Entering the world of web development can be a big and scary step to take. You might feel like a pretty small fish in a huge ocean. Being completely out of your depth is normal when you’re just starting as a web developer, though. It takes time, patience, and practice to get good at it, just like most other things in like. The important thing is to keep pushing forward and learning as much as you can. When you do that, you’re better able to improve your site design, and by extension, its functionality. That’s what’s most important to the users who will end up on your page: how easy is it to use? With that in mind, there are a few things you should definitely avoid doing.
Most first-time or amateur webpage builders will fall victim to these seductive traps of bad design. Rather than being convinced that it’s the right thing to do, though, you should consider the reasons below instead. Take a few minutes to think about why your site would be better off if you made a different choice, or followed a different strategy. By avoiding these amateur slip-ups, you’ll be on your way to a professional-looking site in no time at all.
1. Trying to Cram Too Much Content Onto One Page
When you’re just learning the basics of web design, the desire to put as much onto your front page as possible is huge. After all, how can you know that users will understand where to go for the info they need? It’s obviously easier to just put it all right there at the front! Unfortunately, what does is create a cluttered page that’s actually useless. No one will be able to find what they want in a huge mess of info. You’ll be better off separating them all out into separate pages. Don’t worry! Users aren’t dumb, and they’ll find what they need.
2. Using Out of Date Techniques to Build Your Site
Was the last time you built a website sometime back when the Internet was still taking its baby steps? If so, you might try to employ some design features that are very out of date. For example, avoid designs that use “frames.” Old sites often had various parts of the website scroll independently from one another. This is frustrating for the user. It also makes your pages look bad. Be sure to modernize your knowledge of web design techniques before you embarrass yourself or your company!
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3. Expecting Users to Just Appear Out of Nowhere
Once your site has been built, you can’t just kick back and relax. You’ve got to put in some work to make sure people know it exists! Remember, just because it’s online doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to find. Be certain that all the major search engines have indexed your page. You can manually add it to speed up the process. Also be sure to promote your website as much as you can. This is where social media comes in handy! If you don’t do those things, your site is going to be a ghost town.