What is Web Design?

Many people think web design is how a website looks graphically, however, there is much more to it than that. Web design encompasses many different aspects of the website and each component is important in its own way. Once you understand the value of developing a quality website, you will be able to attract the traffic you desire.

A website is composed of web pages. These web pages have content on them and link to each other (just like pages in a book) to create your overall website. Content on your site might include forms, text, and images developed by codes (HTML, XHTML, and XML). You can also use media applications to make your site more appealing such as video, sounds, or animations.

The first web page that people visit, referred to as a homepage, is usually a static page. Static pages are ones that do not change unless you change them. This is where you introduce your website and have links to web pages so visitors can find the information they seek. It's important to keep your audience in mind when you create this first page. You want to make it attractive to your visitors and easy to read so they do not continue on to your competitors' site.

When designing your site, keep the following aspects of your web design in mind so you have the best chance in attracting and keeping visitors coming back.

• Content

Provide people with the information they seek when looking for a website such as yours. Keep your content fresh, unique, and interesting to spark visitors' interest and motivate them to return.

• Ease of use

Don't make it difficult for someone to find the product or information they seek. People who search the Internet will skim websites looking for the answer they want, so if you don't provide an easy way for them to find something on your site, they move on to the next one. Provide a search engine on your site, have a table of contents, or make your sitemap available for visitors to look over.

• Attractiveness

Design your site so that it is pleasing to the eye. Don't make your font too small or use colors that make it difficult to see the words on the screen. Don't clutter web pages with too much information and always keep your audience's style in mind.

• Search engine friendly

Keywords are one of the most important ways to gain traffic through search engines. Choose keywords people are searching for and are relevant to the content on your site. Place these key phrases in your text throughout your entire website. Then submit your web address to popular search engines and learn about Internet marketing.

Web design is not difficult if you know what it takes to please your audience. You need to learn about coding, how to make your site visible to your audience and make it attractive as well as useful to them. For more information to help you build quality websites, check out: Tips to Improve Web Design Quality.