The Creative Design Blog

Are you in the process of developing a new website for yourself or your business? Or would you just like to empower yourself to comprehend what your web designer is talking about when he throws the technical dictionary at you? Then the web design guidelines below should prove to be quite useful.

Custom Error Pages: These simply mean that if someone clicks on a link to a specific page on your site that no longer exists, he should not just get an error message. He should be taken to a user-friendly page where there are links to the other pages on your website. This way you won’t lose a potential client.

Make sure non-www prefix also works: Many people don’t type ‘www’ in front of the domain name when they go to a website. Depending on the settings of your web server, this might take him to an error page. Make sure that you set up your site to work both with the ‘www’ prefix and without it.

Resize your website graphics properly: If you add a large picture to your website and you simply add code to tell the browser to show it in a smaller size, the whole (huge) picture still has to be downloaded before the browser can display the smaller version. If you resize the image in a graphics editor before the time, it will speed up your website substantially.

Use a favicon: A favicon is just a fancy name for a small image file that appears in your website visitor’s address bar when he visits the site. It could be a small version of your logo, or any other graphic which you feel will remind your visitors of you next time they see it. It creates trust and it looks professional.

Register more than one domain name: Compared to ten years ago, domain names have become cheaper both in relative and absolute terms. Make use of that fact and grab as many domain names as you can afford. It simply increases your chances of being found by the search engines and it stops competitors from ’squatting’ on a domain name that sounds like yours. As an absolute minimum, register all the major top level domain extensions for your site (such as . Com, . Biz, . Net etc.).

Website navigation: As a visitor goes from page to page on your website, the links should remain the same on each page and they should also appear on the same place inside the different pages. There is nothing more frustrating than getting totally lost in a website’s navigation system, so you have no clue where you are or where you were coming from. Whether you do the web design job yourself, or get a web designer, this matter is very important.

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The ability to present visual context to viewers through the internet is called web design. Web pages generally consist of HTML or CSS pages. These pages are view through a web browser or other web enabled software. Some people browse the internet by way of their TV or video game systems. However you view the internet, web pages are what you will always see.

Web pages are made up of different types of codes. Hyper Text Markup Language, HTML, was the most commonly used code that built basic web pages. That has since changed and new codes like XHTML, XML, CSS and Flash now dominate the internet world. These newer forms of web page coding can handle more challenging media like animations, videos and sound.

Internet Browsers are now equipped with plug-ins like QuickTime, Adobe Flash and Java in order to view the new coded web pages. There are many different ways of designing web pages. Most professional sites are given few animations and graphics so as not to over shadow the main service or product being offered.

Web pages for personal use are abundant with graphics and animations. This is so that the view will be easily captured. Here are a few important things to know when designing web pages. It’s best to now use CSS instead of HTML. Because of the many plug-ins that browsers have, HTML can shift out of place and make tables or other elements look uneven.

Frames, while they look professional, are truly not ideal to have on your web pages or website. Whenever any formatting is changed on the site, the frames sometimes have to be rebuilt. Plus, they have a tendency to shift out of place like HTML tables. Using the link “Click Here” has also lost much of its appeal.

Most web pages are truly sought for their content. By writing a good piece of information with your hyperlinks weaved in like your keywords, you can help them flow and read naturally. Whatever content you do put on there, make sure it is interesting to your viewers and that they can read it. Never type in all caps and don’t bunch up your words into one long paragraph.

While it may be fun to create web pages and sites, web design requires good planning and combination of content and graphics to make it stand out. Things like web page coding may take a bit more learning and practice. It’s a good idea to grab a book or take a class on it to learn more.

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First and foremost, web design must welcome the visitors you hope to attract. Make it easy to read the menu buttons and move from page to page. Decide what information they are trying to access and provide it.

Use your mind when you decide what to include in your web design. If you love pink and are selling floral arrangements, great. If you are selling men s work boots, obviously it does not make sense to use pink. Use a quiet gray or gray and white and light green if in doubt.

While little kids adore cartoons running across the computer screen, kids do not hold the credit cards. A teen age girl shopping for a hot Halloween costume does not want to see Wile E. Coyote falling off the cliff and distracting her attention. If you use music, do not have it play over and over. You can also choose to show a mute button for those who do not care to be distracted.

A sexy lady shopping for new lingerie is not at all concerned with kitchen utensils. You must choose the types of products that are related to each other. She may be interested in handbags or clothing, but nothing totally practical. If in doubt, leave it out.

