Web Page Design Essentials

There are 10 basic rules that should be adhered to when designing a web page. This is particularly important because many people "lose out" on their web pages because these rules are not followed.

  1. SPEEDY DOWNLOAD: Research has shown that most Internet users lose interest in a page that hasn't loaded "interest catching" items within 10 seconds. Keep in mind that the speed off your hard disk is not an indication of download times though some are convinced that it is.

  2. MULTIMEDIA OVERLOAD: Many web pages have far too much multimedia attached to a single page and it becomes overkill, not to mention that they take too long to download.

  3. USE OF FRAMES: Whilst there are uses for these, you should avoid the use of frames as much as possible. International research shows that high percentages of people find frames very confusing and will lose interest in the web site.

  4. NON WORKING LINKS: Make sure that any links you insert in a web page actually work from your web page. A single incorrect character can create a "dead link". Similarly, regular checks on links should be made to make sure they continue to work.

  5. EASE OF NAVIGATION: Make sure that it is easy to navigate around your web site. Use the KISS (Keep It Simply Simple) method for your navigation.

  6. ANIMATION OVERKILL: Aggressive and persistent animation can offer major distractions to the web site. Avoid aggressive animations and large continuous animations.

  7. SPECIAL EFFECTS PAGES: This refers to the use of high effect pages that simply point to another page. Just because you have the skills to create these effects doesn't mean you should use them. They are guaranteed to turn away potential visitors.

  8. NON IDENTIFYING PAGES: These are pages on your web site that do not identify where the viewer actually is. Be sure there is some way of identifying your site name on every page.

  9. INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT: The use of irrelevant information to make a page look bigger is a common practice but one that is very bad. You are better off with a small page that is totally relevant than to lose your viewer's interest.

  10. OVER LONG PAGES: These pages appear to "go on forever" and thus information can be lost. One way of overcoming this problem is to have plenty of jump links within the page to allow speedy movement.