3 Top Tips For Designing Your Website

Added: (Wed Sep 01 2010)

Pressbox (Press Release) - How To Design A Website

The credit crunch has led to many business owners tightening their belts over the last couple of years. When finances are stretched, very often the first thing to go is the marketing budget. Clearly, at a time when new business is at a premium, the last thing that you want to do is stop marketing your business! For this reason, many more people are taking the decision to design and build their own websites.

Designing your own website make seem like a lot to take on, however with a little knowhow and the right web builder software, it can be done. Whether you opt to use a template (undoubtedly the best option for a complete beginner) or decide to try something a little more challenging, there are a few guiding principles common to all good websites that you should consider throughout the design process. Here are 3 top tips to keep in mind as you design:

Page Layout

The layout of each of your web pages is very important. It can make the difference between capturing and confusing the user and can ultimately result in a visitor choosing to spend time browsing your site, or alternatively, leaving it within half a minute. Don't be tempted to squeeze as much as you can onto each page; choose a font that is easy to read and ensure that your line spacing is appropriate.

There should be a space between different elements of your page (eg. text, images, charts) so that each different area is clearly defined. Try to think of these spaces as elements of the overall design and remember that using colour effectively in these spaces can be a way to enhance the look of each page.

Guiding the User

Guiding the user around each web page should be uppermost in your mind as you design. Research has shown that the first place users look when they open a web page is the top left hand corner; this is probably due to years of the brain learning to begin reading in this area. For this reason, placing your logo or brand name in this area is a good idea.

It's up to you as the designer to think about the order in which you would like your user to look at various parts of the web page, and to ensure that this happens by using the design elements at your disposal. Think about positioning, using font size and colour, eye-catching graphics or even flash animation when guiding your user round each of your pages.

Navigating Within Your Website

There are few things as annoying for the user as having to go through 6 web pages to get to the one they want. Additionally, your user shouldn't have to go searching for a button to take them to the next page, it should be in an obvious location and be clearly labelled. Little touches like buttons changing colour on rollover not only add to the look of your website, but also let the user know that they're selecting the option they actually want.

If you choose to use sub-menus within your web pages, ensure that they're user friendly. Users don't appreciate being expected to attempt to move their mouse at the speed of light before the sub menu disappears! Always remember, a frustrated user is not one who will hang around on your site for long; ensure that you thoroughly road test all of your features before uploading your website to avoid this problem. Better still, get someone else who's never seen the site before to do it for you and offer some honest feedback.