Simple Website Tips

Although nearly everyone uses websites every day, many of them still get lost in what the simple functions of a website are and what a website really is. We all have our own different and intangible understandings of what a website consists of, but there are a few traits that most good websites have in common.

A website is built for people When searching the internet, it's not hard to find websites that are not "user friendly". This can be due to all sorts of reasons like links the lack relevancy or lengthy blocks of text that can't hold the reader's attention. We've all experienced sites like this. When building a website or having it made by a professional, it is important to consider the format beforehand in order to provide the best possible functionality to the user. The goal is to make the site easy to navigate so that it will be easy for the viewers to find everything they are looking for quickly and easily in a way that will encourage them to return in the future. For example, when working with a very lengthy page, you can do things like create a table of contents that, when clicked, directs the viewers to the content they want to read. In addition, you can add a back to top link or button so they can go to the next topic or to another page of your site easily without having to scroll around.

A website is meant to be seen Unfortunately for websites, they are often judged by their cover, which in their case is the homepage. People want to find what they are looking for on the first glance to verify that they are in the right place and not wasting their time. This can be done quickly through the title of the page or via a brief introduction. A website needs to be presentable in order to encourage people to stay and give the appearance of professionalism, entertainment value, or information to cater to the needs of the people. People always tend to utilize sites that are clean and well made.

One common mistake that many web developers make is to try to pack too many gimmicks into one page. First of all, this can slow your website down considerably, causing it load very slowly. Flash takes time to load and most people just won't wait for it. If you absolutely must have a flash website, make sure that it loads in ten seconds or less or you will lose your visitors.

Too much flash design affects your site in other ways as well. Search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing can't recognize your site if it is solely based on flash. This is a massive hindrance to your ultimate goal of attracting people to your website. If they can't search for it they'll never find it.

A website for a company or business is like a calling card to the world. The way it looks and functions is a reflection on the company itself. You only get that one chance to make a first impression and you don't want that to be a slow loading mess of a presentation. Following some of these easy tips will get you pointed in the right direction when setting up your website.


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Casey Trillbar is the editor of makeawebsiteguide.com, which is a website aimed at supplying a step by step guide on how to make a website. http://www.makeawebsiteguide.com