Design tips for Websites

Before creating your own website, ensure you spend some time considering the colours and design you want to use. The selections you make for your website should be in line with your company and its identity.

Font, size and colour

When you come to deciding the font to be used on your website, your main concern should be for its readability. Verdana and Arial are fonts that are used on the web a lot and are considered easy to read on a computer screen. The font size should not be too big or too small. In most cases, font sizes 8-10 will be adequate. Also make sure to apply the same font to all your pages to achieve a uniform look for your website.

Underlining text on websites should be avoided because most people will assume that underlined text represents a link.

Another thing to consider is the use of colour on your website. Text should be in a colour that is easy to read on the background colour you select. Try and avoid using too many different colours in your text as this can look confusing and unprofessional.

Use of logos, pictures and graphics

If you have your own company logo, you can upload it and use it on your website. A logo is a good way of marketing your company and will help you to create a recognisable brand and credibility with your customers.

Another idea is to use relevant pictures and graphics to bring your website pages alive and make them more attractive to potential visitors. Websites with too much text can appear boring, though you should of course be careful not to go overboard with illustrations.

It is also possible to use background pictures on your website, but again you should be careful with how you use them. A background picture can easily end up taking too much focus away from the text and be too distractive.

Use of tables for more editing flexibility

To structure the content of a website it could be a big advantage to use a combination of tables, pictures and text. Tables enable you to specify the placement of the different elements more precisely. Without tables it is more difficult to control the placement of elements in relation to another. For example, if you like to place text next to a picture this is tricky without the use of tables. Tables also make it possible to apply minimum heights or widths for content.

You can find more tips on website editing and the use of tables in our article database at www.mamut.ie/support/search (external link).