How to Design a Web Page

Web Page Design Elements

While building a web page requires knowing how to structurally put the elements together, designing it is actually creating what the page will look like. Design elements include:

• Colors: Choose from more than 150 colors that will enhance your page
• Fonts: The style and size of the text
• Images and graphics: Photographs, clipart, maps, charts or graphs used to add visual elements to a web page
• Audio and video: Movie clips, music, voice overs or other sounds
• Frames: Feature that allows the browser to divide the page into two or more sections
• Tables: Code that creates boxes on the web page; contains data, rows and columns
• Links: Graphic or text that allows you to connect to another web page or website

Your goal is to take these elements and make the page visually appealing and easy to navigate. You also want to present the information in a format that is user-friendly with images that are sharp and related to the page's topic. If you are placing ads on your pages, you need to make sure they don't overpower your web content, as that may deter people from visiting your site.

There are no steadfast rules when it comes to designing a web page. Your best bet would be to try a few different designs until you find one that suits your needs. If you still are clueless as to what you want your page to look like, search for websites that are similar in nature to yours. This will give you ideas as to what your competition is doing and how users are responding to it. The higher the ranking in search engines, the more hits those pages are receiving.

Tools to Design Web Pages

In order to create your web page, there are a few tools that will help streamline the process.

Internet Browser

While there are several browsers from which to choose, for web page designing, Mozilla Firefox may be your best choice because of its web developer tool bar. Features include:

• Compatible with Windows, Mac or Linux
• Ability to resize pages into different resolutions
• Disable images
• Edit Cascading Style Sheets
• Editing in real time

Website Editors and Builders

Site builders and editors are available for those at all levels of web design expertise. They include:

• HTML editors: Software applications that offer simple alternatives to writing your own code. Editors include text, object and WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get).
• Website builders: Most of these are drag-and-drop programs that allow you to quickly format your text and images on your web page. HTML or other coding experience is not necessary, and most hosting companies offer some type of site builder program when you purchase a hosting package.

Tips on How to Design a Web Page

After you have secured your domain name and hosting company, familiarize yourself with the website builder or editor you will be using. Remember, the blank web page is your pallet your web tools are your paint brushes: Design away! However, here a few tips to make your job a little easier:

• Pick your color scheme and stick to it. Too many colors are hard on the eyes.
• If you aren't sure about using HTML, then use a template or website builder.
• Make your page user-friendly and easy to navigate.
• Don't overdo the graphics and special effects; too many will be too much and it was cause your page to load slower.
• Choose a background that is pleasing to the eyes and doesn't overpower your web content.
• External links should open in new windows.
• If you plan on having many pages (more than 10-15), use a site map.