Web design & Internet Marketing

Web design, Internet Marketing & SO Discussion

Web Design Standards – Advantages of Web Standards

In Web Design it is important to follow relevant standards. If you design or redesign your website according to Web Standards, it will offer many advantages.

Web standards is a term used to define formal standards and technical specifications that relate to different aspects of web design and the internet. Web design standards are associated with best practices and guidelines for building professional web sites. Adherence to standards is an integral part of a successful web design philosophy.

Professional Web Designers take Web standards into account during the design and development of websites. Standards improve the quality of web design and the effectiveness of the website in general. The quality of a website is often measured by adherence to standards. Web standards focus on a wide range of issues including design quality, accessibility and usability of web sites.

When a web site or web page is described as complying with web standards, it usually means that the site or page has valid or nearly valid HTML, CSS and JavaScript. The HTML should also meet accessibility and semantic guidelines. In other words, a site built to web standards should ideally be lean, clean, CSS-based, accessible, and usable and search engine friendly.

Web standards are published by different organisations. World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is the leading organisation responsible for publishing standards related to web design. W3C publishes a number of guidelines including W3C recommendations for mark-up languages (HTML and XHTML), W3C recommendations for Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and the Document Object Models (DOM).

Web Design Standards - Advantages of using web standards in web design

1) Browser Compatibility:

Different users use different browsers and hardware platforms. A website that is designed with the standards and best practices in mind will work uniform across browsers and platforms. This is important for branding as well as usability of your website.

2) It ensures your website is accessible to a larger audience:

Adherence to standards improves the accessibility of your website. It ensures that older as well newer versions of browsers can understand your documents and display the content of your website. Compliant documents are also easily shared on the internet and can be converted to different formats is required to share. Standards also mean that your website is accessible to users with impairment who use specialist tools as such as voice or Braille browsers.

3) Stability:

Standards also make it easy for web designers or developers to understand code that could have been developed by other teams. This makes it easier to enhance or edit the design or code if required in future. If a website has been designed with standards then another designer can easily understand and edit the code in future.

4) Better compatibility with devices:

Web content is accessed today with a variety of methods. Compatibility has become even more important today as website content is accessed using a range of devices. We access websites on standards desktops, laptops, palmtops, and mobile phones and even on digital TV. A website that complies to standards can be accessed by a variety of platforms and devices. The same site can be accessed by a variety of methods without having to provide multiple delivery channels.

5) Better Quality of code:

W3C web standards promote better quality of programming and design. This leads to the design of professional websites that are free from bugs and errors. The html is efficient and loads faster in browsers. Compliant websites use clean CSS based designs.

6) Better visibility on search engines:

Adherence to standards can improve the search engine rankings of your website. A website designed with web standards offers improved visibility on search engines and other forms of web searches. Proper Use of tags and overall mark-up of web pages makes it easy for search engines to crawl and index independent pages of your website. A low “code to content” ratio improves the chances for ranking higher on search engines.

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Website Content - Top 10 ways to improve website content

Web Design Tip of the Week 2 - Website Content

Although website content is not directly related to web design, I have decided to include is as one of the first web design tips due to the value it offers for running a successful website. Most web designers and online marketing experts will agree that content is arguably more important than quality of web design. There are many websites that do not stand out for their web design quality, but are nevertheless commercially successful. On the other hand it is rare to find a successful website that offers poor quality of content.

Content on a website is one of its most important assets. Professional web design will be of little value to your company without valuable content. There are many factors responsible for running a successful company website. Although quality of web design will be responsible for creating that initial impression required to engage the user’s attention, value of the content will be ultimately responsible for converting website traffic into enquiries or sales. The true value of the phrase ‘Content is king’ cannot be emphasised enough. In my experience as a web designer and internet marketing consultant, I have learnt that any time spent on creating valuable website content provides maximum benefits in the long run.

Website Content - Top 10 ways to improve website content

1) Make sure each page in your website has something valuable to offer

Content should be at the heart of planning the structure of a website. Every page should be designed with its content in mind. The first and foremost factor to focus on for a web page should be the information it offers for visitors. Once the web page offers something useful for the user, the design of the web page should be addressed.

2) Use language that is easy to understand

Although it may be important to use some industry jargon to maintain professionalism, use of simple language will make your information accessible to a larger audience.

3) Use bullet points and lists

Bullet points and lists are known to increase readership and make the content more appealing for the user. Many studies have shown that the same content receives much higher viewership if it is written as a list. Examples include ‘Top 10 lists’ or ‘Top methods’ articles.

4) Use a mixture of mediums to present information

Appropriate use of multimedia including audio, video and graphics can make the content more appealing and interesting for the user.

5) Refrain from providing too much detail

It is important to ensure you are able to maintain attention of the user. Providing too much information can end up losing the interest of the user. Short summaries tend to work better for high level pages. Detailed information can be made available for further reading if needed.

