1. Los angeles web design : Part I
Common Mistakes: Home Page Design
Issue:
What pitfalls should companies avoid on their Web, Intranet or portal home pages?
Response:
The home page of a Web site, Intranet or portal is the most important page. It should tell site visitors,
what they can do precisely deeper in the site or at least inform them, what they may be able to expect.
However, in most cases, the home page is just a compromise to satisfy internal politics and neglecting
site visitors’ needs. To set up an effective home page that matches corporate objectives and user’s
expectations the following pitfalls should be avoided:
1) Too much information instead of links: Many home pages provide detailed information such as
complete news, company description, etc. or are overloaded with images. Site visitors do not want to
read information on the home page nor guessing what might be hidden behind an image. They want to
find a link to start navigating to the information, which they came for. Providing detailed information on
the home page limits the space available for valuable links. Further, it increases the risk that site visitors
do not even start navigating the site, as they do not find their specific entry point to start their specific
action or scenario. There are two types of pages, which apply to any Web applications such as Web
sites, Intranets and portals. Those are navigation pages and destination pages. Navigation pages allow
site visitors discovering the options to navigate. Destination pages provide the information, which site
visitors are looking for. The home page is the ultimate navigation page. It needs to provide as much as
possible links to the various Web sections. The Web strategy determines the links from the home page
to the site sections. There are two major linking approaches:
- - Individual link, which relates to one link for a complete Web section.
- - Category links, which is one link to a complete Web section, followed by links to further detail this
section (sub-category links).
Provide category links for strategic Web sections that you want your target audience to browse and
navigate to (for example for IT companies provide category and sub-category links to product and
service overviews, customer engagements, download section). Use individual links for Web sections that
target secondary audiences (for example company profile or recruitment).

2. 2) Animations / animated links: Even though that usability research clearly shows that animations such
as rotating banners, animated text, etc. distracts site visitors, it is still used on many business sites. In
most cases, marketing managers request Web designer to implement animations although designers
know that animations are more destructive than increasing site effectiveness. Web designers need to
clearly explain the differences between offline and online media. In offline marketing, publicity needs to
attract the attention of prospects. For example, if you are walking on a street, advertising such as ad
posters must attract your attention, as you are not walking down a street to discover ads. In online
media, site visitors already decided to go to a Web site with a specific goal in mind (e.g. finding contact,
product or support information, etc.). Hence, the Web site does not need to attract the visitor’s
attention. There are successful concepts to replace animations such as the so-called hooks. Hooks are
static images or graphics with a minimum of text to tell site visitors what they can expect by clicking on
them. Hooks are not limited to the home page but can be used on all navigation pages. Effective hooks
target the page audience (best practice sites: www.cisco.com, www.ups.com/content/gb/en/index.jsx ).
Place hooks on the home page that target the prime Web audience, on subsequent navigation pages,
refine hooks accordingly to the page audience.
3) Not telling what site users can do on the site: Site visitors do not go unintentionally to a Web site.
They have a specific action in mind such as finding pricing information, applying for a job, downloading
the annual report, etc. Using action verbs such as download, apply, compare, discover, etc. facilitates
site visitors to find immediately the link to start their scenario. Action verbs define further links (for
example a link named “product” can be misleading as it does not tell what kind of “actions” will be
available such as downloading, comparing, ordering, test driving, etc.). Complementing links with action
verbs helps to reduce site visitor frustration and to increase site effectiveness.
4) Missing the home page basics: There are a few usability practices, which Web designer should
implement on the home page such as:
- Home page length less than two screens at a resolution of 800x600, best would be to fit within one
screen. Place strategic links on the first screen (upper half of the home page, if the home page exceeds
one screen), as site visitors generally do not scroll on navigation pages and hence would miss the
important links.
- Links to site support tools such as site map or site search. About 30 percent of site visitors prefer
finding their information using site search. Therefore it is crucial that Web sites provide search
functionality (e.g. the search box) directly from the home page.
- Link to privacy policy from the text navigation at the bottom and link to the company profile
(navigation bar and text navigation bar).

3. - Company logo available in the upper left corner. However, it should not provide an active link on the
home page but from any other pages within the site.
- Navigation consistency with the rest of the site. Ensure that the navigation on the home page is
consistent with the rest of the site to avoid user confusion.
Hiring a web designer to come up with the custom solution that you need can set you back a few
thousand bucks. But you can do the whole thing yourself and make it drag and drop simple for mere
pennies with a tool like Breezy Websites. See http://breezywebsites.com for details!
Los angeles web design : End of Part I
Communicating Your Needs to Your Web Designer
<ol>
<li type="1">You know what content you want on the website but have no clue how to present
it to the user.</li>
<li type="1">You know what content you want on the website, and you have the layout in your
mind, but you don&rsquo;t know how to implement it.</li>
</ol>
<p> In both cases you will need to explain your thoughts to the <a
href="http://www.paramiliar.com/webdesign.html">web designer</a>. Although most people who
read those lines are probably thinking that being in the second situation is better then being in the first
situation. However, real life experience shows the opposite to be true. Giving a <a
href="http://www.paramiliar.com/">web designer</a> the complete freedom of action regarding the
<a href="http://www.paramiliar.com/">web design</a> based solely on the website content is usually a
smart thing to do. You will find that explaining to the web designer what the nature of your website is,
whether it&rsquo;s a product that you want to sell or a hobby item, is much easier then trying to
explain to him the temperate of the color schema or an undefined shape that you would like to have in
the website header. <br />
<br />

