Category Archives: Web Development

Expanding Your Knowledge To Increase Your Web Design Skills

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TIP! Scour forums for ideas and instructions on how to get the most out of web design. If you aren’t sure where to begin, do an Internet search to see what you can find.

Throughout history, there have been few things that are more popular than the Internet today. Regardless of what your interests are, there is a website for you. And should you wish to build a site of your own, you have tons of options once you learn a bit about designing a site. The following is some helpful information about web page design.

TIP! Ease of navigation is an important factor in how appealing visitors find your website. Ensure that links are visible and displayed in prominent locations.

Your site should be able to pass a NoScript test. Try downloading the Firefox extension and activating to make sure your website is readable. There are some elements (e.g. ordering products) that will not work if there is no script. For this reason, if your website is blank and has no scripts, it will not work.

TIP! A good website should display and function in any type of web browser, so it is vital that you test your website in every browser currently on the market. Different browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Chrome may not display content the same way; what works in one might not work in another.

Try using a newsletter for getting repeat visitors. Giving your customers a reminder that you’re still online and have some great deals or new content that will bring them back to your site for more. Stick the sign-up form in a spot that’s out of the way, such as in a sidebar, and keep good records of those who sign up. Make sure to only deliver the newsletter to people who have requested it!

TIP! To get repeat visitors, use an e-mail newsletter. When a customer can get frequently updated on things, they will keep visiting to see more.

Provide web browsers with independent CSS pages, and then use conditional loading. Using these techniques makes it much easier for testing and ensuing maintenance later on. All sites require maintenance from time to time and making that easier will save you time.

TIP! Make your front page very simple. People surfing the web will quickly decide if they are going to delve into a website based on the front page.

If you are lost when it comes to web design, turn to the Internet. There are thousands of websites you can use to garner inspiration. Find a website that you like, identify what makes that website appealing, and determine if it is an idea that you can borrow and improve upon. Expand on those appealing aspects to help you build your own website. Then, improve on the design elements you like.

For creating your own website, consider using Adobe Dreamweaver. Even novices can easily use this product. It also includes great templates to make your site look amazing.

TIP! Think about using navigation that is clear and easy. Navigation links are very important for any site and controls how much time a visitor spends on your site.

You should always be practicing with the techniques you learn in order to become more effective and creative in your build endeavors. You must do this so that you’re able to know if you can actually apply what you’ve learned. You don’t want to spend a lot of time learning and not retain any of the information.

TIP! If you have some ideas for more than one website, you should reserve a name for your domain, now. Use your creativity, and pick out a name that you want.

You want to ensure all content is proofread and that it doesn’t look rushed. You want visitors to easily absorb it. While you may not think errors are a big deal, many people will view it as unprofessional and will believe that you don’t care enough to get their orders or service correct either.

TIP! Professional web design or running a site of your own, necessitates having an office or a personal workspace. This will help you to avoid distractions, become more efficient and focus on your work.

Talk to a pro and ask their advice; you will learn a great deal from a master of website development, because they already know how to create well-designed sites. Keep this up and you could become an expert one day.

TIP! Use your friends or colleagues as a source for refreshing your information from the various design elements you use. Obviously, you want to ensure that all the new information you have just learned has been remembered.

Learn many server-side languages if you want to diversify your web design portfolio. There are many technologies, including Java, PHP and MySQL, that can help you down the road. Whether it’s working on your own site or helping someone you know get a site off the ground, keep developing yourself into a multifaceted web designer.

TIP! Always limit your content early on in your web page design. It’s nice to have a lot of content on your site but you are trying to hook traffic and form a niche.

When creating your website, make sure that important content is placed to the far left and as high as possible. Because people read from the left to the right, placing key information on the top left of the screen makes it more likely that users see this first before going on to the rest of the information on the site.

TIP! You should create a visual sitemap so that you are able to plan ahead more effectively. By doing this, you can have a clear idea of the way in which your site is coming together.

If you’re going to put a logo on the website, link it back to send users to the home page. A website logo that doubles as a home page link, has become something of an Internet standard, and many visitors will expect it. A static logo can irritate your users, because that makes them hunt for a separate “Home” link. You will find that a clickable logo will have a positive impact on your visitor’s stay on your site.