6) Focus on usability

There are many ways in which you can improve the usability of your website content. All content on the website should be ideally no more than two clicks away. Similarly, placing links to related articles at the bottom of the web page can improve usability as well as overall page views of the website.

7) Provide multiple sources of information and viewpoints

‘Case studies’, ‘Customer feedback’ and ‘FAQ’s’ are some examples.

Ensure the content is easily searchable

It should be easy for users to find information on your website. Offering a search feature on your website is the most common method to ensure users can find information with ease. Correct use of tags, description and Meta tags are other ways to ensure this. Making sure the title is self explanatory is even more important.

9) Avoid too much advertising

Although it is important for many websites to generate revenue from advertising on the website, there should be a healthy balance between general content and advertisements. It is important to ensure the majority of the content is free from advertising. It is advisable to use a ratio of 80% editorial content to advertisements. Using a higher percentage of advertising can damage the value of your website.

10) Analyse visitor statistics and take action

You should monitor your website statistics closely and improve your content as required. Google analytics is an excellent tool to monitor user behaviour on various pages of your website. In addition to the number of visits, Google analytics offers detailed information on popular pages of your company’s website. It tells you which pages are read most, how much time users sped on each page on average as well bounce rate of every page on your website. The results can be used to re-organise or amend content as required. Successful businesses monitor such results closely and take measures on a regular basis.

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Web Design Tip of the week

The ‘Web Design Tip of the week’ is produced by K.Singh who is a Web Design and E-Commerce consultant living in London. He has over 9 years of commercial web design experience and is the leading consultant for Web Design Company in London. The web design tip of the week series on this blog has been started to offer advice on all issues related to web design and running a website.

The tips will cover articles for beginners as well as advanced users. In addition to the technical issues related to web design, the articles will focus on high level web design issues that can benefit those who run a website or are planning to start one. Whether you are a web designer or someone involved with running a website, you will find the tips useful for improving your website’s design as well as maximising the benefits of your website in general.

Web Design Tips – What Topics are Covered?

Web design tip of the week covers a range of issues related to web design from design techniques to tutorials for beginners as well as advanced users. This series of articles will identify and present one tip every week that will be added to this list below. A detailed article on the tip will also be published on this blog.

Topics will include web design techniques, accessibility, and usability, performance of your website as well as the latest trends and issues affecting the web design industry in general. The first topic covers website accessibility and navigation and how effective navigation can be incorporated into web design.

All tips covered are listed below in order they was published. You can find the tip you want to read more about or navigate from article to article. You can click through to the detailed articles listed below or find all articles listed under the blog category titled ‘Web Design Tip of the week’. We encourage participation from our readers. Please feel free to share your web design experience by adding your comment to the relevant articles.

Web Design Tip 1) Website Navigation - Top ways to improve your website’ navigation

The first web design tip covers the improtance of navigation on your webite. Effective navigation is one of the most important factors that determines whether website visitors remain on the website or navigat away.  The detailed article provides practicle tips on the best methods to improve the navigation of a website. You can click on the tip above to read the full aritcle.

Web Design Tip 2) Website Content

Altghough not related to web design directly, content of the website is one of the most important elements of a website. The quality of content is vital to ensure the success of any website. Click on the title above to read the detailed article on ‘Top 10 ways to improve your website content’.

Web Design Tip 3) Web Design Standards

Adherence to Web standards is important in web design. Standards lead to the development of professional websites. Compliance to web standards offers many benefits. It improves the accessibility and usability of a website and has a positive impact on search engine ranking. Click on the title above to find out the top advantages of Web standards.

Web Design Tip 4) Always Use Content Management System

Today, It is must for a website to include a content management system. There are many otpions to provide a CMS on your website. This article provide an insight into the main options available to you. Click on the title above to read the full article.

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Web Design – Top 10 Template Websites

Web design templates are used widely in web design. Web Design Templates are growing in popularity and offer a quick and affordable method for designing professional websites as compared to hiring a web design company to design a website for you. By utilising pre-made website templates you can reduce the cost to design your website manifold. It is for this reason that Web Design Companies and Web Designers all over the world use templates to design professional websites for clients.

There are literally thousands of sites that offer free and paid web design templates. This is a list of some of the best template websites where you can download a design for your website.

Top Web Design Template Websites

1) Template Monster
www.templatemonster.com

Template monster is the most popular web site for web design templates. With over 20,000 web designs on offer, it offers the largest collection of website templates. The main products on offer include ready-made web designs, flash designs, logos and design templates for leading open source content management and e-commerce systems such as Joomla, CRE Loaded and Os Commerce. The website also offers template customisation service that allows you to fine tune or customise a template to suit your needs. It has also launched its blog recently.

2) www.templatesbox.com

Templates Box is another great repository for web design templates. It has been running since 2002 and offers range of free and paid website design templates. In addition it offers other design elements including Photoshop files, graphics and flash animations. It works differently to Template Monster as it is based on membership. You can register for $39 in order to access all designs in its premium range.

