Tips on designing websites continue

21. Don't Confuse Users with Different Version :- Some site may ask for bandwidth preference or screen settings. See where they are, way below the rankings. Just give the readers the content that they want to see.

22. Donot Mix Ads with Content :- blending an adsense along the text body might increase the chance of clicks and revenues. Short term wise, this will earn you profits. Long term, imagine that users who are annoyed of being led to an advertisements which they do not need and do not want to see.

23. Simple Navigation are Top-notch :- Simple navigation is an assurance that the user will not be lost while browsing through your web pages. If one gets lost while clicking Next or hopping to another link, you can say goodbye to a potential subscription or sale.

24. No to Intro :- Placing an intro before letting anyone see the contents of your website is really annoying. Not everyone has the time, patience and attention span to watch what you want them to watch. It is just right to respect their time and lead them straight to the information that they need.

25. Avoid Using Frontpage :- Frontpage and other cheap HTML editors may be easy to use but you are sacrificing the quality of the design. You can often see problems with the codes or bugs when using different browsers. Unless you have advance coding skill that you can avoid such problems, Frontpage and other cheap HTML editors is not the way to build your website.

26. Cross-browser Capabilities :- Different browser have different sets of capabilities. What you have to do is make sure that your design is compatible with the most used browsers by your target market.

27. Intelligent Clicking :- Anchor text plays a vital role in your SEO plan. You have to make good use of them to let the users know where they are going if they click on a link. This give them freedom to choose where they want to go.

28. No Link Cloaking :- Hiding links is like telling the user to go jump in the river. The link must be visible and must tell the user where they will be going. Sending the users to affiliate links without them knowing will led to drop in your credibility.

29. Format Links Properly :- Formatting links properly make them more visible. Highlight their colors and underline them so they looks very inviting to the users. Links are optimally colored with blue.

30. Content Formatting :- The normal text should not be underline nor should it use colored fonts. Making normal text look like links might mislead users that they are also clickable.

31. Guide the Users with the Links :- After the color of clicked links so te user will be guided. This will give the user an idea which pages were visited and which one remains to be unexplored.

32. Avoid Using GIFs :- Advertisement banners may need GIF formatting but if these are not necessary on your website, avoid them. A tons of GIFs make the pages look cluttered and very unprofessional.

33. No to Pop Ups :- pop-up windows have been very annoying ever since. There are also chances that your pop-up window will be blocked by available free blockers in the market today.

34. Avoid color that causes Headache :- Color scheme may cause headache. If you think browsing through your website just for several minutes strains your eyes, then you must reconsider checking for another color on the palate.

35. ALT and TITLE attributes for images :- these will help a lot for blind users aside from being SEO friendly.

36. Functional Footer Links :- Internet users are accustomed to finding useful links at the bottom of the page. Usually you can find FAQs, Terms of Agreement, Contact Us and a lot more functional links. User amy click on them especially if they can find information on the pages.

37. Avoid Horizontal Scrolling :- People will tolerate scrolling down their browser to see the rest of the page. Do not give them the burden of scrolling to the left, than going back to the right, than going back up, than going down. Doesn't that sound tiring enough? The most commonly used resolution today is 1024*768 pixels.

38. Refrain from making long pages :- Scrolling down a few times may be okay to see information. Scrolling down forever to see what information you can give the users may be annoying and impractical. Users may decide to skip or just leave your website. A properly designed navigation plan will avoid this problem.

39. Polish the Grammar and Avoid typographical Errors :- Errors in the text will greatly affects the overall quality of your website. Before posting, you must edit, re-edit and proofread your contents to make sure that there are no spelling errors and grammar rules have been followed well all through out.

40. CAPTCHA :- These are utilized by webmasters to avoid spams on their websites. If you are using CAPTCHA, make sure that the letter are readable without having to call the whole family, football team and friends to read them out.

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Designing tips for web page

As the owner of a website design business, I have to admit that I've seen it all when it comes to websites. Some clients come to me with fancy, expensive sites, packed with lots of Flash animation and high-end gadgets. The sites look great, but sales are virtually non-existent. While others have homemade sites they either created themselves or with the help of a friend or relative (or the high school kid down the street). These sites usually give a very unprofessional image and don't perform. And more than a few don't even have a website (and that's the kiss of death in today's wired world). Well, no matter where you are in the process of getting on the web, this course will help you create a better, more successful website. Since most of my clients tend to be businesses, we're going to focus on creating commercial websites that increase sales and generate more leads. However, even if you have an informational website, you'll pick up a few tricks from this e-course to help you attract and retain more visitors. We'll even talk about how your website can open up additional revenue streams for you or your business. So let's get started... First, I want to share the two most important ingredients that every commercial website needs... Traffic and conversion. Here are the short and sweet definitions: Traffic is simply the people who visit your website, preferably people who want what your business produces or sells. And conversion means getting those people to perform a desired action while they are visiting your site. That action might be buying your product directly from your website using online ordering or phone, or it could be contacting you by email, phone, or online form for more information (in other words, a lead). If your site has both traffic and conversion, then it's doing its job and becomes an important asset to your business. But, if either one of these ingredients is missing, then your website (and business) is in trouble. Let's take a closer look at traffic. Quality traffic (also known as "targeted traffic") means visitors who want what your business has to offer. If you have no traffic coming to your website (a problem for MANY businesses), then nothing happens. Having no traffic is as bad as not having a website at all. Likewise, if the people visiting your site don't really want what you offer, then nothing happens. For example, say you own a plant nursery. But the people who visit your site are looking for furniture for a BABY nursery. You certainly won't sell many tree seedlings, tomato plants, or gardening supplies to new parents who are shopping for a crib. We'll get more into how to find and attract visitors to your website in Lesson 4 of this course. So keep checking your email! And conversion is just as important as traffic. That said; most people's websites are absolutely horrible at conversion. The first step is getting people to stay on your website long enough to take the action you want them to take. That's tougher than it sounds. For most websites, the average visit lasts less than 30 seconds before the visitor clicks away. A website that converts well will first capture a visitor's attention through a combination of effective design (which includes photos, graphics, and layout) with relevant copy (the text). Once your website has a visitor's attention, the copy and design should work together to persuade a qualified visitor to take the action you desire. Conversion is an interesting combination of art and science. And what's really interesting is the fact that even small improvements in conversion can mean a huge increase in sales and profits. Increasing your site's conversion rate from 1% to 2% means DOUBLING your results. That's twice as many sales or leads!

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