TIP! Flash is a web design tool that you should generally avoid. While Flash can make your website look futuristic and stylish, Flash will lag on slower computers, so not all of your website’s visitors will get the user experience that you want them to have.

White space should be used in your favor. Although not always white, it is merely a blank space within a web page. Visibility is key when it comes to the internet, so be sure to avoid cluttering the screen with words and graphics. White space helps readers easily navigate throughout your site.

TIP! If there is a specific country or area you are targeting, you may want to get a domain with top level country code. This means the domain name you are given fits that area.

Creating a website that leaves your own personal mark online is easy when you understand website development basics. The better you design it, the more popular your website will be. Use the tips you just read to create a beautiful site.

Become A Great Web Designer With These Tips

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TIP! Make user cancellations easy. This could mean ordering products, opting in to an email newsletter, or returning to the homepage from deep within your site.

If you want to learn about web design, you need to read this article. The advice here will make sure you can become successful at developing websites. Pay attention to the advice that follows, and you can successfully design a website.

TIP! As you design your site, avoid overuse of multiple fonts. You need to consider how large the font is since some may be too small for concentrated website reading or smaller screens.

A good website should be compatible with multiple browsers, so you should test your website in various browsers to ensure that any visitor can view it correctly. What may work great in Firefox, may not work well in Internet Explorer or Chrome. Before your website goes live, check to be sure that the pages display properly in all of the most popular browsers.

TIP! Be sure to always look at the links on your site, and make sure none are broken. Do this from time to time, before uploading it to the server.

Try learning about and using shortcuts as much as you can. In web design, there are lots of shortcuts that will decrease the amount of time it takes to do things. There are some codes in HTML that allow for faster changes to each page than re-uploading each one.

TIP! The design tools which come with your web hosting account are a great way to practice your skills, but they are no replacement for real design know-how. It’s important to have your personality show through on your website, and the way to do this is by adding extra touches the host site doesn’t offer.

Never use pop-ups. Nothing is worse that going to a website and being bombarded with pop-up ads. Many people leave any website immediately if pop-ups occur, even if they’re interested in the website. It’s best to stay away from this type of ad to keep your visitors happy. Some website hosting services require you to use pop-up ads; you should view such policies as strong arguments against using such a service.

TIP! You can utilize a development platform that provides you with the code for your website; however, the code generated is often not as dependable as code written yourself via text editor. With a platform, you design the page and then use the platform’s generated code.

You want your home page to be simple. People judge a site and whether they want to go further by what the initial webpage looks like. Spend time describing your business and what it offers, but keep the rest to a minimum so that people do not get distracted.

TIP! You need to learn some great tricks from experts when you want to build a webpage. Getting good advice from site design experts is key in order to build a good website.

To make a more attractive website, try using your own pictures. Having personal pictures on your site makes your site appear more user friendly. Many people find pictures appealing and will spend more time on the site and looking at them.

TIP! Each page on your site should include a tagline in both the domain and the sub-domains. You should use a large, easy to read text so that the viewer immediately sees them when they’re following links.

Free software exists that can help you set up your site. Do not listen to people who tell you that you can’t design and operate a website without relying on pricey software packages; you can find a free alternative for virtually every task. You just need to do a little Internet searching in order to find some free tools that will work best for you.

TIP! A search feature needs to be integrated into the home page and any subsequent pages to follow. Customers will appreciate the ability to effortlessly navigate your site.

Avoid using too may font types. You have to consider how the fonts you choose display on computer screens. Some are simply too hard to read. Verdana is a font commonly used because it’s easy to read in an array of colors and sizes.

TIP! Captchas are wonderful when used for registration, though they should not be used for anything else. While captchas may be useful in some cases, forcing them to do so for mundane tasks, will make them leave your site quickly.

Understand your subject. It is very important that you conduct plenty of research about your subject if you are thinking about using the site as a blog. Providing bad information will only lose you readers. Figuring out your subject will help you blog better.

TIP! Have someone test your website out for functionality every step along the way. Every time you add a new feature, make sure someone stops by and judges it impartially.

Make sure your site loads quickly through optimization techniques. If people visiting your site are waiting for pages to load, boredom will quickly set in and they will leave. Reduce the graphics on your page and limit the script and use of Flash on your page.

