Drop-down menus are one of those “love ’em or hate ’em” elements in web design. Many designers or developers shy away from using them, and I used to be no exception to that. As I’m learning more about them though, I’m coming to embrace them – as long as they meet my “3 W’s” criteria.
Most people who use the Internet regularly are probably accustomed to seeing favicons, but chances are your average Internet user doesn’t know too much about them, other than where they’ve noticed them – if they have noticed them.
Color is an important element web designers need to think about when creating the look of a website. Different colors have different meanings – cultural, instinctual, universal, and more – and can stimulate different people in different ways.
As a designer, I have to stop and ask myself, why bother styling text links? It’s done so that it is plainly obvious what is a link and what isn’t. That way, the user doesn’t have to spend any additional time than is necessary trying to get to where they want to go on your Continue Reading »
As web content writers, we work hard on what we write and hope that people read every word of it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen that way. Most people tend to scan content on a website rather than read it, which is why it’s so important to use effective titles and sub-headers on your website.
Say a new visitor to your website finds you through a search engine. They’re impressed with your content, which was written to get their attention. They like your professional design, which establishes that you’re a trustworthy brand. So then what? Give them a call-to-action and tell them what they should do, that’s what!
Links are one of the most fundamental building blocks of successful content on your website, yet many people create them – knowingly or unknowingly – in ways that decrease their effectiveness. Here are some tips that you can use when writing links within your content that can help improve their overall usability.
We all know that different types of people use and read websites differently. Most of the time when you think of who the target audience is, the answers are in broad demographic categories: gender, age, people who have an interest in this particular topic, etc. Add to that category higher vs. lower literacy users.
Dark websites seem to be growing in popularity lately. If done properly, they can convey a sense of elegance, sophistication, sleekness, and/or professionalism. But in order to create a great dark website, web designers need to pay attention to some special usability concerns that come with the unique territory.
When people first come to me to design a website for them, one of the first things I ask them is who their target audience is. Knowing who a website’s visitors are (or will be) is crucial for designers to know, because it helps us make all of the design decisions that will ultimately comprise Continue Reading »