Web Design Tips

• Heavy Graphic. 
  • There are more images and flash templates look awesome in modern but there are over 30 million people are still using dial up and suffer wait for slow loading for websites. You will need only use very little images and use more Cascading Style Sheets to control color and design in your website but do not overload Cascading Style Sheets.  Although some graphic are necessary for your website such as a logo.
• Animations and Video on the page where people do not expect to have animations or video show up. 
  • Many people thought animations and video are real cool and it is awesome but it take a time for them to load up and function full for dial up users so they have no patient for it.  You  need set up a page separate from the content page and let visitors about video or animations that they are going to view in next page.
• Too much scripts. 
  • You found many scripts from free java scripts website and use it but not all browsers use Java Scripts so it will be ineffective for scripts.  You can use some scripts for necessary only. Sometimes the scripts will be outdated and unusable to most updated browsers.
• Too much Advertisements. 
  • Browse users adapted with advertisements and learned to ignore them because advertisements are everywhere. Advertisements are always annoying such as pop up and ads interrupt when they are reading the content in the page They will get upset and leave without giving you a chance.  Flashy banners are the worst annoyer ever!  Never use it. 
• You chose Vanity and Business together in one website.  
  • You need choose business or vanity for your website.  If you chose both in one website will make visitors think you are not serious about business.  So you must make sure your website sticks one subject.  The most common mistakes for guestbook be in business site is inappropriate.  Guestbook is best for vanity websites only.
• Too long characters in domains and uncommon 3 ext end of the domains. 
  • Sometimes it can be difficult to choose good domains because there are million domains had been taken.  You need think outside of the box and choose short characters of the domain.  Common people know .com and .org that can be found easily for people.  the domain with .com is for commercial and org is for nonprofit or fundraiser organizations.
• Colors conflicts and inappropriate colors for business or vanity. 
  • Million websites have conflict colors that annoys people's eyes.  Number one is regular blue with regular red is too bright.  People will not able to stay, read, and leave immediately because it hurts their eyes.  Most business should use white or close to white for the background to make it look like real store and make people feel excited to buy products from business.  Dark background will make people feel dull and lose motivation.
• Errors in spelling and grammars.
  • You need to make sure you proofread your spelling and grammar before you publish your website, you can have your families, friends, classmates, or co-workers proofread for you to make sure it is a clear enough for you people to read.
• Too long page that requires a lot of scroll with your mouse. 
  • Many affiliate pages have very long page that will make people feel that there is too much to read.  You need break down each page with each subject that you want to tell people.  Another way you can make it easier for long page, write a summary at top of the page cover all information.
• Your website load up more than 10 sec at main page. 
  • Dial up users only can wait up to 8 sec for website to load up.  If your website load up too slow will make them think there is something wrong with your website and will leave immediately and move on other website that will load up to 10 seconds and start to read content or buy their products.  The quote for people saying "Do not make me wait."
• Using Html and JavaScript Redirect. 
  • It is not recommended to use it because if you put zero second to redirect will be considered as spam in search engine or it will not work for browse users who turn JavaScript off.  Using your web hosting Cpanel redirect is recommended and will be seamless redirect and will not considered as spam.
• Using disable right side menu or highlight. 
  • If you want protect your works, simple do not upload it or mark copyright on your works.  If you disable right side menu or highlight will upset visitors, encourage visitors to steal your work, and make them think you are hiding something from them.  Many people like to use right side menu to open file, new windows and other so many features.
• Every hyperlinks require open new windows. 
  • If you put all hyperlinks relate to your website open new windows all the time make visitors get tired of using their pop blocker to allow it pop up and will make them lost and cannot click back button.  So keep all related pages in same window so visitors can explore around and read contents.  If they want open new window, they will use right side menu feature.  You only can make hyperlink opens in new window if it goes to another website or completely different topic websites and let them know.
• Images were not resize to thumb size and open in same window.
  • If you use large image on page as list will make your website loading slower and will discourage visitors to explore more.  You need resize the image and hyperlink it with image link in new window.  So the visitors can see the image closer and stay in your website and not be lost.
• Harsh Writings. 
  • Never say negative to people when they first read contents will upset visitors and offend them.  You need start with positive contents.  If you feel you need tell them truth about your website situations such as website is going to down or remove features, you need start with positive contents and explain reasons about this situations in nice way only.  The common quote "We're sorry for your inconvenience."
• Hide your true identify for business websites. 
  • It is common to not tell your full name, address, and phone number in chat rooms and other chat programs to protect yourself but when you are running business you must let visitors who you are and let them know who they are dealing with to make them feel comfortable and trust you.  So they can feel safe to buy products from you without being conned.
• Set up products or Services that You cannot do.  
  • You need analysis your skills and your abilities first and practice with it if it is necessary before you start to do the services for other people.  New business people thought they can do some services and end up failed to deliver customers' request that end up upset customers and more likely to spread bad news to others about new business also will think that you are fraud.  You can get in trouble for it.
• You design website for one web browser only.  
  • If you design your website that works for Internet Explorer but you haven't test with Netscape, Opera, and other browsers that will likely have many errors when visitors try to access your website.  So check all browsers to make sure your website is accessible with all browsers.
• Unreadable Fonts. 
  • You only should use common fonts such as Arial, Verdana, and Time New Roman that is well read by visitors.  If you choose fancy fonts and not all visitors have that font will end up using their default fonts that will be worse than you use common fonts.
• Clutter and unorganized websites. 
  • You put too many advertisements and too much information on a page that is not necessary that will confuse visitors.  You must stick with one title each page.  Also you  need organize website so visitors can find the contents that they are looking for.  You will only need one navigation each page.  If you want two navigation but different hyperlinks each navigation, it is fine long as they are not close together.  They should be one at top and another at bottom.  If you use same hyperlinks in two navigation, it is overload and causes clutter.  The quote, "Do not make me think."
• Not optimized for Search Engine. 
  • All webmaster must optimize their websites for Search Engine because they will crawl your website and indexed it to be on search engine list for people to find you.  If you put all images template that will be total impossible for them to crawl you even image navigation, too.  You need use text or put alterative text on the image so Search Engine crawls it easily.  You will need have Title <title></title>, Keywords, descriptions, command crawlers to do in <meta> at the top of the page to have search engine get your information about your website.  You will need use repeat words in contents that will rank your website higher in search engine.  Also you need provide site map for engine search to index them.

I hope you find those tips are helpful for you.  You can do further research with those tips and pretend to be visitors and access many people's websites to see how you feel and realize that you would agree with those tips.

Best References

Web page analyzer will tell you how fast your website loads with different level of the speed.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia have rich information.

Google Search Engine

Written By Sharyn Redlon - SilentMysts Art Gallery