Articles
Everything You Need to Know About Website Design - Part 2
Websites are no longer just basic information about your topic; they are a representation of your business. As humans, we are naturally attracted to color and design and that is why the elements of a design are important parts of a website.
There are several different things that need to be considered in a website design and some are much more important than others. Color, font, size and photos would be considered the most important parts of your design. Balancing the main factors of your design will make people want to know more about your website before they have even read a single word.
Color
When choosing the colors for your website, you should consider your branding. If your business logo is yellow and green, in most cases you would not want to build a website primarily in red and purple. You want people to be able to identify your business by visiting your website. You want people to remember your businesses colors so that they remember your business.
Font
Font is a factor that cannot be overlooked in designing your website. In images, special fonts may be used but they should be easily read by everyone. It is suggested though to use the fonts Times New Roman, Arial and Verdana in the text of your website because these are standard system fonts on almost all computers. This means that almost anyone with a computer in the world will be able to display your font correctly. If other fonts are used, some people may not be able to view your website correctly.
Size
Designing your website is a process of making sure that it will work in all browsers, operating systems and screen resolutions.
In the world, 69% of internet users use Internet Explorer. This leaves 31% that use other website browsers. If you only design your website to work properly in Internet Explorer, you are potentially alienating millions of people who could visit your website.
The same thing goes for screen resolutions. If your website is built with a standard width greater than 800px, you are alienating over 14% of internet users by having a website to large for them to view without scrolling to the left or right.
When it comes to the content of your website and you have chosen a font, it is suggested that you use a size 11 or larger of your chosen font to allow for easy reading. If the font size is too small, people will have to strain their eyes to read your content and are more likely to skip parts of the reading. By choosing a font that is too small you are also potentially alienating the visually impaired. It is also important to use a fixed spacing between your words to avoid confusing readers; justified margins on your website would not be suggested.
Pictures
It has been said that pictures can speak a thousands of words, and that is more than one hundred percent true when designing your website. People naturally like to look at pictures and if your pictures are appealing, your business will be appealing. The more pictures you have on your website, the more people will want to visit your business and the more they will know what to expect when visiting your website.
Pictures can include the exterior of your business, your staff, your merchandise and a number of other things. You must remember though to keep pictures small enough to not alienate people on dial-up internet services. It is also important though not to include negative pictures in your website. You would not want to include a picture of a rat eating some stale bread unless may be you have a pet store. You would also not want to include a picture of people laughing and partying if you have a funereal parlor. You want your pictures to attract people to your business and stay in line with what you are marketing.
Other Elements
Other elements should be considered in your website design such as branding, content, and maintenance. Many business pick reputable website design firms to take care of the design process of a website because these firms are skilled in the area and can advise you on making the best decisions for your website.
Kegan Inman / Charles Garwood
Co-Owners of Kegan’s Kandy Web Services
www.keganskandy.com / 699-0628
