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 The layout you choose to base your site on depends mainly on the subject matter contained on the pages.
The theme of the layout should be kept fairly consistent throughout the site, with only minor variations being made to accomodate different content or information.
The home page shown in the screen grab above is from a commercial site designed and built by me. If you click on the image a slightly larger version will be displayed, and if you click here, you will be taken to the actual site in a new browser window.
For more information on layouts click here.
Colour schemes.
Colours used in websites can vary a great deal, depending on the subject matter. Some colours are have a calming effect, while others get you excited.
Glaring Red and yellow would put you off using a site devoted to meditation, but it may go down well with teenagers on a music site. Remember, your site is for others to enjoy, not for you! The best way to get an overall view, is to ask for others opinions.
For more detailed information about the use of colour click here for a continuation.
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The information on these pages may seem a bit long winded to you, but there is a reason for this. Not everyone is aware of what goes into a website, and you can always skip a section if you are.
Everything you see can be incorporated into your own website and can be demonstrated as you browse each item. As I am trying to convice you to have your site built by me, I am giving you working examples as we go along, from other sites designed by myself.
This ‘what you see is what you get’ method is the best way for me to show you what is available.
Images, are they necessary?
Obviously, if you are trying to show your range of products, they are an essential part of your site. Unfortunately, there is a drawback - SPEED!
 The more images you have, the slower your page will load. A balance has to be made to optimise loading speed, but still enable visitors to view your product.
There are ways round this, and it is up to you to choose the one that suits your website. You can find more information and examples of this subject on the Graphics page. |
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How big should your pages be? How long is a piece of string? Big is beautiful? Or Less is more?
You are trying to make the site as comfortable as possible for your visitors, and one thing that can help put people off, is scrolling. Sideways scrolling, where the page is wider than your window, is a definate non starter.
A moderate ammount of vertical scrolling is acceptable, and if it is necessary for any reason to have an exceptionally long page you can always have a menu in the side bar linked to anchors set in different places.
If you want to know more about the subject of sizing your pages click here for a continuation.
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There are hundreds of ways to jazz up a site. The question is, are they really necessary? By all means, if you do decide to use my services I’ll put them in if you want them, but personally I (along with most people) hate most of them.
Background music! I can almost guarantee that the first thing most visitors will do is search for the mute button, and if it’s not found within a few seconds they will go directly to the ‘X’ in the top right hand corner. Sorry if you happen to like it, but most (myself included) will not.
Flashy intros. Most visitors do not want to wait for a script to load, only to see a revolving title bar covered in fairy lights fly in, and direct you to click here to enter the main site.
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Again, a matter of personal choice. Most experienced internet surfers avoid them like the plague. This goes back to the time when most guest books would display the email addresses of visitors who used it, an open invitation to spammers!
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 A lot of people scorn the use of counters, saying they make a site look amateurish. I think they are ok on a personal, or information site but should be left out of business sites. Most web hosts give you access to to quite thorough statistics of visits.
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