Perhaps you have heard about software like Photoshop and how you can create amazing designs with them. Dreamweaver is another option that should be considered when making a choice.

TIP! When making many pages in a sub-category of your site, remember that copying and pasting can be your best friend. Copy the bulk of the code and then tweak it to change the content, heading and navigation menu.

Just because you’ve launched your site doesn’t mean the design process is finished. You should strive to stay involved with your website’s design. While there is no need to change things around every day, you must, nonetheless, update it regularly. Updates will almost definitely be needed if your website hosts articles or videos featuring current events. When you update your website, it’s not the same as updating your blog. Set aside a few hours everyday to make changes to your website.

TIP! Properly maintaining your website gives you an opportunity to remove negative comments and spam that might accumulate on your pages. If you are running a forum or blog, this is very important.

You will gain expertise in design much more quickly if you dedicate the time to learn something new at every step. After you conquer one skill in website design, move on to the next one. While this may take longer, it will ultimately produce better results. Fully mastering these skills will make it easier to achieve your goals.

TIP! Avoid using Flash on your website. Flash may seem high-tech and splashy, but it might cause a visitor’s computer to load slowly and lag.

When you’re creating similar pages, use the copy and paste feature to speed up the process. Copy the bulk of the code and then tweak it to change the content, heading and navigation menu. This method allows you to make countless copies of the master code.

TIP! You can get inspiration for your website from just about anywhere. You can find inspiration in everything from art projects to magazines and TV.

Now you know how to make web page design your field of mastery. But remember that the information presented here is just a small amount of the available information on the topic of web page design. Always make sure to stay up-to-date with new information on website creation, and you’ll find that it will be easier to create and maintain them.

Web Design Tips That Can Improve Your Web Site

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TIP! The graphics you use are important. Remember, bitmap images are huge and usually don’t work well, PNGs work fine.

You want to design a website, but you are not sure how to get started. You know the basic concept of your site, but you just don’t know how to make a reality of your vision. There are several tips that can help you to realize that vision. This advice has been crafted to give you a leg up in website creation.

TIP! Put in an element to search so you can have visitors search what’s on your website. If visitors are searching for something specific, they should be able to use a search box.

Choose proper graphic for your web designs. Keep in mind that bitmap images are not usually the best type of images to use. Try PNGs instead. Use a GIF instead if the image contains over 256 colors and PNG for test buttons and screen shots. JPEGs are ideal for photographs.

TIP! Be considerate when it comes to your site background. You don’t want your text to be hard to read! A distracting background is.

Always keep your load times under 10 seconds. An efficient site that is nicely designed is going to load properly and quickly. Many users crave instant gratification, so you should give it to them.

TIP! Try not to use JavaScript too much. It does provide more ways for you to build a responsive and transparent site, but it can be problematic for some visitors.

Keep your topics separated. If your site has multiple topics, give each its own page. This ensures that no one ends up confused and leaves as a result. Search engines will also have an easier task of ranking specific pages.

TIP! Research keywords. Your customers should always be the top focus, but search engine optimization is still necessary to bring those customers to your pages.

Know everything you can about your subject. If you’re going to use your site to blog or something like that, you must know what you are talking about. When you do not seem genuine or knowledgeable, you will quickly lose readers. Figuring out your subject will help you blog better.

TIP! Know what your subject is. This means that no matter what information you share, do your research.

Allow your visitors to contact you through email, a contact form, comments or social media. When you have this area, your visitors can let you know if something needs fixed or if they aren’t sure how use some of the site’s functions. If a visitor feel involved, he or she will want to see your website again.

Alt Tags

TIP! You don’t have to fill every pixel on the screen with content! You will make your visitors feel overwhelmed if you use all the space available. However, by leaving some space between your site’s content, you can provide your visitors with an experience that’s more comfortable.

Remember to utilize ALT tags for images as you design your website. This allows everyone to gain access to the intended information. If the images are links, the tags let you describe the link as well. Search engine crawlers also heavily use ALT tags to boost the rankings for some websites.

TIP! Incorporating a traffic counter for your page is rather unsightly. Take it off of your site if you want to look contemporary.

