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Have you ever opened a Web page and had no clue where to start? Or perhaps you have gone to some sites that are so good and easy to use that you go back to them again and again. With everyone creating Web sites these days, it is no wonder that design quality can vary from wonderful to worthless. But what is it that makes a Web site a winner?
Think about your own experiences on the Web. You know what you like and what you don't. You are probably not alone. Imagine that you are creating a site on the World Wide Web. Your audience is anyone in the world who chooses to come to your site. So even if you are the world's leading expert on thermonuclear physics, you will attract more viewers if you stick to language that everyone can understand.
Also remember that not everyone uses the same Web browser. Some people might even be using text-only browsers to view your site. And when you are writing in HTML (hypertext markup language, the language used to create Web pages), some browsers translate it a little differently. So be prepared to test your site with as many browsers as possible.
Everyone enjoys suggestions or links to other sites that are related to that topic. You may want to contact those sites to make sure that it is legal to link to them and to see if they would consider a link on their site to yours. Make sure that you carefully check the sites you suggest in your links. Viewers will not return to your site if they feel that you led them astray.
If you were to design a book for people to read, you would include margins, appropriate spacing, and a text size that you wouldn't need a magnifying glass to read. The same goes with designing a Web page. And all of those cool fonts don't always translate to a pleasurable reading experience. Experts say it is best to stick to readable and standard fonts, like Verdana, Arial, or Times New Roman.
Finally, while colors and graphics can give life to your pages, there can be too much of a good thing. You'll want to make sure your choices of colors and pictures don't distract viewers from the focus of your page.
Then again, you may just want to create a Web site for you and you alone to enjoy. In that case, forget the guidelines and design away!
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