10 Success Tips for Web Design
1- Sketch it out
2- Easy navigation
3- No flash intros
4- Lots of white space
5- Harmonious Color schemes
6- Easy to read
7- Only 1 or 2 Fonts per website
8- Critique your photos
9- Take your time
10- Get help
1- Sketch it out—start with a pencil and paper. Write down or sketch out your ideas before you start programming. Sketch out the homepage, the interface, make notes about sound effects, etc. Customize, create, or purchase a page template. Rough in all the details you can—say, a square with the words “graph here.” This step will really help save time and create a unified web design.
2- Easy navigation—make it quick and easy for website visitors to find what they’re looking for. Don’t crowd in too much information on one page. On the home page, the navigation bar and the company name should be the two primary focal points. This concept applies to the technical side as well as the aesthetic side. It must be quick to get from one page to the next. Just like a book.
3- No flash intros—they take a lot of time to load on some computers, and may not be compatible with some browsers. Visitors get impatient and either proceed, annoyed, or go somewhere else.
4- Lots of white space—white space is not wasted space. White space organizes information, provides visual breaks, and eases navigation. Websites that are too tightly packed (either with graphics or text) intimidate website visitors. They can’t find what they’re looking for. They go away unsatisfied. Not good.
5- Harmonious Color schemes—make color schemes uncomplicated and easy on the eyes. Assemble a simple color pallet of just a few different colors, in addition to white and black. Stick with these few colors and you’ll look more professional. Don’t pop in extra colors at random just to get “attention.” There are better ways to get attention.
6- Easy to read—we’re not talking reading level here. It’s about font choice. Reading on the computer is hard on the eyes, so make it as easy as possible. Some fonts were made to be read on a huge movie screen, others for newspaper print. But they all end up on your computer. Look for fonts that are easy to read on the computer screen, like Gill Sans, Garamond, or Industria (if you need a condensed font). Clear design. Effortless communication. That’s the goal.
7- Only 1 or 2 Fonts per website—limit your fonts to two as a maximum. If you do have two, make sure they go well together. Some Web designers suggest sticking with a good font that’s easy to read and you know well, such as Gill Sans or Garamond, and express personality through other ways (graphics, sound, words, etc.). A quirky font can get in the way of communication, and let’s not forget that good design is really just good communication. Communication of information.
8— Only include great photos— critique your photos. If you include custom photos, make sure they are professional quality. Even with the best digital camera, a do-it-yourself photo shoot will usually degrade and un-professionalize your website. If you are selling a product or service, this means customers aren’t as willing pay you what you’re worth. Consider hiring a freelance photographer for product shots or other custom photos. You can often find a freelance photographer willing to do photography, art direction, or photo styling for much cheaper than you’d find at a photo studio.
9- Take your time—don’t launch a sloppy website before you’ve had time to get it right. While it’s true that even most small companies need a website, it’s also true that an amateur job will turn off the customer. This relates directly to sales and profit, so pay attention. It might take you much longer than you think to design a website, particularly since you might be doing this alongside other projects. And once you do finally got things nailed down, test your website by viewing it on various browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.). Anticipate technical problems and have a tech-guru to call on if you run into problems. You can learn more about HTML, online security, cascading style sheets, Adobe PhotoShop, and other related topics at:
www.WebsiteTips.com
10- Get help—if things aren’t working out designing your own website, know where to turn for help. If finances are tight, consult a budget web design service. They know what they’re doing, they do it everyday, and a few can even get you up and running in a month or less. You could also put together your own web design team with a freelance graphic or web designer, a copywriter, and a programmer. Custom Web Design Companies and Graphic Design studios often do the most cutting edge work, but their price tags are more suited to fortune 500 companies.
Great Website = Great Profit
If you’re in business, your website is a critical reflection of your company’s identity—about how many and what types of customers you expect to attract. Your website becomes a virtual store front. Is it cluttered or well-kept, sleek or homey? Do you sell junk or treasures? Your website defines your company, products, and services, and implies their perceived value.
So—why should you care about all this? $$$. Sales. Profit. Success. Or failure. Identity defines your sales market. A novice-looking website will turn away a lot of customers. A well-done website will define your company and help support future growth.
Can a website do it alone? Of course not. Your services, products, and customer support are all contributing factors—all significant pieces of the pie. But in today’s economy, the website is certainly a piece of that pie. Just how big or how tasty that piece is—well, that’s all up to you.
SOURCES
“Dorsey’s 10 Rules of New Media,” by Bryan Dorsey and Nancy Bernard; Critique Magazine, Winter 1999, p. 90-96.
“Typefaces as Film Stars,” by Peter Bain; Communication Arts Design Annual 46, November 2005, p. 235-240
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