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A Webmaster’s Toolkit and Tricks
TERMS OF REPRINT You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included and you follow these rules: *Email distribution of this article MUST be opt-in email only. *If you post...

Are web graphics stealing your money?
They might not be wearing a mask and carrying a gun, but if you've got images on your web pages then they could be costing you a lot more money than you think every time a visitor looks at one. That's because image files are typically the biggest...

Developing Your Website: 10 Tips for Getting Started

1. Be clear on your purpose . Building a website can be a long and arduous procedure if you are not sure what you are doing. However, if you have a clear focus as to what you expect your website to do for your business/organization, things will...

How to Make Your Website a Big Hit
The Internet has become the leading information portal for hundreds of millions of global audiences. With this, lots of companies trust in the web’s capability to bring them lots of clients as well as bountiful sales and profits. How can this...

Switching Web Host
Moving a website is not as difficult as you may think because it really is easy. There are few steps to follow carefully. First Off: Do not get over excited when you see an extremely cheap hosting plan, look carefully at what the plan that they...

 
The 8 Most Important Website Design Principles

Building an Innovative and Effective Website, by making full use of available technologies, is crucial for the future success of your current or future online business. There are literally 1000's of great ideas out there, but finding the right ones and applying them to your website, is where the real trick lies.

Applying the best tips, tools and other design principles to your website, can bring you untold success on the internet. At the same time, using powerful and innovative ideas in the design and development stages of your website, will level the playing field for your business, and raise it's competitive edge on the internet.

We have been doing web development for more than 7 years now, and during this time, many important design and development principles have come to light. Don't waste valuable time by making the same mistakes many other web designers and webmasters do. The following 8 powerful website design principles will assist in helping you make the right choices for your online business :

1. Do-it-yourself OR outsourcing ?

Before you start compiling your new website, you have to establish your skill level to tackle the specific project. If you have sufficient html understanding, a good idea of graphics and colors, plus fair writing skills, you mostly can do the website design yourself. If, however, you don't have a fair understanding of html, it would be advisable to outsource.

2. Dynamic vs. Static web pages

Do you want your site to be static, i.e.. no input from visitors, or dynamic, i.e.. fully interactive, with visitors being able to log on, take part in forums, post information, etc ? Many new and fantastic scripting languages are available to make your site more dynamic and bring it to life.

3. Web Site Title vs. Domain

Before registering a domain for your site, take some time to think of related words or names that best describes your business. Compile a few possibilities and then check for availability on the internet. The best ones would normally already be "taken", but innovative thinking can get you very far !! When compiling you main page, use this domain name and extend it to your website's main page title tag. This is step 1 in getting future good search engine rankings.

4. Build your site around important keywords

When building the content part of your site, remember to include a fair dose of important keywords and


phrases that best describe your business. These keywords, the words and phrases people use when searching for relevant information on the internet, should also be extended to all the important tags of every web page of your site. Be careful though not to overdo it, as search engines penalize "keyword stuffing". Also use full sentences and make them sound natural. The clever search engine algorithms have recently just become even more advanced, and can now track unnaturally sounding sentences !

5. Optimized Title, Description & Keyword Tags

Each page of your website should be individually optimized in terms of the message you want it to carry. Every page is different and there for a specific reason. If the page info and page tags do not match in terms of keywords, the page will not show up in search engine results. Search engines want to give searchers relevant results, and by not applying this principle, your site will not rank well.

6. A Site Map with links to all pages

Assist the search engines by making it easy for them to index your site. If all pages can be reached from a central point like a sitemap, you will firstly make sure that the search engine spider finds all your site pages, and secondly help visitors to find relevant info and pages quickly. Sites with good structures and fresh content gets spidered more often.

7. All pages back-linked to the Site Map and Home Page

Visitors to your website will not necessary land on the index page or sitemap. It is therefore imperative to give them a way to get to your index, site map and other important pages. A well structured informative website also receives more return visitors.

