Are you thinking about creating a website? You need to learn a few things about web design before you get started. This article will teach you the basics.
Your knowledge of web design will determine the kind of designs you can create. If you have no prior experience with web design, you will probably have to create a blog and use a very basic template. If you want a more original design, you will have to learn languages. Learning HTML should be relatively easy but it will not allow you to create anything better than a blog template, unless you are very talented and creative. Learn java script or flash to create more interesting designs: these languages allow you to create interactive content. Do not hesitate to launch a very simple site and to improve it as you learn more about web design. You could join a class or learn everything by yourself thanks to free resources available online.
Create a design that facilitates navigation. Your design should not be too distracting: remember that the content is what really matters. Place important elements in visible places. You could for instance have a banner or an interactive element to advertise your latest contest or discount. Organize your site smartly so that your visitors can easily find the information they need. You should test your site extensively before you launch it. Have a few friends or family members try it and give you feedback on what they thought of the navigation. Perhaps you could improve your menu or change your design so that your product pages are easier to find. Make sure your site functions properly under different web browsers and on different devices.
Your design also needs to be compatible with your SEO campaign. Most of the elements related to your search engine optimization campaign should not be related to your design: your meta tags and meta description can be changed in your HTML code but are not related to your design. On the other hand, elements such as pictures, backgrounds and flash or java script content can influence the efficiency of your SEO campaign. Keep in mind that search engine spiders cannot interpret these elements. You should use tags to describe your pictures, videos and flash content. Avoid using java script to create your menus since search engine spiders will not be able to follow these links. You should also avoid using an image for your background: it will make your code harder to read. The best way to keep your code clean and easy to interpret is to use CSS: you can create a single CSS sheet to define the design of your entire site without making any changes to your HTML code.
Do more research on web design and take the time to learn the language you wish to use. Creating a professional-looking website can take some time but your efforts will be rewarded once your site becomes more popular.