| 7 Tips to Improve Your Website Design | | | | people like to have music forced on them |
| 1. Pages should load fast. Most people | | | | while they navigate, especially if they |
| will leave your site if it's not done | | | | are already listening to music or |
| loading in ten or 15 seconds. And even | | | | surfing at their job! If you really |
| if you have a fast internet connection, | | | | cannot do without music, turn it off by |
| not everyone does and 56k modems still | | | | default and ask visitors to start it |
| exist. | | | | themselves. |
| 2. Text should be easy to read. The text | | | | 6. Design for browser compatibility. |
| size should be big enough, and the | | | | Many people do not use Internet Explorer |
| background should not obscure your text. | | | | on Windows. Make sure your site is at |
| If you want to be safe, use black text | | | | least viewable in Mozilla Firefox and |
| on a white background. If you want more | | | | Opera (if possible, you could even try |
| color, choose very carefully to make | | | | testing on a Mac). Sites that target |
| sure it's still easy to read. | | | | markets like technology should be more |
| 3. Your website should be easy to | | | | careful, since readers are more likely |
| navigate. Each link should be clearly | | | | to use the newest browsers and gadgets |
| identified as such and graphic | | | | like PDAs. |
| navigation elements like buttons and | | | | 7. Design for all screen resolutions. |
| tabs should be easy to read and use. You | | | | You may like to surf in 1240x1080 with |
| do not want people leaving because they | | | | your new screen, but some people still |
| could not figure out how your Flash menu | | | | use 800x600, or even 640x768! A site |
| works. | | | | that looks perfect in high resolution |
| 4. Your layout and design should be | | | | may turn out to be impossible to view |
| consistent. If you switch between styles | | | | correctly in 800x600. |
| too much, you will confuse your | | | | And, if you have a doubt, test, test and |
| visitors. If the design is too | | | | test! You can also ask your family and |
| different, people will believe that they | | | | friends for help. Being less familiar |
| are now on a different website since the | | | | with the website, they can help find a |
| layout changed. | | | | lot of things you overlooked. |
| 5. Avoid music and sounds. Very few | | | | |