8. Standard background & fonts on all pages

By keeping pages uniform, you ensure your visitors know they are still on your site. Having various banners, backgrounds and fonts will only confuse visitors. Try to stick to one font, or two at the most. The human eye needs to adjust every time it reads text written in a new font. Do not irritate your visitors by using many different fonts - they will leave in a flash !

If you have an existing website, but nothing much have been happening for you, try to apply these 8 principles and see what good transpires...

About the Author

Brian is a freelance writer, website marketing and SEO expert & webmaster of 3 websites, including Rank Advance : http://www.rankadvance.com


 

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Links to freeware web development tools, browsers, software, etc.
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Resources for web site developers including how-to guides, code libararies, server technologies and authoring resources.
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Tips on Web page design and development, HTML, graphics, scripting, favicon, development tools, Java, sql basics, building web sites, and much more for ...
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  • 10 helpful tips to follow when switching web hosts

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  • about web applications

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  • aesthetics and web marketing

  • are web graphics stealing your money

  • asp web hosting

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  • bad web design activex

  • basics of web design principles

  • beginner guide to web hosting

  • beyond web usability web credibility

  • bring to life your ideal web pages

  • building an effective furniture sales web site

  • building a successful web site what not to do

  • building the website of your dreams not your nightmares

  • building websites using web templates

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  • building your own web site here are two critical points to consider

  • business benefits of the web standards

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  • can they use your website in a tv broadcast about scams

  • can your web site win the tour de france

  • cheap website design dangers of cheap web design for your business

  • cheap web design

  • checklist for a successful web site design

  • choosing the right website designer

  • choosing the right web site designer

  • choosing your web design

  • cookies how to improve your website and learn from your visitors

  • create and deploy a website from start to finish

  • creating your first web site part 2

  • creating your own website for free

  • creative offline website marketing techniques

  • custom web site design strategies

  • designing a successful web site

  • designing professional web pages

  • designing your web site for all browsers

  • determine your popularity on the web

  • developing and optimizing your website let flash help you

  • developing an effective physical therapy web site

  • developing your website 10 tips for getting started

  • developing your winning web site strategy

  • dirty web promotion tricks 1 legitimate and malicious javascripts

  • do not drop your web site off the search engine cliff

  • do you really need a website

  • do you really need a web site

  • easy steps to website development and promotion

  • ecommerce web design solutions

  • effective web design

  • eliciting constructive website feedback

  • empower web clients increase your profits

  • find a hidden fortune in your website stats

  • first rate tools for your web authoring

  • five core elements to a successful website

  • five pieces of information you must include on your website to generate sales

  • flash deadly sins that can kill your web business

  • focus your web site or get out of business

  • forums should you have them on your website

  • four easy steps to establishing a website

  • free website templates top 10 things you need to know

  • getting professional website a cheap and easy way

  • getting your own web site quickly and cheaply

  • get it all with good web content

  • get your web site noticed

  • good web design the importance of navigation

  • good web design what is it

  • graphics for the web gif format

  • graphics for the web plug ins

  • hiring a custom website designer

  • how a custom designed website can help your business

  • how do we know when its time to redesign our web site

  • how much does a website cost

  • how not to be ripped off by your website designer

  • how to build a website

  • how to build your own website more steps

  • how to choose a website designer

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  • how to choose a web site designer

  • how to create a professional website in less than a week

  • how to create a website in less than a week

  • how to design and setup a website

  • how to find good web hosting

  • how to get more hits on your website

  • how to hire the right web design firm

  • how to keep your visitors 10 times longer on your web site

  • how to make your website a big hit

  • how to prepare images for your web site part 1

  • how to prepare your project before you order website design

  • how to save money on a website

  • how to set up a professional website on your own using web templates

  • how to set up your own website

  • how to shop for a web design firm

  • how web design can affect search engine rankings

  • html tips easy ways to make your website sizzle

  • if its done its done for make your website part of your business before you build

  • if you build it they will come not without web marketing

  • increase sales with easy to read web pages

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  • independent consultants take over web design

