You may find some great web design tutorials online to learn the basics. However, many tutorials are only sales ploys. If you want real, unbiased advice, then simply keep reading through the information below.
HTML5 video is set to become the next standard for displaying videos on the web and naturally, you should offer both a way in which users can stream your content through an HTML5 format as well as another format such as flash for those who have an older browser version.
Pay attention to color combinations in your design. Your text should be easy to see against your background. Reading dark text on lighter backgrounds is simpler than the opposite. If you are uncertain about the effectiveness of your color scheme choice, try it out on a friend and solicit feedback from them.
Avoid creating user interface (UI) controls that mislead your visitors. These controls include elements, widgets and more that create an interactive experience, such as a link, drop-down list or button. You do not want to make visitors think that clicking on an underlined word or phrase for example, will lead to a new page if it is not actually linked to something else. When your visitors have expectations of something working a certain way and it does not, they are more likely to assume there is something wrong with your site and leave.
To help you attract a more professional crowd to your site, make sure you design your site with no spelling errors. When designing the site, utilize a spell checker and if need to, a grammar checker. If you have a site with poor spelling and grammar, people will not want to do business with you because they will think it is unprofessional.
If you want your site visitors to spend as much time as possible on your site, make text easy to read. One of the most common design mistakes is using graphic backgrounds with patterns or dark colors; combine this with equally dark text and you have a recipe for disaster. Unless the text is clear and easy to read, your site will not be a success.
Build your website using a content management system. Knowing how to build a website using just HTML and CSS is good foundation knowledge, but this can only produce a static website. Web design has evolved into providing dynamic content. If you couple your coding skills with the use of a content management system, you can practically build any type of website that you desire.
Learning some basic HTML will help you add some interesting extras to your site. For example, you can have words that follow your cursor, or a banner that flashes important information. Make sure to change the colors and fonts occasionally, so you seem more involved with the web site and its design.
White is generally a safe background color to use when designing a professional website. White backgrounds not only make the text easy to read, but also make your site appear more professional, as white is the standard background color for corporate sites. Colors, patterns or other designs are distracting and don’t have a place on a website. It is usually preferable to have a simple background.
When creating your website, make separate CSS sets for different browsers and consider using conditional loading. These methods will ensure easy testing and maintenance going forward. You will eventually have to maintain it and this will make it easy.
Web design concepts make a lot of sense, even to beginners. But first, you have to gather the parts and then assemble them into your own design. Use what you have learned from the article above to put your puzzle together and to design a great website.