Basic Web Design Considerations
Websites continue to pop up all over the internet at an astounding rate. These purveyors of information reach people of all walks of life every second. So many people try their hand at designing and hosting websites that it can prove difficult to stand out from the crowd. Therefore, there are some important things to pay attention to when designing a website.
Websites are published online to be seen. The more people that land on a particular website, the more possibilities open up for that site. That is why it is very important to figure out the target audience of the site. After it has been determined whom you are trying to reach, decide what kind of information they will be seeking. Decide if the site will have a retail aspect to it as well as information. Just like authors of books and articles, a target audience needs to be determined, not only to make the website appealing but to focus the content to be found on it. Poor marketing will relegate a website to the trash heap.
When designing a website, browser compatibility is an important thing to pay attention to. Internet Explorer does not match up with anything beyond XHTML 1.0 Strict or CSS 1. Many web users use this browser, so you will need to make sure that the site fits the format. Resolution is also limited on IE, so be economic with the graphics as well. Alternative browsers don’t have these restrictions, so they will display websites with advanced designs more easily. You have to decide how many people you want to find your site and if advanced coding will hinder the site’s exposure. The only surefire way to determine if the site will properly appear on any given platform is to test it on that platform.
When performing web design, some people forget that there is more to a site than how it looks. Remember that a website will involve quite a bit of text because it is a method for providing information. Ensure that the text is well-written and that it is search engine optimized. Optimization leads to a higher ranking on a search engine’s results page. Make the site easy to navigate as well. If the navigation is convoluted and confusing, surfers will click away from the site, never to return. Basically, make the website user friendly.
Coding and compatibility are obviously important concerns of web designers, but those reading the site will most likely not care about these issues. Just like someone reading a book or magazine is looking for entertainment or information, a web surfer is looking for an end result without considering programming issues. Remember for whom the site is being designed and the rest will follow.
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Author: Mark Thomas Walters
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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