Optimizing website design?
In your experience, what tips do you have for the optimal web design? Smaller images? Larger width? Best ad placement? What keeps a user coming back to the site? (design wise)
I am building a written content-based site that will allow users to submit their own content. I already have the code for it, but designing is really getting to me. I am more of a coder than a designer, so i am sort of stumped here. Any suggestions for a blog/stories design?
3 Responses
Barry Scott
14 Jun 2010
tuaamin13
14 Jun 2010
I’ve heard pages should be limited in size, preferably under 80KB so that your low bandwidth users won’t take forever to load the site.
Limit flash and javascript that users can have disabled.
I’ve heard to not chop your images up and have them as separate images (ie logo1.jpg, logo2.jpg, logo3.jpg are each 1/3 of your logo).
Make your width either dynamic or have it static such that a netbook could read it. If your demographic tends to have higher display resolutions, then by all means disregard this info.
Basically you want lowest common denominator unless LCD doesn’t apply to your niche.
dominicandy
14 Jun 2010
Hello there.
Web design is one of the main reasons that users would keep coming back to your website to visit. Yet, it’s just a part of it. The way you organize and the significance of your content is more important to the users.
When you do website optimization, especially that your website is a written content-based site, you should consider how interesting or how informative your site should be. And when it comes to the web design part, make it as simple and use neutral colors if possible, with clear images and not overpowering the contents of your site. Don’t make the pages too wide or the users may find it annoying to use L-F scroll bars. ☺
Hope my simple tips are helpful in any ways. Thanks a lot.






use high contrasting colors, make sure things are easy to read.
avoid mistery meat (things you need to click on before you know what they are)
i’d go for a 990px wide site.
adds are best places in between content and places that would otherwise be white/blank space.
for what you are doing, a 5 or 6 button tab at the top sounds better than a menu to me.
some large images are good, but dont go crazy. less large than small. but some large for sure.