Tuesday, March 23, 2010

In Web Design Links Reinforce Scannability.

It is a proven fact that online visitors who view a page are generally drawn to images. But aside from that, it is also proven that their attention is also immediately caught by links because they are underlined and set in a different colour from the rest of the text. Your web design company will strictly advice you to make your links stand out in order for them to catch the eye of your readers. Of course, your text content or web copy must able to reinforce scannability of your page. Fortunately, the addition of links that stand out well make the content even more scannable. Bear in mind during web design though that these links will only be effective if they are related to the site content and the linked text. Your web design company should know better.

Web design Tip #1: Links on Your Home Page:

Unless you are web designing a site that is only made of 1 page, your home page should have links to all the other parts of your website. Bear in mind too that most online readers will scan through your home page much more than they are likely to read it, so you need to make sure that your links speak for themselves and are self-explanatory. However, avoid a home page that is made up only of links, and nothing. Doing this will defeat the purpose of scannability; the links will no longer stand out. Also, never make your link title fancy or make your readers guess where the link will lead to. Your web design company will also be pleased if you put in links to the other general pages of your site.

Web design Tip #2: General to Specific is the Way to Go:


When online users search for information, they usually start from the general and eventually get more specific as they try to narrow down their search. Using the same logic, try to think of those links in your site as a funnel. You have to start with a general category at your top page and narrow it down further as your readers search for what they want.

Web design Tip #3: How to Write Links and Setting Them:

Here are some tips to come up with better and more clickable links:

• Check your log files and look for a trend of what people are mostly searching your site for. Use the most commonly used words as your links to other parts of your site.

• You should also verify that your links actually go to where you have implied for them to go. Do not take the risk of ruining your client's image (and that of your web design company) by links that lie. When readers find that the information they are searching for is not there, they will leave and will not likely return.

• Write your links as clearly as possible. If you are linking to an e-book, your text should read something like "this e-Book..." Moreover, the link should actually go to a page with an e-Book in it, and not an online store or a biography of an author.

• When web designing, never make the mistake of playing games with your links. Do not put those links just for the sake of putting them. Your web design company will surely require you to put links that are as straightforward as possible. Remember that your web design company wants to be of service to readers and to the clients to whom you are making the page for. Therefore, make sure that you only put in useful links.

Create links that are incorporated into significant content. Your links should be more than just a list of links that will not make sense on the part of online users. Make sure that the links contain explanations on what it contains. If you are presenting a link that leads to more links, you need to make sure that you add in an explanation of what the readers should expect so that they will not be surprised to see a list of links. Your web design company will indeed appreciate such efforts.

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Web Design vs. Print Design: How To Find The Middle Ground

There are a number of web designers who come up with print backgrounds for the sites that they make. These are most likely those who used to be print designers before joining the web design company they are part of now, or they are simply used to the control that is offered by print media. Remember though that print provides stability and permanence, and these two are not present in the Web. Realistically speaking though and speaking from experience if I may add, it is rather easy to forget this.

As you build your web page and have it tested on your browser, you somehow would like it to look exactly how you want it to. However, since your web design company requires you to test it in different browsers, you will see that they look different. As you move from one platform to the next, you will notice that there are slight but uncomfortable differences. This should be a good reminder that web design does not have the permanence and the stability that print does.

On the other hand, as the web designer, your web design company will most likely ask you to work with your customers during the web designing process. One of the most important things that you need to do is to explain to them the difference between the Web and print. Most clients would ask you to provide them your portfolios and web design plans. It is all too common for a web design company to receive customer complaints which stems from the fact that the website is not the exact representation of the print-out. To spare your web design company from this usual trouble, you have to learn how to properly work with your customers:

It is always good to have a portfolio printed out for clients to see. But bear in mind that it is not entirely a representation of your skills in web designs. When you do show them a portfolio, make sure that you also carefully explain to them the differences that they should expect on the final output web page. Make sure that you are upfront with them. If they set specifications for a graphical page and want specific layout, font and other web design elements, make sure that you also mention the possible trade-offs such as in the download speed and maintenance requirements. Lastly, it would be best to know what type of platform your customer will use. If you are a big fan of Netscape on the Mac, while your customer uses Internet Explorer version 7 for the Windows operating system, make sure that you bear this fact in mind when you come up with your designs. The page you come up with during the web design face may look very different on their platform.

