- What is website design?
- What does it take to design a website?
- What should my website look like?
- Do-it-yourself or get help?
- What are website design tools?
- How are web tools different from website design
software?
- Creating a new website vs remodeling a website
- Website redesign issues
Website design is most importantly, but not only:
1. Graphical look - creating your website personality
through art.
2. Weighing the graphical
look against the content:
which appears more important in your site? - the content should win!
3. Organization of material - content
including text, art, color, photos and links
4. Coding and/or use of responsible and useful meta
tags
5. Navigation: planning on how visitors get around your web site (mapping)
and what buttons or links they use to do so.
-Weigh the graphical look against the function of the site for ease of use
and consistency of "conventions"
6. Avoiding distractions and clutter (razzle-dazzle that takes the potential
customer away from the objective of buying from you.)
7. Reviewing or helping to create the content: at least (a.) rough editing
out extraneous, duplicate or confusing information and (b.) checking that
your site has every topic covered in your (good) plan
on a single page.
8. Keyword
knowledge and implementation.
9. Understanding your market
and what would appeal to them.
Keep this in mind if you want to make your own website design: Too
often website design is thought of as only the art part or overall look of
a website - it's much more. But the word "design" implies only the
artistic aspects. So if you want to seriously make a website, you don't just
design it, you use these points to create or build your own website.
These guidelines along with all our Dibbern rules, tips and definitions
combined are what it takes to design a good web site. You will find information
here beginning with planning in tip #1
and tip #2,
and about your web content
including using
photos in your web site, choosing colors
for your website and creating your
identity. Each element is a vital part in your total website design and
can't be skipped. We will also take you into the realm of keywords
and search
engines to get your site found once it is created. Website design is much
more than just art. Many website design programs allow you to integrate our
tips and information into your web site design.
What should my website look like?
What should your web site look like? It should be a true reflection of your
business. How it looks and how it works will be a significant factor in it's
sales ability once your web visitor arrives at your site. Every key
tip we offer drives you towards defining your look and the content
in your web site.. Review our tip on matching the appearance of your site
with your business personality
which also considers your particular market.
Do-it-yourself or get help?
Making your own website is a big project and takes time to do it right - just
follow our key tips from start to finish then read all the definitions and
you'll be prepared to to do-it-yourself with the right web tools.
There are a lot of website design tools available to help
you do-it-yourself. Website design tools help you with some of the responsibilities
of getting your site ready. Website design tools may offer different help
than website design programs. Web tools may include streamlining or optimizing
elements of your website, organizing your site content, or maintaining your
website. We see web tools applicable more to the integrity of your website
than the appearance of it. Sometimes you can find a program that offers web
tools and web design in one program.
To learn about website design programs, and the art of actually creating
your final website, see our information included in How to Make
your Website Ready for the World.
Website remodeling - redesigning
your site:
If you are creating a new website or remodeling a website, the same rules
apply. If you are remodeling a website, use this page and the rest of our
web help to take a critical look at your own site. If you intend to redesign
your website, here are a few ideas to evaluate your own website: Include a
feedback form or email on your site to find out what your visitors do or do
not like. Get someone you know, but not well, to 1. try to find something
you know is in your site, and 2. Ask them to try to buy or order from you.
Silently watch them navigate your site and see if it is how you thought they
would do it! You may be surprised.
If you are trying to decide if you should keep, but remodel
an existing website design or start from scratch and create a new web site,
you need to decide how much of your existing site is worth keeping. Has any
page of your site earned good search engine status? If so, it is worth keeping.
In any case, be sure to replace each page filename with new content and a
new look - do not give your site all new filenames. Aged filenames have value.
If you find an exact replica of this information
anywhere but at dibbern.com,
it has been illegally copied.
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