| When designing your website, great care should be | | | | 3) Easy to use and intuitive navigation |
| taken to ensure every last detail of the site | | | | An absolute essential as far as web design is |
| performs at an optimum level and actually serves its | | | | concerned is the provision of a straightforward and |
| purpose. Here are five simple rules of good web | | | | clear navigation menu system. It should be so clear in |
| design that anyone would do well to remember when | | | | fact that even an 8 year old could use it. Steer well |
| considering building or designing a new website. | | | | clear of complicated flash navigation menus or |
| 1) Don't use flash intros | | | | multi-tiered dropdowns. If your visitors find your site |
| Flash intros are still commonly seen as the first pages | | | | hard to navigate they will leave your site and they |
| many web visitors view when they arrive at a | | | | probably won't come back. |
| website. Flash intros or splash pages as they are also | | | | 4) Give visitors a clear indication of where they are |
| known, are normally short flash based movies with | | | | When visitors are browsing deep within the inner |
| moving images and text; featuring information about | | | | pages of your site and are enjoying being there you |
| the site and many times words like "welcome" or | | | | should ensure they know which part of the web site |
| "click to enter website". In point of fact, they are | | | | they are actually on at any given moment. By giving |
| just a distraction and inconvenience to web visitors | | | | visitors a clear indication of where they are they will |
| that serve no real purpose. Don't force your visitors | | | | be able to browse all relevant information on your |
| to have a reason to click on their browser's back | | | | website or indeed navigate to any other section of |
| button! Give them the valuable content of your actual | | | | your website with ease. Don't willingly confuse your |
| web site... that is what they are looking for after all | | | | visitors because confusion can lead to them leaving |
| and get rid of the flash intro / splash page. | | | | your website. |
| 2) Don't use too many banner ads | | | | 5) Avoid using background music on your website |
| These days even internet novices are astute enough | | | | If you really want your visitors to linger long on your |
| to ignore banner advertisements so don't waste your | | | | web site, reading your content, the very least you |
| valuable website real estate on annoying flashing | | | | should do is ensure that they aren't put off by |
| banner ads. Why don't you just provide more | | | | annoying background music looping on your website. |
| valuable content instead? Then mix in some relevant | | | | If you really feel you must use background music at |
| affiliate links within your website's body content... this | | | | least make sure visitors have some control over it - |
| helps your website visitors feel that they want to | | | | give them the option of volume or muting controls at |
| buy instead of feeling like they are being pushed into | | | | the very least. |
| buying. | | | | |