  • index

  • initial factors of web page construction

  • interactive content blogs forums and feedback what does your web site need

  • in search of webhosting first understand the industry

  • is there benefit to green in web design

  • is your site too slow why image optimization is critical when you create a web site

  • is your website legal

  • is your web site ready for its visitors

  • is your web site unfriendly parts 5 6 of 9

  • is your web site unfriendly part 2 of 9

  • learn from the masters of web design

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  • make your web site super sticky

  • making better web graphics that grab your attention and load fast

  • making the business case for web standards

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  • my top ten list of extremely annoying web page design elements

  • new customizable javascript menu for web applications

  • new support for website and graphic design firms

  • now you have a web site have you ever heard of accessibility

  • optimal website design

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  • optimizing a website with flash

  • overview of web content management systems

  • part ii planning a website

  • pegasus infocorp pvt ltd offshore professional website design and software services provider based in india

  • pitfalls of web redesign

  • planning a web site

  • planning a winning website

  • plan your web site for profits

  • printing your website the right way

  • quality web site language

  • quick web site start up and promotion guide

  • rotator

  • search engine optimization and web site usability

  • sell your freelance web services to businesses that dont have a web site

  • should i make my own web site

  • should you bother learning html to build webpages

  • simple steps to finding a web designer

  • simplify your web site for clarity and ease of use

  • spice up your web site with javascript

  • starting your own website c cheryl a crossan 2002

  • steps of a project for a freelance web builder

  • switching web host

  • tapping into the visual stimulus of your web site visitors

  • templates website templates free website template newwebimage com

  • ten basic steps for building a web site that works

  • testing your web application a quick 10 step guide

  • the 4 deadly sins of business web design

  • the 8 most important website design principles

  • the core elements of a successful website

  • the critical importance of good web graphics to internet marketing profits

  • the future of web design what is dotnetnukee

  • the ideal web design firm

  • the importance of web standards

  • the need to have website design services

  • the newbies guide to small business web design

  • the new fa‡ade of web designs

  • the pros and cons of using templates for your business website

  • the straight truth about web site building tools

  • the topic of your website

  • the top 5 roadblocks to web accessibility

  • the top seven strategies for website success

  • the web site is not the end all of internet marketing strategy

  • this is why your website isnt making you any money

  • tips for choosing a web developer

  • top 10 ways for web designers to find new clients

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  • want a sticky website that sells forget content

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  • webpage tips

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  • website designing web site design new jersey newwebimage com

  • website design info part 1

  • website design info part 2

  • website design strategies for internet marketer

  • website design website development flash design services

  • website development become your own expert

  • website maintenance what does it take to manage your website

  • website template usage beyond what you already know

  • web accessibility and your business

  • web accessibility making your pages friendly to people with disabilities

  • web accessibility myths

  • web accessibility the basics

  • web analytics getting it right

  • web content case study

  • web content how much should i pay

  • web designers beware

  • web design 7 key things to avoid

  • web design for the no talent artist

  • web design integrating e commerce

  • web hosting shared or dedicated which should you choose

  • web hosting to switch or to stay

  • web page real estate 101

  • web site designing pillars part2

  • web site design focus focus focus

  • web site design things you should avoid

  • web site monitoring is a global necessity

  • web site must haves

  • web site optimization how to optimize pdf files for web sites

  • web site optimization how to speed up your web site by minimizing your gif and png image bit depth

  • web site start up and promotion guide for professionals

  • web source web design tips

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  • web source web design tips selecting the perfect background for your website

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  • web standards part 1 what are web standards

  • whats really going on with your web site

  • what color is your website

  • what to avoid to make your website design effective

  • why a css website layout will make you money

  • why dot coms fail a webmasters perspective

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  • why use a web design template

  • why your business needs a website

  • why you need a web site

  • writing benefit driven web copy 4 steps to more sales

  • writing for the web four steps you cant ignore

  • www hosting web development empathise and create not bad p websites

  • your web site do it yourself or get serious

  • you too can have an amazing website