4. Actually for both of the situations, I would suggest you use the same approach, but with a
minor modification to each situation. If you know of a website that has all the features you want or
need and/or a site that looks the way you want your site to look, be sure to give the site&rsquo;s url to
the web designer. Doing so will give him some idea of what you want. You will both be looking at the
same thing but will actually look at it from a different angle. Therefore, it may be better to give him
more than one website as an example. The more websites you find that can express your feelings
and/or needs, the easier it will be for web designers to understand your intention without you having
to use a single &ldquo;technical&rdquo; term. Chances are that you won&rsquo;t find a single website
that has all of the feature you want. After all, if such a website already exists there would be no place
for your new web site to be born. Use several websites to express the different features you want.
Spend as much time as necessary until you find just the right websites to provide examples of your
needs. Doing research at this stage will definitely save you a lot of time later trying to point the web
designer in the right direction. <br />
<br />
Although you are the one who needs to express your self to the web designer, you must learn
to listen to him as well. When he uses technical terms, ask for their meaning. Do not finish any part of
the conversation unless you are absolutely sure that both sides are on the same page. Remember that
when a web designer speaks about the temperature of a color, he is not talking about the next
day&rsquo;s forecast. <br />
<br />
Remember, you hired a professional web designer because you want a professional looking
website and you couldn&rsquo;t do it yourself. So, trust the web designer&rsquo;s judgment when they
tell you something you want won&rsquo;t work or isn&rsquo;t the best way to accomplish your goals.
After all, you are paying them for their expertise. Don&rsquo;t try to tell them how to do their job. <br
/>
<br />
It is OK to require that a <a href="http://www.paramiliar.com/webdesign.html">web
designer</a> gets your approval each step of the way so you can tell them if one of your goals
isn&rsquo;t being met. Also, if you really don&rsquo;t like how something looks and want it changed,
tell them immediately. Don&rsquo;t wait until everything is done and then decide you don&rsquo;t like
it. <br />
<h2>A final word about cost</h2>
You have agreed on what needs to be done and the web designer has given you a price quote.
Simple modifications and bug fixes are usually included in the price. However, other major changes or
outright revisions may or may not be included. Make sure the agreement states what is included, what

5. constitutes a revision rather than a fix, and how many changes you can make after delivery without
incurring additional costs. </p>
Hiring a web designer to come up with the custom solution that you need can set you back a few
thousand bucks. But you can do the whole thing yourself and make it drag and drop simple for mere
pennies with a tool like Breezy Websites. See http://breezywebsites.com for details!
Los angeles web design : End of Part II
Compose Your Site Multicolored
Web Design Delhi company e-fuzion is begin with your background, since it appealing well governs the
rest of your colors. At the equivalent time, you need to be thinking about your main body text, which
must be clear and easy to read. And then you need to whip up something special for your navigation
element and links; arguably your top concern. They need to be consistent, or they all get confusing, and
they need to be obvious and appealing so surfers use them rather than hot foot it elsewhere. Colors and
fonts are your opening gambit. Web Design Delhi company e-fuzion offer immediate visual impact and
they amount to the first impression you give. Make a mess of it and you have lost your visitor at the
starting line. Make it brilliant and they are already hooked. So if fonts and colors set the pace for how
visitors uncover your site, and then let them set the pace for how you design it too. Everything else will
follow, from your layout and style to your graphics and even content. Use crisp, clear and minimalist
colors and fonts for a serious, informative and business-like identity. But don&#8217;t think that has to
mean dull. Web Design Delhi company e-fuzion uses wild fonts and crazy colors for a fun and funky
identity, such as Coco-Cola. There as nothing to stop you going extreme a; extreme is positive, even in a
serious context. It stands out and makes a memorable impression. You just need to keep it under
control and that as the skill. Web Design Delhi company e-fuzion could go on and say that pink and
green should never be used, and all that, but frankly its flip. There as not a rule that can not be broken,
and if a color looks great, use it. The problem is how to build something dramatic without it getting
horribly garish and out of control. It is actually not that hard, and there is nothing enigmatic and
conceptual about building great schemes. You just need to consider the different elements to your
pages, what they actually do, and how they need to work together.

6. You could try pale cream, which makes for a warmer, softer background, pale blue which gives a cool,
crisp look, or another light color. Text is still easily readable, pictures still look great, and you still have
the option to use other colors.
Hiring a web designer to come up with the custom solution that you need can set you back a few
thousand bucks. But you can do the whole thing yourself and make it drag and drop simple for mere
pennies with a tool like Breezy Websites. See http://breezywebsites.com for details!
Los angeles web design : End of Part III