How about some tips regarding web design? This is something that you probably will always be able to use for a very long time. You owe it to yourself to take a few minutes and read this article in order to get the best advice on web design in order to improve yourself.
Make sure your text and background has the proper contrast. There's evidence showing that white text on a black background is easiest for most people to read, but other colors are fine so long as they're readable. Also keep in mind that people with visual impairments may not be able to read your site if the contrast is poor. Check to see if your site complies with various contrast standards using the tool at http://snook.ca/technical/colour_contrast/colour.html .
Make sure your webpages aren't too long. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and if your most important content is "below the fold," it may not even be read. If you have a lot of related content that needs to stay together, consider breaking it up into sections and adding links to each section.
Keep all of the site files you use as small as possible, regardless of design. This is because file sizes are directly correlated with load times. You want your site to load instantly. The other factor to bear in mind is not all visitors access through high-speed connections. Test to be sure that even computers with slow dial-up modems can connect quickly to your website.
Break up long text blocks. Having a huge wave of text is unnecessary for any site, especially when you can break it up by using images, or even separating it into different pages. Boring your viewers will only make them leave, so keep things as simple and fresh as possible.
Avoid using animated GIFs on your site. These were popular in the late 1990s, but newer technologies have replaced the uses for animated GIFs that were actually useful. Animated GIFs are low in quality and large in file size. Use static icons for page elements and actual video files for complex animations.
New web designers who are aiming to create an appealing website, should utilize Photoshop. Using programs like PS can make amateur sites look professional, fast. If you don't have PS, it can be difficult and time consuming building a nice site quickly.
During the process of designing your site, use ALT tags for your images. These tags are used to describe the images they accompany in case the image is not displayed, such as when a user disables graphics or is visually impaired and uses transcription software to translate images and read them aloud. If you have images that are links, your ALT tags will tell people how the link will behave. Lastly, ALT tags offer search engines a target that will help in boosting your rankings in searches.
When designing a website for a mobile application, it's important that you pick the right screen resolution. From an Android to an iPad, the sites are going to be okc web design displayed on the devices differently. If you're hoping for the best results, go with a screen resolution that looks good on any type of screen.
It is very important that customers can navigate any website easily. Where you locate your website's navigation links can make a huge difference in the amount of time a visitor will spend on your site. You must provide the user with easy navigation to create the right experience.
Photoshop is a well-known editing program that is important to learn about in order to have successful website designs. However, many overlook another program called Dreamweaver that is extremely useful for web design also. Do yourself a favor, and familiarize with Dreamweaver and the benefits it can provide.
If you are designing a commercial website, you do not want to use free web hosting. This brings annoying ads onto your site, and it detracts from a professional look to your commerce site. Instead, pay for some basic or professional web hosting, in which you do not have to put up with this.
If the design of your website needs to be mobile friendly, keep in mind that mobile devices have smaller screens and limited bandwidth. To account for smaller screens, you should try to design your website as a single narrow column so that the user only needs to navigate vertically, as opposed to both horizontally and vertically. Limited bandwidth means that you should be extra concerned about your file sizes. You can also opt to create a separate version of your website specifically for mobile devices.
Allowing guest content on your site is a good idea, but never, ever let someone else get into your server to post it! You need to receive the content via email. A lot of amateur site designers actually allow people to access their host's server. Even if this doesn't lead to theft, it's still a really bad idea.
Focusing on your target audience is important even for website design. For instance, if you're designing a site in order to sell winter coats, you're not exactly going to have a beach themed background with Joe Strummer tunes playing upon entry. Keep your site closely related to its targeted audience.
The information provided here is basic information to get started, and becoming an expert will take a little time and practice. Once you start playing around, you will learn more and more. Refer back to these tips as need be.