internetmarketingsolution

Web Design Advice for Better Results

Designing your web pages for the End User - your Customers!

While there are many aspects that constitute good web design, the following 10 'Commandments' should always be adhered to.

NB: Clients using our Internet Marketing Services website management system can rest secure in the knowledge that our IMS software automatically takes care of most of the coding and HTML issues mentioned below.

1. Thou Shalt Have Clearly Defined Purpose
   Before creating ANY content, clearly define the site's purpose and make sure all content, graphics, and text have a tight focus on that purpose. Discard any redundant or distracting material and frequently review your site to ensure all pages are in accordance with the website's primary purpose.
   
2. Thou Shalt Stay Consistent
   A standard navigational structure is a critical component of any user-friendly website, and main navigation links should be consistent from page-to-page. Users should only need to click once to find every major section of a site. Only use standard link colors in all text links within the content of any web page. These standard colours are: Blue=hyperlink,  Purple=visited hyperlink, Red=active hyperlink.
   
3. Thou Shalt Not Force Visitors to Install 'Plug-ins'
   It is most important to avoid any content that requires the user to download special, non-standard "plug-ins" to access any of your website's pages.
   
4. Thou Shalt Load Faster-Than-Lightning!
   Ideally, all of your entry pages of your website should be less than 50 Kbytes, including graphics and navigation. Interior pages can have a larger size, but the "entry pages" to your website should not force people to wait more than 2 - 3 seconds to begin viewing content.
   
5. Thou Shalt Create Pages that Please Search Engine Robots
   Search engine robots cannot see photos or fancy graphics when they are indexing your website. Clean code and keyword rich text are definitely the 'way-to-a-robots-heart' if you are looking for rewarding search engine results.
   
6. Thou Shalt Not Create Bloated HTML Code
   You should only use W3C-compliant html to create your web pages. Never use other forms of code that require a surfer to keep their browser configured "correctly" to accommodate your page. Unless you sell to 'geeks' and 'tech-heads', this will only lose you visitors and fail to make you any friends.
   
7. Love Thy Website's Visitors - don't Confuse Them
   Create for "last year's" technology so people using older computers and slower connections can download your content and use your site easily. Designing for the 'bleeding edge' will only reduce your own profits.
   
8. Thou Shalt Not Aggravate Web Surfers
   Under no circumstances use scrolling text, highly animated graphics or large Flash animations of any kind. Especially aggravating are those silly full-page Flash home pages that say "Skip Intro." Professional web designers refer to this as "eye candy" and more often than not, causes your visitors to leave in frustration.
   
9. Thou Shalt Never Force Horizontal Scrollbars to Appear
   Unless there is a compelling reason, always design your pages so they never force a visitor to scroll left or right for the standard screen size of 1024 x 768 pixels.
   
10. Thou Shalt Cultivate Subscribers
    To ensure that you grow your website's visitation over time, give consideration to actively promoting your site via regular emails to your client lists, plus ensure your website cultivates subscribers by providing multiple opportunities to sign up for newsletters, free Ebooks, etc.

By paying close attention to the above points, you can be assured of more effective search engine indexing and, more importantly, providing a pleasant experience for potential customers on your website.