Many people think designing a site is hard, but that’s only the case if you don’t make time for learning how. A number of software programs are available that make it simple to design websites. Keep reading to find excellent advice regarding finding the web design program that is best for your needs.
Search Box
Make sure that there is a site feature that will allow users to seek for specific content. If those visiting your site are looking for something specific, the first thing they will look for is a search box. If you don’t have a search box, they’ll just go to the next site. Always put the box somewhere near the right page’s top because people will look for it there.
Be sure your site can be scanned by visitors easily. Various tests on usability demonstrate that most online readers do not actually read all the content; instead, they scan it for something that interests them. Break text into sections with headers that can be scanned easily by your readers. Keep the most pertinent information near the top of the page. This helps the visitors see the important stuff first before checking out the rest of the site.
Regularly distributing a newsletter can help to secure repeat visitors. When you allow people to receive notifications about special events, discounts or updates, they are more likely to visit your site multiple times. It is good practice to place the newsletter signup form in your website’s side bar. Furthermore, you should always keep track of everyone who signs up. Make sure the newsletter only goes to those who actually asked for it, or you’re going to get some serious blowback.
Make use of keyword research. Though your primary focus is on supplying proper content and information to your customers, you need to build a customer base. Knowing which keywords are the ones that will draw search engine visitors to your site is essential if you want to become successful.
Free Software
Free software is great to start with when you’re getting into web design. You can use a lot of free tools to assist your building of your website, so check into the software that is available to you. Finding good free software does require a bit more legwork, however.
You must remember in order to index your images, ALT tags must be employed. This allows everyone to gain access to the intended information. Even if you use links for your images, the ALT tags will help to explain what the link does. Lastly, search spiders use ALT tags, so this can help you in the SERPs.
Try and write a decent “About Us” page. A lot of websites contain ugly, uninformative, generic “About Us” pages. You can share personal information, education history and career choices that have lead you to this point in your life. Let people see who you are by sharing your educational background, career moves and future goals.
Check Links
Be sure to always look at the links on your site, and make sure none are broken. Check links on a regular basis as you are designing, and make sure to perform a check before uploading your site to the server. You need to check links frequently because visitors will click on your links. If many of your links are broken, visitors will give up on exploring your site. To maintain your site integrity, test it every time you make a change.
Always spend a few minutes proofreading content before posting it to your website. People should be able to read through the content quickly and easily. If there are errors, most readers will see your site as unprofessional and will not take you seriously.
Web Design
As was stated in the introduction, web design is fairly simple, especially when you have a program to work with. If you are able to follow instructions well, then you can do web design yourself. Take these tips and go forward secure in the knowledge that you have a good base from which to work.