Fool Proof Web Design

The great thing about websites is the fact that anybody worldwide can access it via a computer, a smart phone, or pretty much any other device that
permits an internet connection. It is evident that there is currently a saturation of mass marketed information out there, so setting apart your
brand/identity from the rest can become a tricky task.

You probably have an ideal target that you need to reach out to, which is a crucial step in understanding how and where your information is going.
It’s imperative to understand that not every person in that specific group has the same devices and abilities to get to your information.
This is where Fool Proof Web Design should come in. A no-brainer yet clever method of arranging your information, drafting out your steps,
and maintaining the flow of your website and the people visiting it.

We’ve all heard the saying “Less is More”. It makes complete sense, considering the exaggerated amount of media messages we have to eat up every day.
Our web design ideals are quite simple and not over the top, but are really the stepping stones to creating long lasting, useful and meaningful websites.
 
1.    Keep your domain name simple: We’ve blogged about it, you’ve probably read this over and over in other places as well. It makes your site’s SEO much more efficient and accurate. It also helps people’s memories retain your URL name quicker and it’s easier to type out on your browser bar as well as in an email.
2.    Navigation: Both your menu bar and navigation scheme should be simple, keeping the amount of clicks to a minimum. Also, don’t go too crazy with the hovers and roll-overs. That’s so 2005.
3.    Text and fonts: Might seem like an obvious one, but do try to use easy to read fonts (such as Arial, Verdana or Times New Roman). This really isn’t the place to get all cute. All text should be html, not embedded as an image. This helps SEO and it gives users the chance to enlarge or make their font size smaller on their browser.
4.    Loading times: Optimize any images to the smallest size possible that is able to give you good visual quality. You know how annoying it is to go on somebody’s MySpace profile and have to wait one hour for all the images, flash galleries, videos, and animated GIFs to load? Exactly. If it takes more than a couple of seconds for your site to start loading, the chance is most visitors are going to leave. Not really the results you’re looking for!
5.    Content: Even though you might not be working with subject matter that requires or uses frequent textual updates, it is good to throw in fresh bits into your site occasionally. If you’re making a web portfolio, try to update with photos or screenshots of your work. If you’re running a doggie day care business, keep owners in the loop with news and pictures of current events. If you’re a doctor, put in an article or two pertaining to your practice. Fresh content makes people happy and turns them into recurrent site visitors.
6.    Have fun: The most important and often over looked aspect. This is your web site! Have fun with it. Treat it as your creative brain child and you will see many wonderful things coming out of it.