If you do decide to code your own website, you’ll need to learn both HTML and CSS coding. If investing the time and energy to create your website doesn’t sound appealing, you can also hire a website designer to create your site for you. Freelance designers can cost anywhere between $30 an hour and well over $100 per hour.
Your website’s pages may be easier to visualize if you draw rough pictures of each of them rather than just determining what content should appear.
Navigation options (e. g. , tabs for different pages) should go at the top of the page. If you use a menu icon (☰), it should be in the top-left corner of the page. If you use a search bar, it should be near the upper-right side of the page. Helpful links (e. g. , links to the “About” page or the “Contact Us” page) should go at the very bottom of each page.
For example, if you exclusively use cool-tone colors for your site’s home page, don’t implement bright, loud colors on the next page. Keep in mind that using loud or clashing colors, especially when the colors display in a dynamic (e. g. , moving) fashion, can evoke epilepsy in a small number of web users. If you decide to use such colors on your site, make sure you add an epilepsy warning before any relevant pages.
It’s important to make sure that every page on your website is accessible by clicking through options on your website rather than only being accessible via the page’s address.
Black, white, and grey is a good combination if you don’t know where to start.
Many website creators will have a “minimalist” theme you can select when setting up your website. An alternative to minimalism is “brutalism”, which uses harsher lines, bright colors, bold text, and minimal imagery. Brutalism has less of a following than does minimalism, but depending on your website’s content, it may better suit your design needs.
Don’t be afraid to buck trends by placing website elements asymmetrically or using overlapping elements to create a layered appearance. While elegant, sharp corners and squared-off elements (also known as a “card-based” presentation) are less favorable than are rounded, soft elements.
Ensure that buttons (e. g. , site links) are large and easy to tap. Avoid implementing features which can’t be viewed on mobile (e. g. , Flash, Java, etc. ). Consider having a mobile app made for your website.
Generally speaking, you want your website’s pages to load in under four seconds.
A light-hearted error message (e. g. , “Congratulations - you’ve found our error page!”) A link back to the site’s home page A list of commonly viewed links An image or logo for your website
Search bars are also useful when your audience wants to search for a general term without using trial-and-error.
A call to action (e. g. , a button to click or a form to fill out) A navigation toolbar or menu An inviting graphic (e. g. , one solid photo, a video, or a small group of photos with accompanying text) Keywords pertaining to your website’s service, topic, or focus
Google Chrome Firefox Safari (iPhone and Mac only) Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer (Windows only) The built-in browser on several different Android phones (e. g. , Samsung Galaxy, Google Nexus, etc. )
