There are many people who want to become professional web designers. The fact is that few people are willing to put in the time and effort it takes to really get good at this field. Those who do make huge profits, though, so it is worth it in the end. Read on to find some tips to take you to the top of your game!
If you're designing a website, make sure the code you write has a valid HTML+CSS. Although most browsers can make sense of code that isn't valid, it could be rendered correctly or incorrectly. Valid code will render the same way most of the time in modern browsers. You can check the validity of your HTML code with an HTML validator.
Choose your color scheme wisely. Be sure that your written content is clearly visible and easy to read against the background you choose. In general, a light background with darker text is much clearer than the reverse situation. When in doubt about the effectiveness of your color choices, solicit the opinions of friends.
Always mark files that must be opened in an external program with an icon. Many sites host PDF files, and less commonly, DOC files, that must be opened in Foxit Reader and Microsoft Word/OpenOffice, respectively. These files should be marked with an icon representing the file type, and a link to download the appropriate viewer if the user does not have it.
To be updated on the new web design tricks, you should join an online forum. When joining these message boards you meet people who usually have an understanding of all the new web design technology. Without this new web design technology you could end up with a site that is completely outdated.
Use images wisely. Bitmap images do not tend to fare well for internet use, and some GIFs do not work well with lots of color. Image size is important as well, as larger images may make your viewers have to wait for them to download. Choose smaller images, and use them sparingly to make your site more manageable.
Proofread everything so it looks nice. Content should be read easily and quickly. A site with errors is not very professional and it will make people want to stay away from your site.
Make text easy to ready by using colors that contrast or backgrounds that are easy to read text on. When your text is harder to read because the background or text color creates eye strain or portions of text that are unreadable, site visitors are less likely to stick around.
You may notice interesting web design techniques being used by other web designers, but you want to innovate, not copy. Create designs on your own, and improve on the ones you've witnessed on other websites. Doing this will boost your website quality.
If you believe your site may be accessed via mobile devices, you will want to keep your designs simple. The use of flash, excessive images, and complicated menus will not translate well to a mobile platform. Keep your page clean and simple, or create a specific mobile site for your users.
Do your best to stay consistent with your efforts when you are learning web design. You don't want to learn a couple of things then come back a couple of weeks later and try to learn something new and already have forgotten the information that you had previously learned complicating your whole web design process.
Even if you know how to design sites for the web you still have much to learn. Everyone today is using mobile devices so this means that there is a higher demand for making sites mobile compatible. Start learning how to build mobile sites so that you're knowledgable of how to build various types of websites.
Avoid every instance of spammy "sell language" that you possibly can. Studies show that users are likely to jump off of a webpage the instant they pick up the "salesman" vibe. This is because it is said to actually trigger a predatory response in human brain function! So next time you want to sell a product, here remember that the potential consumer may view you as a predator and run!
Steer clear of captchas. While captchas may be useful in some cases, forcing them to do so for mundane tasks, will make them leave your site quickly. Unless they have already registered, they will probably leave your site and browse somewhere else.
Avoid every instance of spammy "sell language" that you possibly can. Studies show that users are likely to jump off of a webpage the instant they pick up the "salesman" vibe. This is because it is said to actually trigger a predatory response in human brain function! So next time you want to sell a product, remember that the potential consumer may view you as a predator and run!
Give yourself access to the right tools to make web designing fun and productive for your business. When something is down correctly, it can be beneficial to your promotional skills. Use these guidelines as soon as possible, and you will notice remarkable improvements.
Katlyn Slocum Design
104 SE 93rd Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98664
360-784-1465