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Web Design Fundamentals

By
Real Estate Agent with nwRealty.Com

Here are some simple, but essential web design fundamentals ...

The internet continues to evolve causing website development, design and marketing  to becomes more sophisticated and complex.  New technologies allow us to create impressive web sites.

Keep It Simple! 

The purpose of all websites is relatively the same.  Provide visitors with a fast, efficient, easy to understand and enjoyable online experience.

Purpose.  Each web page must have one!  And it must be clearly stated. Just as a consistent look and feel is vital across your site, each page has a specific function.  That function should be clearly understood by all.

Focus.  Minimize use of flashing and moving objects that distract and make your services harder to identify.

Consider the broadband challenged.  There are still numerous users surfing the web with slow dial-up access.  Eliminate clogging elements on your web site, using more text, static instead of animation, and smaller pages

Consider the visually challenged.  Make sure your site easy to view.  Use legible fonts like Times New Roman, Courier New, Arial and Verdana.  Use font sizes of at least 12 pt.  Limit the use of italics and pay attention to text and background colors.  White text on black background looks good at first but it strains the eyes after prolonged viewing.

Limit page lengths.   Short, quick pages keep visitor attention better.  Breakup long text into multiple pages.

That's it! 

Ginger Magoon
Remax - Bryan College Station - College Station, TX
Bryan, College Station Texas Real Estate
Thank you.  Very useful. 
Jul 23, 2007 05:56 PM
Debi Wright
nwRealty.com - Seattle, WA
I'm very impatient... if a page doen't load at lightening speed.... I'm on to another site!  I'd say that load speed is THE most important item to keep in mind, next would be "eye-content"  When there is too much to look at... I'm on to the next site too.  Thanks for the post
Sep 12, 2007 03:24 AM
Sam Miller
RE/MAX Stars Realty - Howard, OH
Knox County Ohio Real Estate Specialist

How fast should the main page of your website load?  Also, I understand that having FLASH on your main page is not recommended regarding the search engines...is this still the case?

Sep 28, 2007 02:50 PM
Larry Wright
nwRealty.Com - Tacoma, WA

Sam ... you have three seconds for any page to load.  More than that and you've exceded the average web surfer's attention span and they're gone.  It used to be seven seconds but broadband has quickened the pace.

Flash should be avoided if at all possible.  When required by a customer, we'll use javascript to call the swf file.  Using the html embed tag seems to choke search engines.

Sep 28, 2007 03:52 PM