How To Design A Website From Scratch by Pat Ransom
How to design a Website!
So you know what your website is going to be about - how do you set out to
design it?
You need to think of two things. What content are you going to have on your
site, and secondly, what is your site going to look like? And what will the
layout of the pages look like, the colours etc.
Content
The first thing to think about is the possibilities that a website gives you.
Even if your website is going to be an online store, do not think about the
site as a catelogue. The benefits of the web is that your website does not have
to follow a linear format - it is not restrictive like a book. The format of
the web means your visitors will be able to dip into your site at any point,
and also be able to jump around to those parts which are the more interest to
them.
Don't, therefore, set your site out like chapters in a book, where later
chapters rely on information which has been picked up in earlier ones. Instead
your pages should all be able to stand as items of interest in their own right,
and have links through to other relevant information your visitors might need!
No one needs to start with a blank sheet of paper - there are millions of web
sites already out there. The first thing you can do is research. Look at what
other people have done - no, you are not going to copy their ideas, but you are
trying to see what appeals to you, what you think works well, and what turns
you off completely!
So you've looked around, had a few ideas. How will you know that your ideas are
going to work? How can you waste hours of abortive effort?
What you want in three clicks.
Want to know the golden rule? You should make sure your site visitor can find
what they want in a maximum of three clicks! You should remember the three
click rule when deciding how to set out your pages.
A common suggestion is to use a story board approach but the problem with a
story board is it makes you think in a linear way - and as we discussed above,
with a website you've got the ability to go backwards and sidewards as well as
forwards!
One method of thinking about designing a new website is to use a mind mapping
process, or to draw up a spider diagram.
You start with just your main subject in the centre - this will be your home
page.
First layer
Next think of the main topics which people may expect to find in a site such as
yours - on a retail site for example, the first layers may well include the
catelogue as a general heading. On a site about dogs the first layer may be
'breeds'.
Second layer
You are now able to go further into each of your subjects. A catelogue for
clothes may be divided here into Men's clothing, Children's clothing etc., and
the dog breeds may now be listed as Gun Dogs, Toy Breeds etc.
Third layer
Not all of your first layer menu items may lead to a third layer, but some
will. To continue our examples above, Chidren's clothing may now be divided
into boys and girls. The Gun Dogs will be divided into the Retrievers, Spaniels
etc.
By playing around with your ideas on paper in this fashion you can see where
your topics fit best. It may be that some third level pages fit under two
second layer pages - no problem, you can link a page to each, and have it
appearing on more than one menu. It is what makes sense to the visitor that
counts!
Having your site set out in a diagram also makes it easier to see how to link
up your pages using hyperlinks, i.e., but clicking on a word on your site, the
visitor gets taken to a different page without having to go back through the
menus.
Colour scheme, templates etc.
Once you have the plan of what you are going to put onto your site you can
start to think about individual page layout and colour schemes.
Again, look at other people's sites, especially those you like. What looks good
about them? Sites which have a uniform layout on each page often look far more
professional than those which experiment with different colours on every page
and different templates. This isn't to say that every page must be the same,
but have some consistency, for example, where you place the menu buttons, so
that people know they are still on your site. If the navigation menu buttons
are always in the same place people will quickly become familiar with the feel
of your site, and be able to move round it a lot quicker, and therefore take in
a lot more of the information which you want to provide them with.
Making your site look professional is important unless you are just putting up
a few pages to share with family! Let's assume the reason you wish to make a
website is to earn some extra money at home, or to advertise your business or
promote an activity. Apart from colour and consistency here are a couple of
other tips. Firstly, look at the size of font you use - don't mix it up too
much, or use too many different colours. Make your the type face you use can be
seen clearly on the background colour. Secondly, is it easy to get to the
information
The most important person!
Finally, don't forget that YOU have got to like your site. You will be having a
very close relationship with it and it will be very demanding on your time,
espeically in the early days. Take advice from friends or colleagues, but at
the end of the day, go with what you are happy with. If you are uncomfortable
with your site you will not have the same enthusiasm to work with it.
Your first pages
Now you have the schema for your website, you have chosen your colours and
background, you can start to put together your first pages.
Here are a few tips:
1. Get a few pages together and get your site up there and published! It will
take anything from a few weeks to 7 or 8 months to be indexed by the search
engines. The main search engines such as Google like to give comprehensive
listings only to mature sites. The sooner you get your site published the
sooner you will get good rankings in the search engines.
2. Do not use the words 'under construction'.
3. Get other people's opinion on your site - good comments will give you
confidence. If your hosting company has a forum you may be able to showcase
your new website there to get advice from others using the same software.
Conclusion
A website doesn't just emerge - it takes a lot of work and an awful lot of
planning. But if you make the investment of time you won't lose out. If you
don't have a website no one is able to tap into your knowledge or see your
creations. If you build your website badly your visitors may not be able to
find their way around, and a lot of what you do will be wasted. If you take
that bit of extra effort and care you will have a site that is very easy to
use, and which will become popular because of that!
About the Author
Pat Ransom has worked in the IT industry for 15 years and is experienced with
local government and company websites. Having designed and published a
successful and acclaimed website in her own right the secrets of website design
and publishing are now shared at http://www.webmasterproductions.co.uk
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