3) Templates247.com

Templates 247 offers Flash templates, full Website templates, Flash intros and HTML templates. As with other leading template sites, you receive all source files which makes it easy to customise the design to suit the needs of your business. Alternatively you can choose to get the design customised by one of their professional designers at an affordable rate. The website offers bulk discounts where you can purchase a block of credits at specially discounted rates.

4) Free CSS
www.free-css.com

Free CSS has over 1000 free CSS templates that can be used for web design. The website is used by web designers and developers all over the world. The designs available on the website are free and distributed under a Creative Commons License. In addition to full design templates, the site also offers a collection of menus, CSS gallery as well as tutorials and articles related to web design. If you are a designer, you can submit your template for inclusion on the site using the submit template feature.

5) DreamTemplate.com

http://www.dreamtemplate.com/

Dream Template is a premium membership based website. Instead of buying a single template, you buy membership to the website which then allows you to download as many web designs as you like from their collection. Membership provides access to a large collection of professionally designed website templates. The site offers CSS templates, Flash templates, logo templates, Photoshop designs, company form designs, newsletter templates as well as abstract images. The site has over 5000 professional templates.

6) buystockdesign.com

Buy Stock design is a place to buy and sell web design templates. It is another useful source for premium web design templates. The site offers a vast selection of paid designs in many categories. It specialises in Html, Photoshop (PSD) and Wordpress templates.

7) Woo Themes
www.woothemes.com

Woo Themes specialises in Wordpress themes. It has become very popular among the blogging community. The site offers a permanent 3-for-1 offer where you get two templates absolutely free whenever you buy any one of their themes. It also offers a small selection of free Wordpress themes that can be downloaded absolutely free. Woo Themes has an established community and offers excellent after sales support. Although you can buy individual templates, it also offers a subscription option for regular buyers.

http://www.templateyes.com

Template Eyes is another source of free graphics and web design files. It offers 100% free web templates, flash templates and website graphics. All designs are free to download and use. The free templates may lack the professional quality offered by some of the premium sites like template monster, however it is a good resource for web designers who have the ability to customise and adapt the design to suit their needs.

9) Design Load
www.designload.net/

Design Load is another website that offers premium web design templates and graphics at a fee. It is a membership based site as opposed to a site where you pay for single downloads. Design Load offers full websites, flash animations and graphics. It also offers dynamic pre templates for platforms such as Joomla, PHP Nuke as well as Word and Powerpoint templates.

The website templates and graphics are available in 69 product categories so it is easy to explore and find the designs you are looking for.

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Web Design Tip 1– Top 6 ways to improve Website Navigation

Navigation is one of the most important elements in web design. An easy to use, effective navigation is a vital component of professional web design. When visitors first arrive at a website, it is the navigation that will be key in deciding whether they stay on your website or navigate away from it. How long a visitor spends on your website is an important consideration in web design. And this is based largely on the navigation.

On an e-commerce website, if the products are difficult to find or order, the site is unlikely to succeed. Similarly on a website that offers information about a company, if it is difficult to find what services the company offers, the website is unlikely to succeed. There are many factors to be considered when planning the navigation of your website. Some of them are listed below:

Website Navigation - Top ways to improve navigation:

1. Website navigation should highlight important links

It is vital to showcase the important links on your website even if it means repeating the links more than once. The important sections of your website should be highlighted in the navigation. At the same time there will be other content that should be accessible on the site however does not need to be highlighted. A perfect example is pages such as terms and conditions and privacy policy. Such links are best included in the footer at the bottom of the page.

2. Always include a search feature

Almost all websites can benefit from a search feature. Effective placement of the search box is equally important in web design. An easily evident search box is considered important in Good web design.

3. Breadcrumbs and sitemap

Breadcrumb trails have become increasingly important in web design. In good web design it is important that a user is able to get back to the home page with ease and can retrace their steps. Breadcrumb navigation makes it easy for a visitor to know where they are on a website and they can find their way back to the homepage or vice versa. Inclusion of a sitemap or content page is another way to allow a user to quickly find the information they are looking for.

4. Plan and organise your content

A well planned and organised content is important in web design. You should limit the number of primary links in the main navigation. This can be achieved by organising the content properly. If the site contains a lot of information, it is better to divide it into appropriate categories and sub categories. And only the main categories should be accessible via the main menu links.

Usability plays an important role in web design. It is considered good usability to ensure that all pages of a website can be accessed in no more than two clicks. This is in line with good usability standards.

5. Consistency

In general consistency is important in web design. It is important for the menu to be consistent. You should also include the main links on every web page. While specific sections can include sub menu relevant to respective sections, the main menu should be consistent across the entire website. If the main menu is not consistent, it can confuse the user.

6. Keep your navigation efficient and unambiguous

You should use short, unambiguous words in your links. The navigation or links should be self explanatory. A user should know what the respective pages will contain without having to visit the page. Similarly, if you have too many links, use a drop down menu instead of cluttering the space with too many top level links.

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