Simple Web Design Tips For Any Site

When it comes to designing a website there are some very simple things to do and some very simple things not to do to make it a successful design and achieve what it is being created for. Funny then, that too many designers still don’t do what they should – and do what they shouldn’t!
Follow these tips to get started on your cheap website design – that doesn’t look cheap!
Fonts
Always choose legible fonts for the body of your content. Most popular and well designed websites use Arial or Verdana for a very good reason – they are easy to read and will render correctly on all computers and mobile devices. The fact that they are Sans Serif is also important.
You can be a little more adventurous with your headings, but you’re still going to want to stick to something like Trebuchet or Georgia. The latter is Serif but if used big enough, as headings often are, this won’t cause a problem.
Line spacing is also important. Have your paragraphs too cramped and it will be difficult to read, too wide apart and the page will look ugly as well! Imagine you’re reading a book, the line spacing is usually 1.5 lines. You want to achieve something similar on screen.
Also consider line length. This will tie in with the width of your website as well (aim for 900-1000 pixels and TEST it), as your line length will need to fit within it. However, it should never be more than 600 pixels. Newspapers and magazines use thin columns and short lines to make it easier to finish one line fast and find the next. In web design you don’t need to have such short lines, but the principle applies nonetheless.
Images
Images are an integral part of a website design and should be used to enhance the content. They don’t to overpower the words or distract from what you want your visitor to do ( for example, sign up to a newsletter, buy a product, make contact with you).
That’s why you shouldn’t use background images or animated gifs, as they are a distraction and often off putting to those visiting your site. They give a bad impression.
In addition, they slow down how long it takes for your site to load. You only have a few seconds to catch someone’s attention – make it count and don’t waste their time by having long page load times thanks to pointless images!
That’s also a very good reason to compress all your images before you use them. There are several programs around that can reduce your image file sizes to the bare minimum.
Additional Page Elements
Avoid pop up windows, links the same colour as the text, opening internal links in new windows or tabs and scrolling or flashing text.
Always put a link to your homepage on every page – and don’t limit it to a clickable logo, put the word on there too, as not everyone knows to click on the logo. Also include your navigation menu on every page so your visitors can get around your site quickly and easily.
All very simple and seemingly obvious tips for you to use in your next cheap website design!

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• About Ben Greenwood

Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of the Cheap Web Design Company, experts in cheap web design.