| Before ever making your website live, you want to | | | | 5. Take time to test your website in different |
| ensure that everything is working right in order to | | | | browser windows to see how it looks. You want to |
| make your visitors viewing experience as positive as | | | | make sure that your site visitors' experience is the |
| possible. Today we are going to discuss several tips | | | | same whether they are using Windows Internet |
| for improving your website design at the page level. | | | | Explorer, Firefox, or any other browser. Knowing that |
| These are things you should examine and fix on each | | | | your website looks good no matter what browser |
| page before you conduct any usability testing. | | | | somebody is using is an important aspect of website |
| 1. Have your most important content above the fold. | | | | usability testing. |
| (The fold is everything you can see above the | | | | 6. Include a custom 404-error page on your site. This |
| bottom of your screen.) This will help ensure that | | | | way you can ensure that if somebody mistypes the |
| users will see the content because not everyone will | | | | extension on your URL when looking for a page, |
| scroll. | | | | they will at least still wind up at your site and you can |
| 2. Your content should grab your site visitor's | | | | redirect them from there. |
| attention within 5 seconds. You have about 5 | | | | 7. Make sure that your layout and colors are |
| seconds to grab people's attention before they will | | | | consistent throughout your entire website. You do |
| move on to another site. If you want people to stay | | | | not want somebody thinking that they have left your |
| on your site once they arrive, make sure that every | | | | website because all of the sudden one of the pages |
| one of your pages has something interesting and | | | | does not seem to match where they just came |
| offer it above the fold. | | | | from. Going from one page to another through your |
| 3. Make the HTML page titles in your Meta tag as | | | | website should be an easy transition. In order to |
| descriptive as possible and include your main key | | | | make your website visitors feel more comfortable, |
| word. When someone is searching for your site in | | | | consistency on your website is imperative. |
| search engines, most will use this title so you want it | | | | If you follow the tips above, you will catch some |
| to be something that will grab people's attention. | | | | quick and easy design changes you can make to give |
| 4. For the best results for new visitors to the | | | | your website visitors a better experience. After you |
| Internet, the most effective way to use links is to | | | | have incorporated these tips and have a well thought |
| make them blue and underlined. Anyone that is | | | | out prototype design, you should gather feedback |
| unfamiliar with the Internet learns quickly that this is | | | | from your customers and conduct user testing or |
| how to find links, so take advantage of this | | | | usability testing. |
| convention. | | | | |