Using a web site template right out of the box is a very common mistake new web designer?s make. One of the cool things about the web is that it?s so visual. Using a web site design template can save any new web developer a lot of time and effort. But like any tool, you can get into trouble if you don?t pay attention.
Color combinations, layout, and graphics are the key design elements in any web site template. Each web site should be designed around the subject matter, ease of use, and accomplish any special goals or end result. A lot of new web site designers get lost in the visual effects, which can have negative effects on user friendliness and search engine optimization.
If you look at some of the most popular web sites, the common element is simplicity and ease of navigation. There are few dancing bears, flash intros, or exploding special effects. And almost everyone has text navigation for the most part. They may have some very well designed graphics, and a few design elements but keep it simple for the user.
User friendliness and easy navigation should adhere to the two-click rule. This is a simple rule that implies any user should be able to find what they want on any given web site in two clicks. With the short attention span and impatient attitude of most surfers, you need to give them what they want fast. You normally only have about 5 seconds to grab their attention.
I use templates a lot to save time and effort on a new design. Some I?ve developed myself, some I?ve bought that give me at least a 70% solution. They may have some graphics that go with my subject matter and/or some colors and layout that suit my purpose for the web site. But they also may be missing some key elements.
Most web site templates have great visual effects and good color combinations. But many lack several important elements for both users and our friends the search engines. Here?s a list of common mistakes I see all the time when a web designer uses a web site template.
1. Navigation ? Menu issues 2. No Sitemap 3. Ignoring the fold position 4. No H1 or H2 designated headline and sub headlines
Graphic, pull down, popup or other methods of displaying menus can look good but sometimes confuse the user and are invisible to the search engine bots. These are two good reasons to use a text menu somewhere that show all necessary navigation links.
Sitemaps are important for the same reason as above. Both users and search engines can see a snapshot of everything on your web site and get to it quickly. This improves your chances to get indexed quickly and gives the user that two click ability.
The fold position is where the bottom of the monitor breaks off the view of the page. All important information should be displayed above that line if at all possible. Don?t make the user scroll if it?s not necessary. Any navigation, special links, attention getters, or critical information should always display above the fold line.
H1 and H2 designate important info to the search engine bot. A common good search engine optimization is to put your keywords in the first headline that the user sees. Of course the headline should also induce the reader to continue to read the web page.
It?s pretty easy to fix all these issues during the initial design stage. Even though I?ve created 100?s of web sites I still use a checklist. The devils in the details and everything you can do to make it easy for the user and the search engines, the more successful your web site will be.
A web site template can be a big time saver but you need to insure that the end result has all the necessary features both users and the search engines. Make your web site both user and search engine friendly by making these small changes or additions.
John Dow owns http://www.fptemplates.net, that sells web site templates and tools. Don?t pay $30-$150 for one template when you can get 125 for $29.95. Click here to see how: Web Site Templates
A Review of Squeeze Templates Website Templates
If you are looking to make sure that your websites are worth the work that you put into them, you'll find that that old adage of working smarter not harder at play here There is a good chance that you have had a great deal of work put into your website, but what if no one comes to it
Build Your Own Web Site: Great Templates
Preparing to build your own website (http://www.buildyoursite.com/) can be very intimidating. There are a multitude of new technologies being developed daily, and there is a lot of technical knowledge required to build a website from the ground up. When all of this is considered, it is not surprising that many businesses opt to not have a website at all. Fortunately, new tools are available which make building your own website more pain free than ever. With fast and affordable technology at your fingertips, it doesn't make sense to not create a website.
How To Set Up A Professional Website On Your Own Using Web Templates
To create professional websites is not an easy task by any means. There are many things that you got to take into consideration like easy navigation, strategic links, clean coding, professional layout, easy downloading, scanability, usability and so on.
Innovative SharePoint Driven Web Templates Radically Simplify Site Building and Content Management
PixelMill.com, a provider of design solutions for Web site builders and content managers, today unveiled a series of new content management system Web templates that gives all levels of Internet users the ability to easily and instantly edit content areas of Web sites from within ordinary Web browsers.
Website Templates: The Easy, Fast, And Cheap Way To Build A Website
Once only big companies could afford to have a presence on the worldwide web, but those days have changed. Today, nearly every business has a website, and usually the few that do not will want to have one. Web hosting and domain name rights have become very affordable so having a web presence is available to even the self employed for very little money.
Finding And Using A Free Web Site Template
If you want to make a web site, but have limited funds or limited design skills, you may want to consider searching out a free web site template. Finding a free web site template is relatively easy. In addition to web design firms, there are also many web hosting companies and domain name registrars that offer this service.
Making A Website Using Website Templates
There are some amazing websites on the net these days. It used to be that if you wanted a really good website it would cost you thousands of dollars and months of time. Not any more! The quality and availability of website templates these days makes it easy for anyone to have an amazing website quickly and easily.
Starting Websites with Ready-Made Web Templates
Ready-made website templates help the web designers to build their websites in an organized manner. They save a lot of time and effort by offering the desired layout in a precise way. There are different types of ready-made templates that are suitable for different types of websites.
Alternative to Web Site Templates and Design Software
Before I discovered the concept of Web site templates, I felt woefully
inadequate to build my own site. It was the old "catch-22" where I didn't
have the money to pay to have a site built, I needed a site to make the
money to have a professional site, and without the knowledge of how to
build a site, I had no hope of getting a site.
Website Templates Make Site Creation Simple
There was a time when only large companies could afford to have an online presence, but those days are long gone. Now almost every business, big and small has a website, and of those that do not, most will want one. The cost of domain name rights and web hosting have come down, so maintaining a website is available to even self employed individuals for a very small investment.
Give your website a makeover get a new design template
One for the most powerful ways to make money today own a website. Whatever your business is, a website is sure to give it an upward push. If your business is your website itself, nothing like it.
Web Site Templates and Their Benefits
Unarguably, the most important part of your website is content. To draw in clients or customers, you need captivating content and search engines are blind to web design.
Why Not To Use Web Design Templates For Your Website
In today's age of fast food and high-speed Internet, a business may be tempted to take the "more convenient" route in launching a website – buying a template and customising it.Website design templates are like off-the-shelf websites and are targeted at people who believe that launching their own, unique and differentiated website is costly and time consuming, which need not be the case.
4 Most Common Web Site Templates Mistakes
Using a web site template right out of the box is a very common mistake new web designer?s make. One of the cool things about the web is that it?s so visual. Using a web site design template can save any new web developer a lot of time and effort. But like any tool, you can get into trouble if you don?t pay attention.
Template a Day Revolutionizes the Free Website Templates
TemplateaDay.com provides its members a free unique, custom made template each day of the year. Each template is sent via email to the members for easy access. Along with each template a user is provided free PSD and JPEG file versions of each template in order to best meet any individual web publishers need.