A listing of products for sale should be described clearly as to what they do and how they are beneficial. It should be fast and easy to order the product the shopper wants. If it is not, your potential customer will find a website where a similar product is easy to order.

When you put pictures on the pages, do not make the size too slow to download. A customer in a rush will not appreciate waiting. One picture might suffice. People want fast and speedy and more fast these days.

Appearance is important but not the only important feature. The writing should be interesting to read. For a service you provide you should detail what you offer and how much it will cost in total. Do not misrepresent your services as it will not enhance your reputation in the long run.

The visitor already knows dog owners will be attracted to the site. Do not waste your space and their time downloading pictures of ten dogs. If they are in a hurry, they will leave before the pictures appear.

If you are readily available it will show you care about pleasing your customers. Answer questions by email or phone. Make it easy to reach you. Make the customer know he is important to you.

Decide who your target audience is. Decide what you hope they will do when they visit. If you want them to buy sweaters, show a few pictures, a complete description of each one and mark the price clearly. Make ordering an easy process and explain your return policy.

Briefly but completely describe the reason for your website. Allow them to have an easy navigation system. Help them find their way from page to page. When it is attractive and fun to visit, you will know you have a successful web design.

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With the growing acceptance of the internet as a business and social meeting place for all activity, it is advised to be able to design your own website in order to economically get in on the action. To build your own site, it allows you the ability to create the site you want while reflecting your own unique needs and flair too. There are steps to follow to build your own web design.

There are a number of vital things to know when discovering the fundamentals of website design. When you gain the basic knowledge to build your site accurately, you will have access to additional elements which will improve your website to reflect your business and design. While there are many qualified website building providers which may be found on the internet and which can be hired to show you how to build your website. If you choose to build the site yourself you will be at a greater advantage because you will also have gained web design knowledge to use in the future of your work, to let you ensure that your final site is what you really want.

By gaining the knowledge yourself through taking advantage of the available education processes, you have a bigger chance of getting the kind of site you need while also having total input into the information being sent over the web on your behalf and having the tools to tweak it yourself whenever your business needs call for it.

A website is a great way to reach your customers and suppliers if you have products or services to sell. Being available to your customers and potential customers is important to maintaining a viable position in the business marketplace. Even for individuals, a website can be a central location in a world where we are increasingly measuring our time living at a particular location in months not years and relocations can take you across an ocean as easily as across a continent.

A well-designed website on the internet is critical to keeping your contacts up to date. A stellar website presence signals to the world that you are doing business and are ready to be contacted. Outstanding web designs allow you to add your information on the internet which will inform business contacts exactly the positive information that you want them to recognize when they consider contacting you.

The website can also give your contacts additional up-to-date contact locations to use when they need to reach you. You can advise them that you may be reached through the various social media websites on the Internet. These ways of communications will advise everyone of current updates of your company.

When preparing your website, ensure that you have all of your marketing and product ideas close at hand so you will be sure that they are included in your profile. Using your well-designed, thorough site will achieve advertising your business honestly and effectively in order that traffic from all aspects of your life is directed to contact you quickly and reliably. When designing your own site, direct the traffic to you in a manner that reflects you and your business. Remember that you have to avoid the tendency to use all of the available tools. You want to avoid having a cluttered site and rather use the tools for your web design to your benefit to attract positive attention!

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If you are an artistic individual and can use graphics well, it will greatly enhance your web design abilities. Do you know basic design methods? Go on the Internet and observe how others have used art to make great looking sites.

Decide for yourself what is conservative and what is experimental. Conservative styles are suitable to industrial business sites. An experimental site might employ bright colors that are fun rather than functional.

For starters, you can learn basic HTML and an editing program such as notepad. This is built in to windows and Mac has a similar built in editor. You can learn basic HTML for free by accessing articles or the W3C website. W3C is an organization that regulates the use of HTML and other programming languages online. You have no need to purchase a fancy editor or a course in HTML.

If you would rather buy an editing program because you think it will do a better job, there are many available. You can purchase books on learning computer languages like HTML also. You may need to buy a software to work with your pictures.

You can purchase a course that will teach you HTML. You can just as easily go to one of the tutorials offered free. HTML is the code that instructs the browser how to display your design. It may seem like a lot of tags at first. It is really quite easy.

You do not have to memorize all of them because you can stop and go over them right online. The alternative method is to use a WYSIWIG. This is a software that creates the code for you. All you do is push the right buttons. WYSIWIG means what you see is what you get.

You may know how cashiers in fast food restaurants punch a picture of the food that is ordered. Well, the cash register figures out the price and tax. They do not have to even know how to read. If you want to learn to read HTML code, you need to study a bit. For the purpose of doing only one website, the WYSIWIG may serve your purpose.