So how then can you compromise the difference between web design and print? Well, you mostly need to rely on the web design techniques that you employ.

Here are some tips to help you through this difference:

• Know your audience very well. It is imperative that you know who the potential visitors of the site are and for whom the website is to be made for. Know your client's target audience and their characteristics or behaviors. If they are highly advanced users, they will most likely browse in UNIX or Linux on a 21-inch monitor. If they are rather more conservative, they are likely to use an Internet Explorer 7 on a 14 inch monitor. If your web design best suits your audience, your client will not come back running to your web design company to complain about the final site output.

• Test, test, and test again. You need to test your web design in each and every browser and operating system combination that you can possibly get both your hands on. You can use emulators if you are short of time and if you have no other choice, but nothing beats hands on experience through actual tests and runs.

• Never forget about resolution. Although browsers and operating systems are both important, there is one other factor that you need to consider in site web design. Keep in mind that if your client as well as their target audience will browse your final page on a browser than is smaller than you have designed on, there is a good possibility that they will be unpleasantly surprised. They might come back running to you, and your web design company might not appreciate that very much.

Using CSS can help you get precise layouts, but remember that your web design can never and will never be as precise as print. Remember this as implement the web design of your pages to spare you and your web design company a great deal of stress.

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Web Page Design is a Reflection of Your Business

Consider this scenario. You're considering patronizing a certain business, and decide to look it up on the Internet before making your final decision. Up pops their website and it looks like someone went berserk with a web design program. The fonts are either unreadable or the text is so large that it screams at you. The colors clash or are so bright that they hurt your eyes. The pictures are out of focus or so large that the page takes forever to load. Hyperlinks lead nowhere, and the site navigation leaves you perplexed. In a split second, you know that you'll never give this company your business.

This may be an exaggeration, but we've all seen bad web site designs. They infect the Web like a bad head cold that won't let go. You can't help but wonder what the business owner was thinking. After all, why have a website if it reflects poorly on your company or actually drives customers away?

Often, small- and medium-sized business owners aren't aware of the impact that their websites have on customers and potential customers. They may know that having a web site is important, but think that professional webpage design is cost prohibitive. So, they conclude that their child, neighbor, or spouse can put something together and that it will be "good enough." Or, ten years ago they may have actually paid a professional web page designer and having done any modifications for years.

In today's business world, there's no getting around the fact that your web page design is a reflection of your business. Whether yours is an e-commerce site, a lead generation site, or simply a small informational website, you need to put your best (virtual) foot forward and project an image that puts your business in the best possible light. Keep in mind that, if you don't have a good website, your competition probably does and is siphoning customers away from you.

If you've hesitated hiring a business web page designer because of cost considerations, it's time to think again. Unless you need a highly customized, programming intensive site, a web designer isn't going to break the bank. In fact, there are web page design firms that specialize in helping small- to medium-sized businesses succeed in their online endeavors.

Today, a website designer can economically provide you with hundreds of templates from which to choose. These templates come in a variety of styles that are appropriate for a wide range of businesses. A professional web page designer can easily customize templates, giving them images and graphics that will make your website unique.
In addition, a web page design company can provide you with a suite of options that will help you develop your online business. These tools might include a shopping cart, an SSL certificate, free hosting, email accounts, domain registration, and even marketing strategies.

If you don't already have a website, your business needs an online presence. If you haven't updated the design of your company website in two years or more, it's time to consult with a web page design company. And, if you happen to have one of the nightmarish sites that turn potential customers away, it's time to look forward, turn over a new leaf, and hire a professional web page designer.

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