Make sure your navigation is simple to use. Where you place your navigation links is key to creating a user-friendly site that keeps visitors planted. You must provide the user with easy navigation to create the right experience.

TIP! You should always be practicing with the techniques you learn in order to become more effective and creative in your build endeavors. You want to do this because you want to make sure all of the knowledge that you’re learning is easy for you to apply.

Make an effort to create a high quality “About Us” webpage. There are a lot of websites that do not utilize compelling or original content for their “About Us” webpages. Try to write this content in an entertaining way. Share some information about yourself, your inspiration and your web page design business.

TIP! HTML5 is important to become knowledgeable about if you seek to succeed in web design. You will need to work hard if you do not already know much about html5.

Be sure to proofread everything you post to present a professional appearance. You don’t want anyone to have trouble understanding what you meant. Errors in written content not only cause a site to look unprofessional, but it also slows down readers and causes them to lose interest.

When starting, only post small amounts of content. You don’t need a lot of stuff that will overwhelm you and confuse visitors when they arrive on your site.

TIP! Research is an important aspect of web design. The better you understand your business niche, the easier it is to woo a target audience.

It is wise to develop a sitemap you can reference for planning purposes. When you utilize a sitemap that is visual, you can see just how the site’s structure is developing. This will help you locate any area on your website that needs to be improved, as well as areas of neglect. A clear overview of the project will prove to be invaluable.

TIP! When you are going to design a site, find specific individuals among your target audience and ask them what they personally want to see. This provides you better focus with site design and a better understanding of what features to include.

Use copy and paste to help you create multiple webpages for your website. Instead of generating new HTML code for every single page, copy the main section of code, tweak it where needed, and then save it as a new file each time. You will be able to use this master copy over and over again.

TIP! Graphics can add interest and value to your website. Wrap text around your images to keep your website interesting.

Free web hosting might sound like a bargain, but it can quickly turn into a nightmare. Avoid it for any of your business needs. Although it can be tempting to save money, particularly for someone just starting out, free hosts slam your site with a lot of ads, and you will have no input into which ads appear on your site. This cramps the style of your site, and is often viewed unfavorably by site visitors.

Domain Auctions

TIP! Remember that spending gobs of money is not a necessity for designing an effective website. For each costly, popular program or tool available for web design, there are equally useful programs or tools that are much cheaper.

A good place to find a domain name that suits the kind of site you want to create is to look through domain auctions. SEDO is just one source for domain auctions, where you can choose among already established names that can prove advantageous to your site. It may be expensive, but the right domain is worth every penny.

TIP! Avoid using Captchas, except in the case of new user registration. The captcha triggers a response from the viewer that he or she now has to perform complex problem solving just to view a simple webpage.

As you can see, designing a professional website can be fairly straightforward. There are various fundamentals involved in web page design, but learning them can help you understand the process. Use these tips to learn website development basics that you can use on your site.

The Tricks Every Web Designer Must Know

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TIP! There are many web design forums that can give you tips and tricks on what to do. Use your preferred search engine to get sound information that will help you learn for free.

In today’s online connected world a business needs to have a strong internet presence to succeed. Regardless, a website that does not work can cause a business to suffer. Follow these techniques and guidelines to build a modern, successful website.

TIP! Despite the type of site you are going to have, you definitely want to keep the loading time under ten seconds. Sites that are well-made and efficient will open in a browser in moments.

Have your website prominently feature a tagline. Taglines are catchy mottos that explain your business. It’s important to use a tagline that is clear since you have about eight seconds when someone goes to your page to get them interested in exploring your entire website.

TIP! The type of files you use for graphics on your site are related directly to the size of the file. This affects the load time of your site.

Watch for new ideas on forums dedicated to website development if you want a head start, or simply to learn more. There is no end to the excellent websites on the Internet that offer free advice for the taking.

TIP! Put together a nice page about you or your organization and title it “About” or “About Us.” Many websites contain very uncreative and dry pages for these areas.

Visitors will enjoy your website, if they can navigate it easily. You should have the links on your site prominently displayed and easy to navigate. Menus render your website easier for users to surf. Ensure your site users can easily find the way to the pages are the main ones by providing links to them on each subordinate page.

TIP! Get your domain name registered when you have a site idea. Once you’ve thought of a domain name that you like, you should reserve it so that it’s still there when you’re ready to use it.

