 Traditionally, web designers have retained the most attention and commitment from business owners. The natural tendency is to focus on the way a website looks rather than the way it performs. Here at BristleconeWeb™, our designers build your site from the ground up to ensure that not only does your site look great, but that it outperforms the competition. We often compare the construction of a website to the construction of a house; there needs to be a solid foundation and framework for the structure to last. Once the framework is set, then we can worry about the paint, tile, and window shades.
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Web Design Layout Best Practices |
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 You may have stumbled across one before; some websites are simply impossible to navigate! Unfriendly websites are caused by a web designer who ignores web design best practices to create a wonderfully impractical website.
The model shown here gives you a very simple illustration which describes the general layout a website should have. Some web designers may choose to include navigation in the header, or a second navigation column on the right, but the overall prinicipal still applies.
The header will contain a topical overview of the current page, or website.
The navigation column will contain site wide or category specific links which give the site a common menu structure.
The main content area will contain the great majority of the page's information.
The footer will display site wide information such as copyright, privacy policy, and any other closing information.
Here are some indications that your site is not following these best practices properly.
- Header is too big. If you find yourself constantly scrolling down on your website, you should consider a smaller header which makes better use of the limited space on the computer screen.
- Navigation is on the right. Western writing systems as well as industry standards compel most visitors to look to the left for navigation. If your navigation menu is on the right, it could be a source of frustration for your visitors.
- Hidden navigation. Navigation areas should be clearly defined, separate, and easy to locate. If your navigation is hidden within the page, your visitors may find it easier to simply push the big red X and close your website!
- Overwhelming navigation. As you can see in the model, the "main content" should consume the great majority of the page. If you have excessive navigation menus or advertising, your content area will shrink and force your visitors to scroll. You should always assume that your visitors hate to scroll. Try to consolidate your menus and advertising to create a more efficient web design.
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The Web Design Is Only The Beginning |
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We pride ourselves on the sites we create. But in the same way architects must take the environment and function of the building into consideration, we do not just create websites to look pretty. Our web design service considers all parts of the equation to create something that will last.
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What kind of Web Design do you need? |
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It seems today that many business owners are only aware of one type of website design: custom. But we would like to make the assertion that not only are there alternatives, but usually the money spent on a custom design could be utilized much more effectively someplace else.
We recognize three levels of designs. The most basic level is the template design. With a template, the webmaster simply pops in a few lines of code and that is the end. Although template designs can cut costs, it can be very difficult to find a template that works perfectly with your business.
The next level is a customized template. We usually recommend this type of design because they can be completed fairly rapidly at a substantially lower cost than fully customized designs. This option allows you to browse hundreds of designs and choose the one that generally meets your needs. From this point the template can be customized with different colors, new functions, and other customizations and features to suite your needs.
The third level is a completely customized layout and display. This type of web design can be necessary for businesses with very specific needs, or the desire to give the website a very specific look and feel. Custom designs are the most expensive and slowest to implement, however the final result can be very well worth it. We recommend maintaining very active communication with your designer to ensure the layout is user friendly and optimized for search engines.
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