How to Create an Effective Website

Creating an effective website can seem like a huge job. It does not matter what your level of experience is, whether beginner to expert, it is still going to be overwhelming. There is so much to take into consideration such as the color scheme, and layout. Information regarding web design is forever changing. The selection of tips below, however, will help you to create an effective website.

Creating An Effective Website Tips

Don’t use splash pages for your site unless required by law, and especially don’t use a Flash intro. Most people just want to get to your content as quickly as possible, and don’t care to look at useless splash pages. If you have some amusing content that you absolutely want visitors to see, integrate it into the homepage instead.

Make sure all of your webpages actually have titles and make sure they are descriptive. A surprising number of webpages out there are called “untitled document” or “new document”. This not only denies visitors a useful piece of information to remember your site but also absolutely destroys your SEO, since search engines weight page titles heavily when ranking sites.

Include a search element that allows visitors to search within your website content. If those visiting your site are looking for something specific, the first thing they will look for is a search box. When you do not have one, they are more likely to move on to another site that does.  Always place the box at the top right of the page, as this is the first place visitors tend to look for one.

White Space

White space is an important part of web design, so don’t be afraid to use it. Cluttering up your web pages with too many images or too much text, or using a distracting background, will only irritate your visitors. White space can make the important elements of your page more visible.

Make sure your website is easily scanned. 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. Using text that is emphasized to break it into sections that are easily scanned ensures your readers are more likely to return. Also, make sure to keep the most important information at the top. All of this ensures a more satisfying experience for your visitors because they can quickly find what they need.

Test Your Website

Test your website before it goes live. There’s nothing worse then launching your new website and having to take it down right away due to bugs or other issues. Get a group of people together who are using different web browsers and computer platforms, and ask them to use a beta version of your website, writing down any issues they come across.

Repeat visitors

To get repeat visitors, use an e-mail newsletter. Giving your customers the opportunity to receive promotions, updates, or other news in their inboxes can encourage them to return. Put your sign up form on your site’s sidebar to keep track of how many people sign up. You can avoid some reputation-damaging trouble by making sure that your newsletter only goes out to visitors who have explicitly requested it.

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.

There are multiple things to think about when designing a website, including layout and color scheme. While the sheer number of factors that go into designing a website can make it an intimidating venture, it doesn’t have to be hard. If you use the tips read here on how to create an effective website,  you’ll find that creating a successful website is easier than you thought!

For further information on creating effective websites, read the article, “Web Design Tips for Small Business.”