, Including those you load from your digital camera. You can type and edit text as easily as in a word processor, import videos and sound files as well as office documents and when you are satisfied with your site you can publish, or upload it with a single click. The down side is that the Free version only allows you to build one website. After the initial site you must purchase the full version in order to continue to use it.

"Kompozer " is a FREE full featured website development software with all the bells and whistles of many of the higher priced programs such as Dreamweaver. You have all the options of importing images or text, formatting, editing, and design control in a 'what you see is what you get' (WYSIWYG) interface as well as the option to hand code using html or java. You can view the source file of your WYSIWYG page and even insert special coding as with opt in forms or affiliate links. There are no limitations on the software and it is FREE to use without any advertising or invasive links appearing on your published pages.

I have probably used 15 or 20 different versions of web design software over the years. From early versions of "Frontpage" and "Dreamweaver" to "Cold Fusion", Flash, Adobe and even online software like "Homestead". I even made a site in AOL once using their software. Currently I believe "KOMPOZER" is one of the best of the paid or Free options around. So, now that I am suddenly feeling really old, take it from this old hat and give it a try.

Designing a website doesn't have to be difficult and with the introduction of great software and now FREE great software like Kompozer, there is no excuse not to have your own website. You can see a sample page made using Kompozer

Sample Website Plan

A sample website plan doesn't have to be elaborate to get the job done. It can be as simple as the list below. If you don't know exactly what your website is going to be about you will need to:

1. Brainstorm.

Come up with an idea that suits your taste. Many website builders fail because they don't plan before hand. When you find the idea you want to do, research it by typing the subject in a search engine. Also try Amazon.com to see how many books have been written on the subject. See how various authors outline their books to get some ideas.

2. Decide on the type of website you want.

The type of website you want should come easy if you know what your subject is. Did you write a book that you want to sell from your website? You could setup your website and review books similar to yours. Your review could point out the unique things your book offers that the others don't.

3. Search for a domain name with your keywords in it.

Buy a domain name that has your main keywords in it to help search engines know the clear intentions of your website and help your site get found easier. You will be surprised to see what names are still available.

4. Decide on hosting for your website

Choose a web hosting company that will offer you free e-mail with the service. I like Go Daddy because of the service. They're open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. My websites rarely go down and when they do, they're back up and running in no time

5. Decide on the way you want to build your website.

Are you technical enough to build your website from scratch? You really don't have to be to get a website up and running. I recommend using Word Press if you don't have the technical skills. It's free and easy.

6. Decide on the look of your website.

Do you want it to look fun and cheery or dark and grungy? Word Press gives you a ton of open source templates to choose from.

7. Map out the Navigation buttons of your website

Sketch out where you want to place links on your website. Always think of the user and what their experience will be like when they land on your website. Make it easy for them.

8. Research the keywords of your website

Finding and using the right keywords for your website will be one of the most important factors as you build it. When looking for keywords, don't go for the popular keywords everyone is fighting for. Sneak through the back door with low competition keywords. It makes SEO a lot easier.

9. Discover the unique point of view of your website.

Add a little of who you are so your visitors will get to know and like you. Your unique point of view will come from your personality and what you know.

10. Start building your website

As mentioned before, if you don't have technical skills, use Word Press to learn. If you are really serious and need a professional website, check out 99Designs.com. They have amazing artists standing by waiting to compete and win your services.

That's the short and sweet way to make a sample plan for a website. You can always enhance these steps by adding a website story board but these steps should be enough to get you started.

Things to Do Before Re-Designing Your Website!

Re-designing your website can be a good idea if it has looked the same for years. It can also be an excellent way to reach new markets and attract new customers. We have listed the key factors to consider before starting the process of modernizing your site that will help you increase your chances of getting more leads, increase conversation and overall revenue.

Don't skip the strategy.
Strategy is the foundation and holds all of the pieces of the puzzle together. Ask yourself; What do you want to achieve with the website? What do you want the user to do when visiting the site? No matter if the website is for a company, product, or service, a solid strategy must be implemented prior to design. When outsourcing the website project to an agency, having a deep understanding of the business structure and ability to differentiate the business' value is essential. By uncovering how the primary objective of both your business relates to the new website, the designers will be able to visually translate the business' mission, vision and philosophy.

