Design Do’s and Don’ts

Design Do’s and Don’ts

Design Do’s and Don’ts

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Home Page > Internet > Web Design > Design Do’s and Don’ts

Design Do’s and Don’ts

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Posted: Jun 23, 2010 |Comments: 0
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A user-friendly web site should be equivalent to a search-engine friendly website. When you are designing a site, there are several rules that need to be abided. If you choose to “break” one rule, it is best to compensate in another area. Below is a list of design do’s and don’ts provided by The Truth About Search Engine Optimization by Rebecca Lieb.

The list consists of:

Avoid splash pages – A splash page briefly appears as an introductory web site home page. It tends to be graphic-heavy and text-light. These types of pages are not good because they only link to one other page within the web site.

Do not use frames and inline frames (iframes) – Avoid using frames and inline frames because they make it hard for search engines to crawl web sites. They break each page into three or more files (rather than just one).

Use clean, valid coding – It is best to use code that is lighter, cleaner, simpler, more semantically defined, and in agreement with World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards.

Avoid duplicate content – Do not place the same text content on multiple domains or within more than one page on your web site.

Avoid Flash websites – Majority of flash sites only consists of one single web page. You will not rank for dozens of separate keywords with only one page.

Utilize individual title tags – Every page on your web site should have its own distinctive title tag. No two pages should be identical.

Place graphics lower on a web page – Because search engines pay more attention to words that appear higher on a page, it is best to use graphics only near the bottom. Search engine crawlers only index words.

About CODANK Charlotte Web Design

CODANK is a top Charlotte Web Design and Internet Marketing Company located in Charlotte, NC. The company is dedicated to providing a broad range of web design services. CODANK specializes in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Graphic Design, Online Marketing, and Web Design and Development.

For more information, visit CODANK Charlotte Web Design and Internet Marketing Company at www.codank.com

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About CODANK Charlotte Website Design and Markjeting Company CODANK is a top rated Web Design and Internet Marketing firm located in Charlotte, NC. We are dedicated to provide the highest quality, cost effective custom software development services, delivering a broad range of business consulting and outsourcing services. For more information, visit us at http://codank.com

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Why might an advertisr use a placement broker rather than working directly with a search engine web site?
I need to make my site in google search engines first page for one specific keyword search how can i please give me a responce
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Article Tags:
charlotte web design, splash pages, flash websites, title tags, frames, iframes, search engines, search engine crawlers

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Do’s and Dont’s Guide to Great Web Design

Do’s and Dont’s Guide to Great Web Design

When followed, this guide will prove to be quite a valuable web design resource. From the inexperienced to the experienced, this guide has something for everyone.

The Process of Great Web Design Just to make sure we are all on the same page, lets begin with the basic definition for “web design”. According to Wikipedia, web design is:

“a process of conceptualization, planning, modeling, and execution of electronic media delivery via Internet in the form of Markup language suitable for interpretation by Web browser and display as Graphical user interface”.

The process of web design can be compared to the process of writing a research paper. In the conceptualization/planning stage, flowcharts (the outline) are created which illustrate the navigational structure of your website. In the modeling stage, static wireframes are created (the rough draft) which illustrate the skeletal layout for each section of your website. After the wire frames are created, graphics, colors and text are used to create the design of your web pages based on the layout of the wire frames. In the execution stage, your design is converted into a format supported by web browsers, text and content are added, and finally, your website is published live to the Internet for the world to see (final draft).

All three stages of the design process are equally important. Many web designers skip a stage in order to save time or because they don’t think that is is necessary. However, all three stages are necessary if your goal is to create a successful design and respectable website. Even if the three stages are used, there are many mistakes that web designers can make that will lead to poor-quality, non user-friendly websites.

It’s time to clean out the cabinet of bad web design practices and restock it with the good ones.

Stage 1: Conceptualization and planning

This stage is skipped more often than the other two stages. Most writers don’t enjoy creating outlines for research papers, and most web designers don’t like creating flowcharts either. Don’t be lazy. If you put forth the effort and plan out your website, then you will find the web design process to go smoothly with fewer mistakes made along the way.

There are a few things that you will need in order to effectively conceptualize and plan your website:

-a brain

-a pen and paper

-(optional) flowchart software

-a general idea of the different sections of your website

To begin, grab your pen and paper or launch your favorite flowchart software. We use OmniGraffle Professiona for Mac OS X which costs 0 per license but is well worth it if you create websites on a regular basis. If you’re on a PC, then SmartDraw is a great FREE piece of flowchart software that you can use. A pen and paper work just fine, though.

There are many methods to creating flowcharts. We are going to show you the most basic way to do it for the sake of time and the length of this article. If you want to learn more about flowcharts search for flowcharts on Google or Yahoo.

View the flowchart that we created when conceptualizing Chromatic Sites. (1) At the top of the flowchart we list the name of our website. (2) Next, we include each primary section of our website: Home, About, and Services. These sections are the main navigation for your website. What the names of each section will be is entirely dependent on the content of your website. Try to use as few sections as possible so that your visitors are not overwhelmed when navigating through your website.

