Web Design Basics

Key Elements

• Branding your site
• Graphic Design
• Navigation
• Website layout
• Design Best practices
• Fit For Purpose

Keep the Website Simple

• Look and feel are critical
• Information should be quick and easy to reach
• Colour, layout and general site organization should be consistent
• Good basic operational functionality, neatness, and a professional appearance.
• Simple logo, throughout the site, with home link built in
• Watch out for fonts and other formatting that doesn’t work on all browsers
• Use Breadcrumbs navigation

Consistency – Your site reflects your image

• Navigational elements in the same position on each page.
• Consistent background theme, texture or picture
• Keep fonts and colours consistent
• Effective use of white space, no need to completely fill the users screen

Navigation – Three click rule

• Use of hyperlinks and linked texts – contextual linking
• Organize links into related topics
• Rank information in order of importance and direct the visitor, draw them to “specials “
• Don’t have too many layers of information
• Avoid too much content on one single page
• Try to give the visitor the ability to reach whatever they want in three clicks or less
• Link to your most import content on every page, like booking form

First Impressions Count

• Your site is going to help create your brand awareness
• Simplicity and elegance, more effective than spectacular graphics and complicated
• Answer the question – how to get them to return? Offer value through useful content
• Provide customer contact information that works ! No dead phone numbers, or email
• addresses that don’t get answered ⁄ full mailboxes
• 3 – 4 seconds to catch the attention of the visitor in your 24 hour shop