If you do want to understand the underlying concepts though, you will have to learn HTML and CSS. You need basic computer skills such as managing files, the HTML and a file transfer application to get your website online. File transfer protocol is often referred to as FTP. Or, simply use the WYSIWIG and be guided through the process.

To go live, on the Internet, you need web space on a server. When your web design is complete, it is ready to be shown on the Internet. The public can access it by url (the web address), or by googling the topic or theme of the site. It is likely your Internet service provider will allow you a small amount of space on their server as part of your paid service.

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“Companies are increasingly turning to the Web to advertise their products and services.” (Byte, Nov 1994, in an article about small business web design)

If you take the time to implement these elements into your own small business web design you will be well on your way to beating the competition and it will also help your business grow to new heights. If you do not take the time to implement these elements then you may find yourself wasting a lot of time, energy and hard-earned money.

First of all you need to stop and really give some thought to the type of products or services you are selling and what the best way is to present them to the online community? What your product or service is doesn’t really matter, but putting the effort into coming up with a compelling and powerful message in your presentation, matters tremendously. It may involve such things as videos and eye-catching graphics among other things. But sometimes, it’s just a catch-phrase or memorable quote that stands out as your “hook”. Remember the Internet is a great gateway to the world at large and you need to use it to your best advantage.

In the ever changing landscape of internet technology, one thing remains constant. Customers still look for products and services that other people can provide to them. Marketing your website is imperative to adding value to your business. This serves to initiate a point of contact for your existing customers as well as drawing new ones. A website is a leveraging tool that will stimulate your sales and may add valuable jobs.

The presentation of your website is the key to building lasting impressions of your business to important clients. Many website designers customize the web design to enhance your business further. As cost is often the main concern, most design companies offer an all inclusive package that includes the domain name, web hosting, provision of several web pages, and a contract that guarantees compliance with your business standards. Some offer discounts and storage space freebies. Many designers offer tutorials and training programs on getting the most efficiency out of your website.

The primary focus of any business is to generate profits and net income. Reducing expenses and increasing earnings is the key to achieving that goal. Using a web design company with a good reputation will encourage both needs for your company. One need to save money on printing, postage, and faxing, but using a website will also help to cut those costs.

Small businesses can eliminate or reduce their printing and designing costs on promotional materials like brochures, newsletters and adverisment banners by deploying the services of a website designer. An informative website will act as a brochure of your product catalog, an adverisment banner and offer clients with pricelists, frequently asked questions, recent news and updates. In addition, updating your brochures on the web is cost-effective and quicker, than employing a regular method. You can reduce advertising expenses by using smaller print ads that refer customers to your web site for more detailed information. Adding online printed documents (PDF) for customers to download can reduce your fax expenses.

A small business website design offers time contingency. A well-structured and informative website will enable you to deliver your product and services faster to your client, as most of the questions about price cost, time frame and products would have been adequately answered on your website and they would be ready with their credit card for the purchase.

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For companies that wish to take their business to the next level, getting a Professional web design built is essential. More and more people are turning to the Internet to buy and lookup information. The telephone book and printed newspapers are fast becoming history and are becoming only now a useful supplementary way of marketing a business. A Professional web design is extremely important as it not only represents your company, but also allows your potential customers to get more information about your products and services.

If you look at the larger picture, a professional web design can have a far larger impact on your customers than a pre-populated website template could ever offer. If you have your website designed professionally, you website visitors will know it and it will help you to convert enquiries into paying clients.

There are 2 choices when it comes to having a website created. The first choice is to use ready-made template that can be found online and modify it for your business. The downside to this is that many other companies will have a similar looking website as a result. It also makes search engine optimisation more difficult.

The 2nd choice is to get a professional web design built for you. It is much more worthwhile in the longer term and will keep your visitors engaged and informed of new developments at your company.

A website is always a personal and individual thing and is your online shop-front and brochure. If a website is designed nicely and professionally your site visitors will know that you have invested in it. A template site is, to even the untrained eye, easy to spot. Investing in a Professional web design will pay many times over in the long run, plus, you have a salesperson online in the form of your site 24×7.

Many of the templates used by companies as a cheap alternative to a professionally designed website appear a cost cutting exercise at first, but usually end up costing more in lost revenue in the long term.

The longer someone spends on a site, the more likely they are to pursue your services. Therefore, it is important to have a well designed website in order to achieve this.

