Allyson Stewart is a web designer who shares tutorials on creating websites and using office software at the beginner level at Dollar Templates and Fonts. She’s been in the web design industry for over a decade and is passionate about helping others work more efficiently.
Sometimes simplicity is key on a website design.
Tons of animations can slow down a page, turning visitors away from your amazing work of art. Don’t get me wrong. Animations have their place on some websites where a lot of movement is expected. When in doubt, design for the majority of your audience.
Spicing up a drab website is possible with a few, simple tricks. These six tips can help if you’re short on time or ideas, bringing you repeat visitors if you have great content to go with it.
Add Fast Loading Images.
Not only do images fill up empty areas, but they also make pages more attractive. You can use images to illustrate a tutorial or to liven up your text. Be sure to use images that relate to your content, however, rather than images that are off topic.
If you’re afraid of page load time, optimize your images beforehand. You don’t need to purchase a separate image editor to do the job. There are a number of free online editors that can optimize your images too.
When you link to the image, don’t forget to include alternate text. Alternate text describes the image within the code and is a must have for users with disabilities.
Use Color.
Have you ever noticed how color instantly changes your mood, whether it’s a piece of clothing or room in your home? The same is true for web pages. In fact, research shows that colors can liven up our mood or dampen it. The color blue, for example, is often used in business because it signifies stability, strength and trust.
You can use colors to your advantage on a website. To spice up your pages, add colors that represent your company and goals or the mood you want to stimulate. It’s important however, not to use too many colors on a web page.
Incorporate Bullets.
Bullets are a simple, but effective way to spice up your text. Thanks to CSS, a code that helps you format web pages, you can turn simple bullets into graphics. Bullets help you separate text on your page, drawing readers to a particular section you want to highlight.
On the other hand, bullets are only effective when used properly. Using bullets unnecessarily (just for the sake of adding them) defeats the purpose. Instead, apply the bullets to a list or specific area of your page. Indenting them also makes them more visible.
Add an Amazing Header.
The right header can do wonders for your website, and you only have to create it once. Since the header displays on every page, your creativity extends throughout the site. The possibilities are endless as far as design is concerned. Just be sure to add a header that works with your overall theme.
Include Headings and Subheadings.
Like bullets, headings and subheadings help people locate information more quickly. Additionally, they add variety to a page, giving the eyes a break.
If your web page includes lots of text, insert headings and subheadings above sections or related content. Instead of manually formatting every heading or subheading, put CSS to work. It’ll make your headings and subheadings consistent, so people can easily identify the sections on your website.
Eliminate Broken Links.
No one can help a few broken links here or there. Even if you check for broken links often, they have a way of creeping back in. If you have several broken links, however, you probably haven’t updated your website for a while. And your visitors can tell. In fact, too many of these can send your readers packing.
To improve the usability of your website, check for broken links and fix them periodically. You can use a broken link checker to scan your pages for any hidden links you may have missed. This saves you time if you don’t want to check the links manually.
In closing, sometimes it only takes a few changes to get your website back into shape. Most of these tricks apply to visual changes rather than background changes, but there are several more, too many to discuss in this post. If you’d like to share additional tricks you’ve either tried or observed, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
"You’re such a smart boy!" were his first accolades heard. So, it’s no wonder that this phrase became the title of his business, Smart Boy Designs.