| A successful website not only draws visitors, but | | | | 3. Text color should contrast with the background |
| which keeps them there, and compels them to come | | | | color. |
| back for more. All this talk about a website's | | | | Nothing is more frustrating for a visitor, if he/she |
| "stickiness" and "eyeballs" actually depends on how | | | | can't comprehend the text properly because of color |
| attractive is its design and informative its content. | | | | similarity between the text color and background |
| If a website is designed to facilitate both information | | | | color. In fact usability of a website is directly |
| retrieval and browsing, it is bound to be noticed and | | | | proportional to its contrast. One good and simple |
| surfed intensively. Visitors won't be encouraged to go | | | | measure of contrast is that when you squint your |
| any further if they find what they are looking for in | | | | eyes, the text should not dim altogether. If it does, |
| the website's information-rich content, presented in a | | | | there is not enough contrast. |
| clear and lucid language and a pleasantly designed | | | | 4. Don't smash the lines together |
| layout. | | | | Lines stacked on the top of each other really |
| Web developers, in their attempt to provide | | | | confuse the reader besides making the page look |
| affordable web design solutions, cut corners when it | | | | dirty, so utilize the line-spacing directive in CSS and |
| comes to content. Irrespective of whether they are | | | | space out the lines. |
| based in advanced countries like UK, US or in | | | | 5. Don't use long winding text |
| developing countries, this is a typical practice of many | | | | Nobody wants to read endless pages of |
| web solution providers. To make space of large | | | | uninterrupted, jammed text no matter how well it is |
| eye-catching banners, the font size may be made so | | | | written or how much it is useful. It is prudent to |
| small that it is virtually incomprehensible. | | | | break the rambling text under sub-headlines |
| Moreover, you might find the text placed in colors | | | | summarizing the subject of the paragraph(s) and |
| that are similar to the ones used in the background, | | | | summarize points under bullets, wherever possible. |
| rendering it difficult to read. Affordable web design | | | | This makes it easier for readers to scan the content |
| should not mean making compromises on the | | | | while scrolling. |
| website's usability. While these problems can kill any | | | | Don't forget to check for spelling and grammar |
| website, they can be fixed rather easily. Let's see | | | | errors. If your website has whole lot of these typos, |
| how: | | | | visitors will not take your website seriously. Check |
| 1. Utilize CSS | | | | the text again and again to make sure it is error free. |
| Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) is a great tool to define | | | | It is always safer to use a spellcheck tool. |
| and control the look and appearance of the text on | | | | Legibility of a website's content is very important and |
| the entire site. One change in the CSS and entire site | | | | quite easy to attain. Just put yourself in place of the |
| is updated. | | | | visitor and visualize what you actually want from a |
| 2. Make the font size legible | | | | website, content wise. |
| Not only should the font size make reading easy, it | | | | Adopt this customer centric visualization and added |
| should also cater to the preferences of its target | | | | with some common sense, it will get you more |
| audience. For a serious corporate audience, crisp and | | | | readable, useable, and affordable web design. A good |
| professional looking 12 pt Verdana is just right, while | | | | usable web design when combined with proper web |
| if teenage girls are the primary target audience, | | | | marketing will bring you plenty of visitors who will |
| Times New Roman should be the chosen font. | | | | stay longer and come back time and again. |