Be mindful of your background. You don’t want your text to be hard to read! A distracting background is…well, distracting. Select a wallpaper complementary to the rest of your design, so that your users will be able to negotiate the site more easily.

TIP! Development platforms build the code for you, however, they really are not as dependable as a regular text editor. The reason for a platform is to design all the features of the site, so that you can then paste the code that is generated.

Keep your homepage simple. The look of your front page will help people determine if they want to stay on your site or leave it. Make sure that you provide a very clear description about your business or other purpose for your site. Other information on your site should be minimal, but still clear, so that you don’t overwhelm your visitors.

TIP! Everyone has heard about Photoshop, and they know that they have to learn it in order to become successful with web design. Dreamweaver is less popular but is easier to master and is filled with useful tools designed for webmasters.

Never use an overabundance of conflicting fonts on your website. You need to also be mindful of how some fonts appear on monitors, since smaller serif fonts are difficult to read. The majority of sites utilize Verdana, which is easy to read in any size or color.

Alt Tags

TIP! Consult with friends and those in the know, if you missed something when you were learning about HTML, Dreamweaver and Photoshop. There is a lot to know about these programs, so make sure that you have absorbed the important elements and can easily utilize them when the need arises.

Be sure you’re using ALT tags for the images while you design a website. These tags provide several very important functions in that they describe images for people who browse the Internet with graphics disabled, and provide descriptions for people who are visually impaired and utilize tools that translate images to voice. No mater whether you use image links or not, the use of an ALT tag gives a better explanation. It’s also important to remember that search engine bots search for ALT tags, so they can aid in your search engine ranking.

TIP! When starting, only post small amounts of content. It’s nice to have a lot of content on your site but you are trying to hook traffic and form a niche.

Make sure your load times are low. If visitors have to wait too long, they will likely leave. Some techniques you can use to insure fast loading pages are reducing Flash, minimization of CSS coding, and reducing Flash and graphics on your page.

TIP! Keep the reading level of your potential visitors in mind when writing website content. Not everyone is a rouge scholar.

Stick with common fonts that look professional. They are common for a reason. The font type on a website is a quick indicator of how professional it is. Fancy fonts, such as those that look like gothic lettering or calligraphy, can often be hard to read. Other fonts, like Comic Sans, send a message that you aren’t professional. A font can be subset to the default font on your user’s computer if they don’t have it. This could cause it to look bad.

Open Source Software

TIP! Provide a site map. Site maps serve two primary purposes.

You should understand that it shouldn’t be costly to design your site. For all the tools you have, there are usually less expensive ones that will benefit you. For example, you can use free software to help you create websites and add design elements to all your pages. Open source software usually does the same things as paid software. Taking the open source software plunge can definitely keep costs in check.

TIP! Look for unusual sources of inspiration when designing your website. A child’s simple art project, an unusual commercial, or your favorite TV show can give you great ideas.

Once your site is online, do not assume your work as a designer is over. Be ready to stay active with your site. It will not be necessary to update every day, but do realize that fresh content must be a priority. This is especially true if you’re hosting videos or working with current events. Luckily, keeping website current isn’t as overwhelming as tending to a blog. It’s going to take some hard work and attention to detail.

TIP! If your site has a logo, you need to ensure it links back to the home page. As time has gone on, people have come to expect that logos are clickable and will take them to a homepage.

You don’t have to think of web design as extremely difficult. Once you understand the basics, you will be able to easily build a website visitors will enjoy visiting. Use the information located above to build an amazing web page.

Should You Design A Website For Your Business?

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TIP! Avoid using frames on your site. Once frames were popular, but there were a lot of issues with them too.

There are web designers getting rich doing the sorts of things you are fully capable of doing on your own. Don’t fall prey to having someone else do for you what you can learn on your own. Begin by following these tips.

TIP! Be sure your introductory page is clean and simple. The look of your front page will help people determine if they want to stay on your site or leave it.

Ensure that you’re including a method of receiving feedback from your site’s visitors. This makes it easier to identify problem areas and to create a more user-friendly site. Allowing visitors to actively participate in your website will make them want to visit again.

TIP! Avoid using a variety of fonts on your site. You have to consider how the fonts you choose display on computer screens.

