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Designing a website is the part that most people imagine when thinking about putting a website together.
If you already have your domain name and web hosting organised - congratulations!
Don't get thrown in at the deep end!
Read Steps 1 & 2 first. Then start sketching out your site on paper. Draw up what you want on each page before you start Step 3.
Your options in creating your site are:
If you're looking at this website, we're assuming that you have decided against hiring a website designer, you have no coding skills, but you'd like to make your website yourself!
Which leaves you with the option of a do-it-yourself site builder.
Please check out our site builders page for information about choosing a good site builder.
Good design is the key
Follow these steps to get you started:
Note: If your website will consist of an application such as forums or a retail shop, you will be customizing the layout of the application, rather than designing a layout from scratch
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Use a site builder |
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Have an expert create one for you |
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Use your coding skills (in html, PHP, flash etc) |
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Have a good browse around the internet, especially at sites that are similar to the one you'll be starting up. |
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When a site strikes you as being pleasing to the eye, professional, and easy to use and understand - save it in your favourites folder. |
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Sketch out the layout you want on a piece of paper. Remember that black type on a white background, and lots of white space, never fails. |
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List all the important items you want to include in your website. Write the items up as a menu. Generally, you will have a page for each item on your menu.
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Your menu should be logical, and your main pages shoud be accessible from every page on your site. This means having your main menu on every page. |
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Menus which are text links are easier for search engines to find than drop-down menus or menu bars. |
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The menu should be easily seen on the page when someone visits your site. |
Menu Bar Drop-down menu
Above you can see different kinds of menus. For SEO (search engine optimization) it's best to choose the text menu.
If you find the text menu a little boring - be sure to have two menus on your pages, one of your choice, and another as a text menu.
This guide from Microsoft, 10 ways to make your web site sticky, gives some helpful advice on setting up your menu structure.
Different types of menus
Go menu Text menu
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Look at your the sites you saved on your favourites folder again. What are the colour schemes? How are the page elements arranged? |
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If your site builder comes with templates, look to find one that suits the design you have in mind. Many site builders are not as customizable as you might imagine when you're first starting out. Some do not allow you to have your own logo or header. |
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Don't put elements on your page just because you can. Especially steer clear of animated or graphics - unless your site deals with animation! |
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Flashing or moving text is very distracting. If you use it, use it sparingly. |
Which way does your menu flow?
Colors and elements
Tip: Be careful to never to use colored text on a background of the same color!
It's easy to type some white text for a black background, then move it onto a white background for a minute - and then forget about it because you can't see it.
Search engines CAN see the text and may penalise your site as your site may be seen as trying to hide text in order to raise your search engine rankings.
Here is an extreme example of bad design.
Come on - you know you wanna see it!
Design website!
