Many people out there think that web design is really hard. After all, there are thousands of programs out there to create web pages and millions of people going to expensive colleges every year just to learn all about web sites! However, things are not nearly as hard as you would think.


The first thing a good site has is good content. People visit web pages for what is on the page, not how the page looks. Ger out some paper and start listing things you would like on your web site. Things like “links”, “About me” and “Home” are always good starting points.

The next step is organizing your web page. If similar things are on your list they can go on the same page. For example, a webring banner and your links can go on the same page. Try not to have too many pages on your web site as people do not like to sift through 20 different pages for information. Keep it simple.

Once all the information has been chosen and organized, you can get your layout made. The three things that are the most important when designing your site’s layout are compatibility, visibility, and ease of use. That are what makes a good site great.

Visibility is not about site popularity, it is about how easy it is to read things. Choose two contrasting complimentary colors for your site. Remember: the greater the difference in color shades the easier it will be to read! This is why colors like black and white work so well. Avoid using patterned backgrounds as it makes things hard to read.

Ease of use means that it is easy for people visiting your page to find what they want. All the main pages you came up with earlier should be clearly linked on an easy to read menu that will be in the same place on every one of your pages. If you have any sub pages, a site map linked in the footer of your web page is also a great idea.

The most important of the three concerns is compatibility. If they can not load your web page, they will not be able to enjoy it! Do not use things like flash or silverlight as they do not work on all browser or all operating systems and can crash slower computers. Also, check your web site across several browsers to make sure the code works well. Using W3C compliant code will generally help things out a lot.

As you can see, web design is not as scary as it sounds. With a little planning and care taken towards visibility, ease of use, and compatibility your web site will be just fine. Do not be afraid to try to go out there and make your site yourself, there is plenty of help out there if you get “stuck”. Have fun with your web page, the world is waiting to hear from you!