Choosing to have a professional design your business website will provide you with a well thought out site that would be virtually impossible to achieve on your own. The people you hire to setup and implement your site should always do research and consider competitor’s websites. By doing this, it is easy to get a sense of what is working, what is not, and what will make you stand out from the crowd.

Using a company to design a professional website will save you time and many hours doing the correct research and writing endless lines of code.

As the owner of a business, you should know exactly how much a professional website design can add to your business. It can be an essential tool in drawing the attention of customers to your business.

A website can be a valuable source of information for your customers. If you do not have a website, consumers may never find you or your services. Having a professional website design built is a great investment for your business.

Some companies may decide to handle the website creation themselves, and that may work sometimes, but generally, you will find that it leads to an ineffective business website that fails to bring in traffic and visitors.

An essential part of having a professional website designed and built by a design company is designing it so that the search engines can find it. This practice is also known as search engine optimisation.

Avoid trying to cheat the search engines. Trying to do this will affect your search engine rankings and risk getting your website removed. The goal is to assist the search engines in guiding web searchers to your website when a user searches for a keyword or phrase.

A professional website design should be designed and have content written around strong keywords. This will help improve your site rankings in the search engines and get it noticed. Text content should be written to include keywords relating to your business which will help the search engines.

A professional website design company should know how search engine optimisation works, and those principals still apply here when writing content on your site. A professional website design company doing this in addition to the usual search engine optimisation techniques should all help to drive traffic to your website.

Having a contact page helps build trust with consumers. So a basic list of names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses should the bare minimum a professional website design company could get away with.

More and more websites are choosing to include live chat and instant messaging on their website. This has been shown to increase sales conversions over time, as people can speak in real time to a representative.

Find out more about professional website design and how to choose the best web design company for your requirements.

Effective business website design can appear deceptively easy on the outside, but can have a massive impact on the end of results. If designed and marketed badly, your website will lose you potential customers and will get little to no traffic. Here we discuss mistakes that must be avoided at all costs on your website.

1. Use relevent title tags. When a website is built, you should use meta title tags to describe what is on each website page. Whatever you have in the title tags also appears in the blue bar at the top of the window. Be sure to include some of the your target keywords in the title tag to help people when they are searching online.

2. Don’t fill your webpages with ads. Doing this will will both alienate and distract your visitors – and they may even leave your website. Make sure you try and keep webpage advertisments and banners that flash to a minimum. This then leaves your customers focused on the important parts of the page.

3. Keep website navigation simple. Most websites have links on the left or top of the page to get around the website. Keep it simple and follow the same navigation that your visitors are already used to, and don’t make it difficult for them to get around. Remember that your visitor is used to getting around a website in a certain way.

4. Dead page links. Web page links that do not work are very frustrating. Check all your links work and that they point to the right place. Another good reason is that having dead page links can penalise you in the earch engines as well.

5. Don’t use Macromedia Flash on your pages unless impossible. Flash does have a place on websites, but is mainly found in gaming or interactive sites where this cannot be done a different way. Consider using animated GIF’s for moving images instead, as most people can view these in a web browser. Another consideration is you could try using javascript or java which is more supported that flash. Flash can take too long and by the time it has, your visitor has left your website.

6. Lack of a Search Box on your website. For a website with many pages, it is extremely important to allow users to search the site without having to find pages by going through every link.

7. Using PDF file links on the website. Using PDF files can good in the case of putting your glossy company brochure online, but it is better to ideally put the pages in HTML web format. More people will see the information then, as if site visitors don’t have Adobe Reader installed, they will have to install it. In our experience, people usually click away instead of trying to download it. Keep the use of PDF’s to a minimum.

8. Visited text links do not change colour. Most web surfers are used to a link they have already clicked on changing colour once they have visited it. Keep link colours familiar to visitors and make sure they change colour once they have already clicked them. Put your reader’s interest in mind when designing your website.

9. Messy text formatting. Break the website text up into nicely formatted paragraphs, seperated and spiced up with the occasional picture. Too much text blocked together makes visitors “switch off” and close a website if they see too much. Keep your site consistent and clear . Consider using bulleted lists, headings, highlighted words, quotes, and subtitles.

10. Don’t use small fonts. Using fonts that are easy to read can make reading your website much easier for visitors. Remember that not all site visitors might have good vision. Also You should also consider making your site W3C compliant so that blind people can also read the text with a “screen reader”. Don’t use images that contain text, as screen-reading software will not be able to “read” them.

If you are looking for a classy and professional business website design, visit www.digitalflair.co.uk to find the best advice on business web design for you.