Something Old, Something New.
Research the latest technology and the potential challenges and obstacles of selecting specific programs and platforms. For example, part of your team may be intrigued by a Flash website. However, what they may not know is that most mobile devices do not support Flash, making your site not easily viewable from anything other than a computer. Luckily, there are alternative solutions that are functional, visually pleasing, and that don't involve loosing any potential new customers.

Check out the current state of your website.
What pages are getting most visits and how long are visitors staying? Do most users leave your homepage after 3 seconds? How can you change this? This is all important information that will be a decisive factor for the success of the website and the business. Look at the analytics of your site. Setting up certain accounts will aid you in tracking analytics, stats and set future goals for the website.

Content audit.
If the site has not been updated recently, there will most likely be some outdated and irrelevant content. See if there are better ways to present your content like video, sliders, and/or in pdf format. Analytics will be beneficial here to understand the user and how you can reach them more effectively.

Make sure you're asking yourself and your employees the right questions so that your site ends up serving your best interests and contributes to the growth of your company.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Web Design - What Is It?

The Internet is becoming more and more popular today, so surely you have heard of web design. But do you know what this really is? If you don't, we suggest you read this article to inform yourself on this new and growing industry.

To start off, let's tell you what web design really is so that you will have a better understanding. It is the art of creating a website layout (the exterior of it) and coding it with different programming languages. It holds information about the company, the society or the cause it was made for. There are many utilities and types of websites.

Now, lets see who creates what part of the website. Usually, a graphic designer conceives the layout of the site. He works in collaboration with the buyer to see what color scheme and what elements he wants incorporated in the websites. They use different programs to create the most beautiful and professional looking designs.

Then, the design is taken by a programmer who codes it to be an actual working webpages. Again, he works with the client to see what features will be integrated. Of course, there are many, many languages used to code websites, each with a different motive. Lets see some of them.

Lets see, CSS and XSL are style sheet languages; often used for creating tables and format pages that keep the same structure. Database technologies such as MySQL and Postgre SQL are to create databases and login forms. They also are the security of the site. Server-side scripting (PHP and ASP) are used for interactive websites where the actions of the user have an impact on the outcome of the site. The newest, the multimedia technologies, such as Flash and Silverlight have a higher level of interactivity, such as videos, music along with still images and etc. The language used to code the site depends on the needs of the client.

Talking about needs, lets see the utilities of a website. Companies often use it to advertise their products and display information that can be valuable to their customers. Other webpages can be for entertainment, social activities or even web surfing. There are endless possibilities when it comes to the Internet!

This is no easy task, it is a difficult task, as it needs to fit a variety of screen sizes and platforms in order for the site to be viewed in its best format by the most people possible. There are many constraints that these designers must follow, but every day, new scripts and technologies are developed that ease their work.

Finally, as web design grows in popularity, so do the opportunities and possibilities it offers. Depending on the type of project you desire, there are many ways to achieve your plans. A good website takes time, money and a professional team that is willing to work their best to obtain a perfect product. Then, the rest is up to the visitors. Do they like it or not? Lets hope they do!

Web Design: The Six Amazing Basics

Web design is, basically, the process of creating audiovisual presentations with content that are designed to be imparted to the end user. It is made available through the World Wide Web using a browser or similar software such as RSS readers and microblogging clients.

The goal of web designs is to come up with a website. This is a collection of many electronic documents and applications that take up residence in a Web server. They are created in such a way that content is presented to the user. The said content, most of the time, involves different sizes of information that is deemed useful by the user.

Creating web designs can be quite complicated for someone who is not knowledgeable about the task. Here are some helpful tips to help someone who is new in the art of web designing.

1. Start with small things. A perfect example is an image that is just 10 to 12KB in size. The most common cause of slow page loading is huge images, and slow pages are terribly annoying.

2. Stick with graphics that fit with the content. It is not about how adorable or lovely a certain image is. The goal is to impart the information and content effectively. If the images exist for that purpose, then they certainly have the right to be in the design. Otherwise, they are useless and worthless baggage.

