Website Design Principles - Learn The Basics

How long have you been on the Internet? If you started in the early
to mid 1990s, then you've see it change many times. At first, users
were so fascinated by the concept of a 'website' it didn't really
matter what it looked like. Now there are so many websites it really
takes a lot to stand out from the crowd.

But you can. There are some basic things to think about in these
modern days of the Internet. First, most everyone (I believe its
somewhere in the 90%) has high speed Internet. Dial-up is a thing of
the past, so do not try to optimize images for your website. In case
you don't know, companies would 'optimize' any images on their sites by
making them very poor quality because they would load faster. With
faster Internet speeds, this is unnecessary. Just don't use big file
types if you can keep from it.

Also important, people's computer screens are getting much bigger.
Almost all computers see resolutions of 1024×768, and 1280×1024 is
becoming more and more popular. The point here is, the standard size
for websites used to be 800 or 780 pixels wide. You have a captive
audience that came to YOUR website. Fill up the page! Use the new
standard of 980 pixels wide to fill your screen with content. This is
NOT to say you need to add more content to the bigger area, try a clean
look. By putting the same amount of buttons, words and images in the
bigger website size, you're bound to have a less cluttered and clean
website look.

By using images from iStockPhoto.com, Corbis.com or for FREE stock
images go to my favorite, www.sxc.hu site, you can get a really
professional look and feel to your website (if you're on a budget and
can't afford a web designer). Using free website templates could be the
perfect starting point for you to make a beautiful web presence.

There are lots of things to consider when it comes to internet marketing such as your market, your product or service, how you want to advertise
for it, and the main purpose of the website (an opt-in or sale). Check
out all our articles on website design to get off to the right start.