Web Site Design Pre-Upload Checklist
A Web Hosting Article Contributed by Frances Rhea
Pre-Upload Checklist for Web Site Design
Your web site design is finally complete. Before you upload it to your server, it should comply with the following standards: clean easy to update web site design and structure, good design usability, fast loading web pages, intelligent use of web technology, the ability to convey your meaning or message quickly.
If you are not sure whether it does or not, read on and find out more or how you can make your new web site design better for you and your new visitors.
Clean Easy to Update Web Site Design and/or Structure
In the beginning (and still sometimes) the Internet was full of animated images. Things are changing and good web design principles are now being put into practice.
Making sure that your web design is flexible can save you lots of hours of adjustments when you need or want to update your web site. If adding a new navigation button changes your whole design, reconsider your layout. It is important to be able to freely add and/or remove page elements with little or no trouble.
Usability for All Visitors
What is usability? Basically, it is the ease which with your visitor is able to navigate and understand your web site. If your visitor has to hunt for the page they want, then you have a problem with your web site design. Use standard colors and linking methods. Avoid using cute terms for your page titles.
Fast Loading Web Pages
Visitors will leave your web site quickly if your pages take over 15 seconds to load on a 56k modem. If you are not sure what that means, have one of the online companies run a usability test on your page. Some web design software programs also tell you how long it will take to load.
Intelligent Use of Web Site Design Technology
Let the goal of your web site determine what technology you are going to use.Just because Flash happens to be fun and all the rage, does not mean that building a web site entirely out of Flash is a good thing to do. Flash creates large files that can take a lot of time to download which will make your visitors leave!
Convey Your Meaning or Message Quickly
Have you ever visited a web site that you could not figure out what the website was about? Their web site design is pleasing to look at, but you have to read tons of material to get their point. I hate reading and reading and reading. I want to know what they want or have to say near the beginning - then I will read the rest if I am interested.
Make sure that your visitors know what your web site is about within the first few sentences. Always use headers to specify important information so they can quickly go to the section they want. If not, your visitors will leave your web site before they find out what you have to offer.
