Web Design 101: The Basics

Every successful business knows that a website is the gateway to making online sales happen. Yet few understand what is involved with the creation of a website. Understanding the basics allows you to know what to place on the web page that will appeal to your readership to entice them to become loyal customers.

Web design is broken down into 3 main categories: layout, written content, and graphics. Each part needs to complement each other and have a continuous flow so that visitors are engaged at every angle. Here are a few basic tips for each category.

Layout

The layout controls the flow of the entire website design. It will also control what graphics, advertising and written text is on the page. Before you choose a layout, you have to decide how the visitor will be viewing the page. What is the most important sections that you would like the visitor’s eyes to go to first? How do you want the visitor to interact with the page? Choose a simple layout and build onto it, leaving white space so visitors have an easier time viewing all of the content.

Written Content

Whether you will be writing in detail about all your services or providing snappy captions to a product page, the written content is what will entice the visitor to read more of what you have to offer. Engaging and original content focused on what the visitors want, not what topics you want to read about, is vital to have a successful web page according to TechRadar.

Also, avoid the common mistake of using multiple fonts for headers, subheaders and text. Too many fonts just hurts the eyes and makes the content confusing. Select 2 to 3 different fonts and stick to them — Sans-Serif and Serif are popular ones because they are easy to read on different size screens.

Graphics

Graphics help break up large blocks of text, making the content easier to read. Keep in mind that the larger the graphic size, the longer it will take for the page to load. This issue can affect people with slower broadband speeds. Stick with smaller graphics that fits in with the content of your page.