(3) Next, add all of the secondary pages (subsections) that will be listed on each of the primary pages. For Home, we have included Professional Web Design, Web Development, and Search Engine Optimization. The secondary navigation needs to be more descriptive than the primary navigation. The deeper your websites’ navigational hierarchy goes, the more descriptive each label should be.

The Dos

-Less is more; keep the number of primary sections to a minimum. We use 6 sections on our website which is more than enough -Whether you use a pen and paper or flowchart software, keep things as clean and organized as possible. Although you (and anyone working with you) are the only ones that will be using the flowchart, it still needs to make sense -Your primary sections should use broader terms, while secondary and tertiary terms should be more descriptive

The Donts

Creating a flowchart is pretty straight forward; however, there are a few mistakes that can easily be made:

-Don’t use very descriptive terms in your primary navigation unless your entire website focuses on one narrow topic -Don’t try and lump multiple topics on the same page. Create a general section for these topics and from that section create subsections. This will make the subsection (descriptive) web pages more likely to have better rankings in the search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask) Once you have created a concise and descriptive flowchart, you’re ready to move on to the second stage of the web design process:

modeling.

Stage 2: Modeling

In the modeling stage, static “wireframe” mockups are created. Each mockup illustrates a bare-bones skeleton of the layout for each of the web pages that will be included in your website. This stage is important because it gives us an idea of where different elements will be placed in our design. Some of these elements are:

-logo

-navigational menu

-content

-images, videos

To create these mockups, you can use a pen and paper or your preferred mockup software. In the past we have used Photoshop, but lately we have been using OmniGraffle Professional. OmniGraffle is not as resource intensive as Photoshop is and it allows us to assemble our wireframe mockups much quicker.

In addition, make sure that you have the flowchart(s) that you created nearby as you will need to reference these from time to time to make sure that you are mocking up all of the pages that will appear on your website.

Here is our example of how a wireframe mockup should look. As you can see, there are no colors or graphics included. This is exactly how a wireframe mockup should be – a skeletal layout of your design. The purpose is to be able to have a general idea of where each of the web page’s elements will be placed.

We usually begin from the top left and work our way down to the bottom. There is no specific way that a wireframe should look. Use your imagination. However, make sure that when creating your wireframes you don’t forget to include the most important elements of a website (logo, navigational menu, content placement, images/video placement).

If some of your pages will be using the same layout, then it is not necessary to mock all of those pages up (although you certainly can).

Just be sure to mockup any unique layout that your website will have.

You’ll thank yourself later.

The Dos

-mockup all unique pages

-include important elements (logo, navigation, content placement, images/video placement) -start from the top and work your way down -reference your flowchart created in stage 1 to make you don’t forget to mockup any pages -save, save, save – like with anything on the computer, save your mockup(s) every 10 minutes or so

-focus on clean, user friendly layouts -label your elements so you don’t forget what they are when you reference them in stage 3, execution -use other web sites as inspiration; there is nothing wrong with taking elements from other sites and making them your own (see “donts”)

The Donts

-don’t include graphics or colors (that’s for the next stage) -don’t make your mockups too “busy”; focus on clean, well organized, user friendly layouts -don’t skip this stage; it is just as important as the first and the last -if you take elements from other websites, make sure you don’t plagiarize; there is a difference between being inspired by another website to create certain elements of your design and blatantly ripping off their layout and colors

Stage 3: Execution

In the third and final stage, execution, the planning from stages 1 and 2 are combined to assist in creating a live, interactive website.

The third stage is by far the most time intensive since you will be 1) creating the graphics 2) creating the content, and finally, 3) converting the web designs from images into code that web browsers use to present your website to the world.

By the time you reach the third stage, you should have a clear idea of:

-how your visitors will get from one place to another (stage 1, flowchart) -how your web pages will be laid out (stage 2, wireframe mockups)

If you don’t have a clear idea of these two things, go back to the first and second stagees and continue to develop them. You will find that the third stage is easiest when you have constructed a clear, concise battle plan for designing your website.

Ditch the pen and paper

In stage 3, you need to be using Photoshop or another image editing program since you will be using colors and graphics to create the layout for your website.

We usually begin creating the “home” page (index) first. Use your wireframes that you created in stage 2 as a template for each of the pages you create. However, instead of using solid boxes, use graphics, colors and text instead. Each page must look exactly how you want them to look on the Internet since this is the final stage of the design process.

Be sure to include the background for your navigation (but don’t actually add the text to your image). When converted using CSS (cascading style sheets), your navigation should be in the form of text and not images. Images are not crawl-able by the search engines (the keywords used in your navigation won’t be indexed in the search engine results pages, meaning fewer people will be able to find your website).