3. Avoid dynamic images. These include those that blink, move around, change, rotate, flash or do any acts that are going to end up too much of a distraction. Most people are checking out certain websites for the purpose of accessing their contents more than simply enjoying the visual delights offered by the web design.

4. Go for the standard layouts. Despite how cute and really fun it is to work with extra features on the web design's layout, it is most recommended to work with the standard ones. Such complicated layouts are going to end up confusing and annoying the readers instead of helping them in finding what they are looking for online. The simple 3-column layout is most common because of its effectivity and simplicity.

5. Use the fonts that work. When it comes to printing, any other font styles can work. For the computer monitors, however, sans-serif fonts are easier to read. Serif is best for headlines while sans-serif work well for the rest of the text. It is also recommended to stick with one or two font styles to avoid ending up with an amateur website.

6. Treat graphics as important elements in the overall layout of the site. Instead of simply being graphic designs for the site, they can actually be made to act as significant and essential elements of the entire layout. They are useful in imparting the basic content of the whole web page.

In a wrap, web design is very much like print design. It is simply made more complex and attractive with all the additional features one can add to the presentation. However, any competent designer should realize that overdoing the design can bring about more negative than positive results.

Affordable Methods To Enliven Your Website: Create Website Graphics Or Find Free Graphics

Inexpensive Ways To Enliven Your Website: Create Web site Graphics Or Discover Free Graphics
Website graphics are among the many most vital elements in each on-line page. Although they're only second to content, the meat of the website, graphics do a lot to reinforce content. In order for you the most distinctive and the most effective graphics in your site, your best wager could be to rent a specialist in the creation of graphics. That, nevertheless, requires money. Fee for graphic creation is not going decrease today, what with the growing demand for his or her companies as a result of growing number of websites. However, when you may think you are doomed, truth is there are nonetheless options: find graphics which can be free or simply create website graphics.
Finding Free Graphics
Free web site graphics are in all places within the internet; you just should know the place to seek out them. Among the graphics that you can find on-line are the following:
• Backgrounds (black, white, plain, or with colors)
• Bars (horizontal and vertical)
• Clip arts
• Photos
• Illustrations (charts, diagrams, etc.)
• Bullets
• Icons
If you seek for these graphics, all that you need to contemplate is the right crediting to the unique proprietor once you place the graphics in your site. The most common solution to credit or acknowledge the house owners of the graphics can be to offer a hyperlink to their page.
Creating Your Personal Web site Graphics
One other approach to save on the cost of hiring folks to create graphics for your website would be to create them on your own. Sure, it takes a lot more time and is undoubtedly more difficult that simply grabbing prepared-made graphics from the web. However, creating your own web site graphics also provides certain advantages. In fact, nothing beats the training experience that you will get. Who is aware of, after you've got created your first graphics, you'll find that you simply're into it and it may be a fantastic begin for a brand new career.
Apart from this, creating your personal graphics will provide you with the advantage of uniqueness. When you simply grab free graphics online, there's a great probability that many other web site house owners have additionally used the said graphics in their page. However, when you create your personal website graphics, likelihood is the graphics can be the only ones you'll discover in the web. And, that will be a plus in your side.
There are completely different instruments that you should utilize to create your personal net graphics, and a few of these tools are free. Photoshop is probably one of the well-liked net graphics programs. Unlike all different packages out these, it has complete features and is ideal for creating and editing your graphics.
Other than Photoshop, here are among the different programs that you could choose from:
• Paint Shop Pro
• DeBabelizer
• CorelXARA
• ImageMapper
• MapMaker
• GIFBuilder
• Sensible Dubbing
• NetGraphics Studio2
With all these packages, and plenty of others, creating your individual website graphics can be easier. You will also discover many online tutorials to get you began with these programs. When you familiarize yourself with all of the tools that you'll want, your skill will be lots of assist to your web site not only now but in addition to within the future.
So, who says you need to shed a variety of bucks simply to have interesting and practical graphics in your site? Create net graphics on your own or discover free graphics online and revel in extra guests to your web page!