For those that wish to start a new business online, a large expense can be hiring a web designer. However, it is possible to take on this job yourself. However, don’t cut any corners. Apply what you learn from the following paragraphs to make professional web pages.
If you’re designing a website, make sure the code you write has a valid HTML+CSS. Although most browsers can make sense of code that isn’t valid, it could be rendered correctly or incorrectly. Valid code will render the same way most of the time in modern browsers. You can check the validity of your HTML code with an HTML validator.
Make sure all of your web pages actually have titles and make sure they are descriptive. A surprising number of web pages out there are called “untitled documents” or “new documents”. This not only denies visitors a useful piece of information to remember your site but also absolutely destroys your SEO, since search engines weight page titles heavily when ranking sites.
Use ALT tags whenever possible. These helpful tags describe an image to a viewer, assisting the visually impaired, as well as those who prefer to browse without images. As an added bonus, some search engines include these tags in their rankings, so you may get a boost by using them.
Use images wisely. Bitmap images do not tend to fare well for internet use, and some GIFs do not work well with lots of colors. Image size is important as well, as larger images may make your viewers have to wait for them to download. Choose smaller images, and use them sparingly to make your site more manageable.
Do not use any type of pop-ups. Nothing is worse than going to a website and being bombarded with pop-up ads. It is not unusual for some people to refuse to stay on a website, and not return either if it contains pop-up ads. You can prevent visitor frustration, and improve your reputation, by avoiding pop-up advertisements entirely. Is your host making you use pop-ups? Time for a new host.
Include a links page for your site and use it to provide a variety of resources related to the site’s purpose. You should also include a variety of links, including links to sites that are offering backlinks to your site. If related sites link back to your site, your site ranking will move up in the rankings on search results pages.
Use Photoshop if you want to create stellar websites. Using a program like Photoshop can help amateur web designers create professional-looking sites really fast. If you try to skimp on price by using a generic program that doesn’t do a good job, you may find yourself spending much more time than necessary to finish your website.
It takes a lot of hard work when you try to go from a beginner at web design to a more seasoned professional. There will be many mistakes along the way. But by using the information shared here, you will have the basic information in your arsenal to create a website that you can begin using to bring in visitors.