When you’re happy with your designs and feel that they are ready to be put on the Internet, it’s time to break apart the designs so that you can create a CSS based layout. For more information on converting your layouts to CSS or marking up your website in CSS, visit w3schools.com. After looking around the Internet, we couldn’t find a decent image-to-CSS tutorial – so expect one from us in the coming weeks. Converting your designs into CSS is extremely important since table layouts are a thing of the past.

Here is an example of a nearly-completed website of the layout we mocked up in stage 2. This was taken directly from our web browser and as you can see, there is now a logo, colors, a pretty navigation system, a footer, and a most importantly, a clean, organized layout.

Thanks to the planning in stages 1 and 2, our layout is well-organized and easy to use.

The Dos

-reference your templates that were created in stage 2; though it is fine to deviate from your original layout, you shouldn’t need to -do some research before creating your actual design; get ideas from other sites and make them your own (without plagiarizing) -include color and graphics to create the final look for your web pages -use CSS (cascading style sheets) to convert your designs from images into markup understandable by web browsers -reference your flowchart from stage 1 when coding your pages with hyperlinks; it is better to use a drop down menu that includes all (or the majority) of the links in your website on every page; this will allow for easier navigation and also make your pages easier to crawl when the search engine spiders stop by; a great place to get CSS drop down menus is at DynamicDrive.com -finalize your design while working in Photoshop or whatever image editing software you use; it can be a pain to make changes to your design once it is converted into markup (code)

The Donts

-don’t include the text in your navigation menus when converting to CSS; instead of using image text, use regular text that is readable by search engine spiders -don’t use tables when converting; even if you need to buy a book on CSS, it will be worth it; tables are dead -don’t skip the first two stages just to save time; your website WILL be better if you start from the beginning of the web design process (instead of at the end) -don’t forget to compress your images when they are cut apart for CSS; there is nothing worse than a slow loading website because of large image files; Photoshop has a “Save Optimized For Web” option (CS3 – “Save for Web and Devices”)

Process Makes Perfect

By following a web design process such as the one illustrated in this article, you increase the chances of creating a website that is well-organized, easily navigable, and very user-friendly. Lets face it – if visitors get lost or become confused while attempting to surf your website, they might hit the back button and look for a more user friendly website. People do not like to think when it comes to finding their way around websites. Don’t make them think. You do the thinking by planning out your website from stage 1 to stage 3 and you will find that more people will enjoy visiting your website.

Find More Web Design Articles

6 Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media Marketing

6 Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media Marketing

There are a few things to make sure you do when using Social Media Marketing.

1)    Be selective when choosing the Social Media you want to market your business on.   Is it a reputable and active one?  Establish your interests and add friends that make sense. Comment on posts that relate to you and your company’s interests. Comment as often as possible on things  that relate to your business. You want to be considered an expert in your field and promote yourself that way. Don’t forget who you are and where your business is going.

2)    Getting people to click on your links is important.  Make sure you are offering quality products, posting good content and only recommend  things you believe in and trust.  If you send them junk, you sever the trust factor.

3)    Let people find you in a natural and authentic way, don’t come off like a business – be friendly and a person of interest to them. Creating relationships and trust is the whole idea.

4)    Decide how much time and effort a specific Social Media will take. Make sure you do not let your work time slip away with excessive Social Media Marketing.

5)    Stay positive.   Negativity never sells anything. This works both in friendships and business. Now that the two are meeting – you want to be positive more than ever.  Remember that what you put out there on the internet says there indefinitely .

6)    Give your posts some thought.  You want others to know you are the expert.

Social Media Marketing takes responsibility and a plan. Know that you will not build your brand and reputation overnight.  Be patient and have fun. The time you invest will be well worth it in the end.

Find More Social Media Marketing Articles

Direct Sales – The Do’s and Don’ts of Networking on Twitter

When it comes to using the social media site Twitter, there are a few Do’s and Don’ts you need to be aware of.Let’s start with the Do’s1. Fill out your twitter profile so that others can learn a little more about you and your Direct Sales business. If possible, upload a small picture of yourself or a small business graphic. However, you will find that most twitter users prefer to see a personal photo compared to a business photo.2. You will need to be consistent with your tweeting. You can’t just log in once a day, post 2 tweets and then jet out. You need to spend a little time tweeting about what is going on with your day or your business, so that you can build a relationship with your followers.3. Try to connect with your followers by responding to their tweets or re-tweeting their messages. Twitter can be useful when it comes to business relationship building, if you take the time to converse with the people who are following you.Here are a few Don’ts1. Don’t send automatic direct messages. There are numerous online services where you can sign up and have the service automatically send out a direct message, to every person who decides to follow you. Experienced tweeters find this to be impersonal and very annoying.2. Never spam your business website links or business information via direct message unless a specific person has requested the information from you.3. Don’t sit on twitter 24 hours a day spamming business links. If you are only there for self business promotion and not there to build business relationships, you will be quickly labeled as a twitter spammer. When it comes to networking on social media websites like twitter…it is important to make connections with those you are following. In a nutshell, business networking means building quality relationships with other like-mind individuals.