Basic Principles of Web Design

Having an online presence, whether for business or pleasure, makes perfect sense in this day and age of technology. That is why you should have a great website that visitors will want to come back to time and again. In order to accomplish that, you should know that there are a few basic principles of web design you need to follow in order to have a successful site.

Web design layout is important.  Your site should be easy to read and presented in a logical, clear manner.  Three columns are a standard element and while you might think it is boring, they are effective! People are accustomed to newspapers with a three column layout so that web design will work for you.  Use graphics wisely. You don’t want to overload your online visitor’s brain with too much stimuli. Be creative with the graphics as well.  Wrap text around your pictures.

And speaking of graphics, another key principle of web design is to make sure that your pictures are small, no more than 15KB each.  While more and more people are switching to broadband, you don’t want to discourage dial-up internet users from your website with slow loading web pages.  Also, try to not incorporate any flashing pictures or graphics in your web design. It is very distracting and detracts from the message your web page is trying to relay to visitors.

Word type or font is another elementary principle of good web design.  Try to not go for the cutesy stuff because it is off-putting.  Instead, choose a font that is easy to read like Sans Serif, Times New Roman or even Comic Sans. Stick with the basic font families for your web design. You will find that the web site will be easier on the eyes and your fonts will be compatible with practically any web browsing software. A good idea is to also use php web hosting for good compatibility.

If you plan to make money on your website, don’t integrate too many advertising links into your web design.  Not only is this a big turn-off to visitors but it will also detract from the message you are trying to relay with your website.  And in relation to earning money, be sure to include some informative articles that relate to the subject of your website.  By including articles in your web design, you would gain internet traffic and more visitors would find your website.