Be sure that your users priorities are your priorities. As a web designer, you should always focus on the viewer’s needs. For example, many users are concerned about accessibility, usability, user interaction and user experience. You should think about all these things as you do your job. Always look at things through the eyes or screen of the viewer.

TIP! Use Photoshop to create attractive websites if you are a beginner. There are also programs that will allow you to design pages without knowing how to write HTML or other code.

Try making navigation as clear and easy as possible. Place all navigation links in areas that flow well and are easily visible so your visitors know where to go and remain on the site much longer. The navigational part of your website should allow users a great experience.

Web Browsers

TIP! Leave pop-up windows off your website. The average user finds pop-up windows to be an annoying distraction, rather than something useful.

Test your website on all the different web browsers. Every browser interprets sites in their own way, and sometimes that can lead to drastic differences in the way a site appears to a user, affecting not only visual elements, but functional elements as well. You can do a little online research to discover which web browsers are most popular at the moment. Use all popular browsers to test your site, including the mobile web ones.

TIP! Don’t use frames if you want to optimize your website. Frames are good for some situations, but they don’t allow your content to be indexed.

Try and write a decent “About Us” page. Too many websites use boring, generic biographies. Make it a little more exciting! Try giving people a tiny peek into your personal background. Try showing how you got into website creation, who inspired you, and what you hope to accomplish with your business.

Looking Fonts

TIP! It is a good idea to have an “About Us” page on your site. So many sites have dull, boring information on these pages.

Try using readable and professional-appearing fonts. The most well-designed sites use professional-looking fonts. Stay away form Comic Sans or other fancy looking fonts that are not on every computer. If you use a font that not everyone has, a default font will appear on their computer. The results are uncontrollable and often unattractive.

TIP! Never be forceful in the direction a viewer wants to take. You don’t want to suddently have a survey appear before them or promotions that they have to click on in order to go further.

Hosting your own site is a bad idea, even if you’ve got the money to do it. Design your website as much as you can by yourself, but have someone else host it, so that you do not have to worry about its security and safety.

TIP! Avoid wasting time by programming your domain and user name into your file server. Doing so ensures that every time you log on, you have the option to quickly select your customized settings.

For creating your own website, try using Adobe Dreamweaver. People of all knowledge levels can understand this program easily. It is feature rich, with lots of layouts and templates. It can also help with testing the site so you know how it will look once on the server.

TIP! Take care to differentiate your website design from others in the same genre as you. Before you begin designing, have a look at the websites of your competitors.

Keep your content to a minimum when first creating your website. You don’t want so much stuff that you become flustered, as this can also confuse visitors to your site.

TIP! Make sure your site is secure. If your website is handling sensitive financial information, then getting a specific SSL certificate is a must.

If you are just starting out in web page design, use a simple template for your layout, then modify it with your own code. Begin with the basics and evolve your site as time goes on and you become more advanced in your capabilities and understanding of website creation.

TIP! If you design websites, think like an artist. Take inspiration from all areas of your life, and allow it to shine through in your work.

You should have people beta testing your website as you build it. Whenever you add a brand-new feature, have someone test and judge it while being impartial. You may think that a video that is slow to load is not really a hassle, but other people may feel differently. Ask someone who has no interest in flattering you to give you an honest opinion.

TIP! Keep accessibility in mind when you design your page. Have someone in another country try to access your site.

An important aspect of your site is security. Any site that needs vital personal information such as credit cards and PayPal accounts, it is advisable you purchase an SSL certificate. In addition, check with your website host for any offered security packages.

TIP! In order to become a fantastic website designer, remember to learn as much as you can from others with experience. This will help you to become diverse, and it will give you lots of options when it comes to designing your site.

With the constant advances in technology, you need to stay current in website development. Websites are the future as they are replacing what companies are and where you can find information. That means you can turn all of the knowledge you gain today into a lucrative career, if you wish.

TIP! Be sure that ads on your website are not very big. You don’t want to turn people off with a website that is overcrowded with advertisements.

When you have a basic understanding of website creation, you can start practicing what you know. The tips shown here demonstrate the fact that it is not hard to absorb the basics of good website design. Use the tips you’ve read here, and start applying them to your own site.