Take a deep
breath and read some practical tips for professional looking websites.
1. Select
a color scheme and stick to it.
If your
company has a logo or preferred colors on its stationery that’s a good start.
For those of you starting from scratch, choose two or three complementary
colors and stick with them – don’t change colors on every page.
The most
common color schemes include:
- Red,
yellow and white
- Blue and white
- Red, grey
and white
- Blue,
orange and white
- Yellow,
grey and white.
If you’re
not sure what color scheme to choose, surf the internet and find a website that
you like. You can then model your color scheme on what already exists.
2. Use
templates ideas.
Don't use
complete templates. If u use you won't be able to get any marks. Can’t find a
website you really like? Another option is to choose a template. There are many
templates or pre-set designs.
Visit:
www.web4business.com.au
emplates1.htm
www.newtemps.com
www.website-templates-resale-rights.com
www.123webtemplatesandmore.com
3.
Provide an easy to use navigation system.
This is one
of the most important issues to consider when designing a website. You need to
ensure your visitors can find what they are looking for easily. Most websites
either display their navigation bar on the left or at the top. And since most
people are used to this type of navigation, it’s best to stick with it.
It also
helps to include your navigation bar at the bottom of each page to save your
visitors from having to scroll back to the top.
4. Don’t
go overboard on special effects
Whilst it is
ok to have one or two special effects to jazz up your website, spinning
graphics and logos often distract your visitor from the content, not to mention
they can take too long to download. Your visitors may click away even before
your spinning logo finishes loading.
5.
Backgrounds
Ensure your
visitors can read the text on the background, i.e. no black writing on dark
blue background or yellow on white. Also be careful that your links are visible
before and after being visited. The default for links in most programs is blue
(before being visited) and burgundy (after being visited), so if you have a
dark background, ensure your links are light.
6.
External Links
It is a good
idea to open links to other websites in a new window. That way your visitors
can easily return to your site when they are finished browsing the external
link
7. Site
Map & Search Feature
If you
website is more than 15 pages, it is useful to have a site map or a “Search”
feature to ensure your visitors can easily find what they’re looking for.
8.
Content is King
While it is
important that your website looks clean and professional, it is far more
important that you concentrate your efforts on the content and promotion.
If you want
a professional website, things to stay away from include:
1. Flash
intros, revolving globes, beveled line separators, animated mail boxes
2. Loads of
pop up or pop under boxes
3. Auto play
music. Allow your customer to play music only if they choose.
4. Hit
counters of the free variety, which say “you are 27th visitor”
5. Date and
time stamps, unless your website is updated daily or weekly
6. Busy
backgrounds.
Don’t sweat
the small stuff and get yourself focused on what to include on the website and
the best way to promote it. We will cover these topics in future articles.
