PROFESSIONAL WEBSITE DESIGN HOUSTON
TEXAS
Professional Website design is becoming
increasingly more important as an increasing number of
internet users are viewing an increasing number of web
pages online.
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Not unexpectedly, the
design of a website can determine its
success or failure in comparison with
others offering the same or similar
information. The development of web
browsers has led to increasingly faster
browser speeds, and the attention span of
those using them has become correspondingly
shorter. If your web page does not catch
their eye, they will not stop to browse it,
even if your content is the best on the
web. Even if they do stop to have a look,
the content must be up to scratch, and your
navigation must be simple, allowing them to
travel through your website easily, and
without too many clicks.
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Another very important aspect of web design is the loading
speed. Many websites contain Flash graphics that, when used
properly, can load quickly and render a site very
attractive with good interactivity, but that can also be
very slow and sluggish to load up if installed by an
inexperienced web designer or webmaster.
professional website design, then, involves more than just
using pretty colors and graphics, but an overall
appreciation of how the components of the site interact
with each other to provide the visitor with a good online
experience that will keep them on your website. Here are
some website design tips covering the more important
of these components, to which you should pay special
attention:
1. CONTENT
The content of each web page must be optimized for the
keyword that the page relates to. A keyword is
another word for the search term that a search engine user
enters into their browser when seeking information. A
search engine such as Google will calculate how relevant
each page on the world wide web is to that search term, and
a large part of that calculation is based upon the content
of your page, the use of the keyword or search term within
it, and also how the other vocabulary on the page relates
to that keyword.
Website design will target the keyword without over-using
it by means of semantically related vocabulary, and make
absolutely clear what the content of the page is
about. A commonly used example is German
shepherd: is it a dog or a Hanoverian that looks
after sheep The only way to tell is not by the keyword
‘german shepherd’, but from the other text used on the
page.
Google has an algorithm to do this termed ‘latent semantic
indexing’ or LSI, and the meaning of the words you use is a
very important part of content design.
2. USABILITY
A well designed website should be user-friendly, and easy
to read. The text should not be too large or too
small, and should be written in bite-size pieces. Long
paragraphs will result in the visitor clicking away, and
paragraphs should be of no more than two or three sentences
(such as on this page). Use bullets where possible, and
break up the page using paragraph headings.
The navigation should be easy to use, and in the same place
on every page in the site. The visitor should be able
to return to the home page from every other page, and
should not be given so many options to click on that they
get confused.
3. APPEARANCE
The appearance of each page should be consistent, and the
graphics relevant to the topic. Never try to make each page
different in the hope that the visitor will be entertained
- they won’t be. They will just be confused.
Your site should be consistent throughout, and the colors
neither too dull not too garish. Use a template for
each page.
4. VISIBILITY
You can have the best website design in the world, but if
people can’t find it, you won’t get visitors. You should
follow all the basic SEO rules to ensure that your web
pages have a good chance of getting a high search engine
listing, and steer clear of duplicating content.
Never copy content from other sites, and always use fresh
content on each of your web pages.
5. KEEP IT FRESH
Web design involves maintaining your site by adding new
content regularly. Add a new page at least weekly to
keep the search engines interested, with each page devoted
to a specific keyword or search term based upon intelligent
use of keyword research. A good choice of keyword is
one with a high demand but low supply by other web pages,
although these are getting harder to find.
Finally, a well designed website can make the difference
between the success and failure of a site, whether it is
intended for fun and information or a commercial site that
sells products. You can either try designing your own
website or have a professional do it for you.
Many opt for the middle road, however, and seek website
design tips and recommendations for tools that can make
designing your website significantly easier, and keep you
up with modern internet developments in professional website
design and content generation.
Professional Website Design | Houston,
Texas
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