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Talent Essentials

Client Essentials

Web Design Best Practices




SEO Tips For New Web Designers

Are you a Web designer that is trying to keep pace with the latest buzzwords in the field? If so, you may have heard that SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is an important thing to know about when it comes to creating a Website. Here are two key SEO basic tips for new Web designers that are looking to build sites for companies that sell goods and services:

  1. Research keywords that would be associated with the particular product or service that the Website is associated with. For example, if you are working for a company that sells various cameras, you'll want to include brand names, model numbers and other related information that people may be searching for.
  2. Talk with various company representatives and ask them for suggestions on additional keywords that may be associated with their product or service. You may turn up some that you did not uncover in your own research.
If you have a basic understanding of keywords, it will help you build a site that is optimized for a search engine. This is an important thing to know if you are going to work in this particular field.

SEO can be tricky, but contacting Artisan for help is thankfully not. We are here to answer any and all questions!

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Setting Up Your Own Website

If you are going into a career in freelance Web design, you'll need to have a cutting-edge Website of your own. The reason your Website is so crucial to your success is that others will use it as a measurement of your skill set. A poor design can lose you clients, and a great one can convince people of your abilities. Providing your contact information is a must. Make sure that you put this in a very prominent place, so that people don't have to work very hard to find a phone number or an e-mail address to get in touch with you.

So what type of design should you have? Try to choose something that is both clean and representative of your skill set. If you specialize in flash, make sure you have a flash component to your Website. It can also help to provide links to some of your best work on the Web so that potential clients can take a look at their leisure. Some designers like to have an area where satisfied clients remark on their work. If you decide to do this, keep it clean and professional, and add the links in this section.

Contact Artisan for help finding the ideal company for your skill set.

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Page Layout

In terms of Website design best practice, page layout is one of the most important features. The way a Website looks is crucial, and a good designer should be able to create something that will impact the target audience; whoever that may be. It should be easy to read, with a good balance of items and a text color that is legible on the background.

Loading time should also be a consideration that is taken into account. This is especially true if the Website will have a lot of photographs or graphics on it. Slow loading will frustrate users and impact the Website traffic in a negative way.

In addition to visual appeal and load time, the navigation should be simple and intuitive as well. Most good sites include a navigation area that assists the person who is browsing the Website; kind of like a table of contents page in a book. These layout principles help make the overall Website more appealing and give the user some help as they look for information.

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Checking For Proper Function

It may seem like common sense, but functionality is one of the most overlooked items when it comes to Web design. If a designer creates a site with "dead" links, or one that generates errors on certain pages, it takes away from the overall appeal and usefulness of the Website. For this reason, designers should check each and every page; and every link on them. Double-checking work is one of the most crucial good web design practices, and it is the mark of a true professional. It is the perfect way to catch any issues--before the client does.

It can help to have a system or checklist for this type of review; that way you can be sure that you have covered every page on the Website. The hyperlinks should all work, bringing the viewer to the desired page. Any forms that were developed for the site should function as well, so be sure and try them out to be on the safe side. Once this step is complete, you can inform the client that the Website has been tested thoroughly and is ready to use.

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Tips For Best Web Design

There are many ways to design a Website, and in the beginning of the process it can all seem somewhat overwhelming. If you are just getting started, here are some tips for best Web design:

  • Find the right Web designer. You may want to go through a talent agency such as Artisan and inform them of what you are looking for; they can often help locate just the right match.
  • Know what you want. Have this discussion before you sit down with your Web designer and try to be as specific as you can. If you can communicate your needs, you are more likely to get what you want. Review other Websites and take note of what you like and dislike about them.
  • Have one point of contact. If you have the Web designer working with too many people, things can get confusing.
  • Don't be afraid to revise. A good designer can change a Website based on your feedback. If you think a particular direction is not working as well as you thought, see if you can adjust it accordingly. Sometimes it can be hard to visualize ahead of time.
  • Have an expansion plan. Good Websites aren't static. Have a plan for growing the Website in the direction you see your company or business expanding. Talk with the designer about how to set things up so this is possible.
Just keeping these few points in mind will help you to get the best Website design possible. Although there are many different things to consider, these core ideas will serve you well if you use them to guide the process. And if you need further help along the way, Artisan is here to guide you.

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Multimedia Applications

These days there is a big demand for multimedia applications on Websites. The best practices for Web design call for multimedia that serves a purpose, not just content that is used to fill up a site. Video content should enhance the Website rather than be a distraction, so anything that is selected should be done carefully. The following questions may help you decide whether multimedia should be used:

  • Will it enhance the messaging or help inform the viewer?
  • Will it distract from the other information on the Website?
  • How much content is needed?
  • What is the quality of any multimedia applications that are available?
Captioning is a smart move when it comes to multimedia applications, as it clarifies the content. It is also helpful to keep in mind the fact that long download times are undesirable. Using multimedia can be beneficial if it is done well; so take the time to reflect on how it might work for you before you include it.

Contact an Artisan representative today for more help.

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Creating A Polished Look

Consistency is a key factor when striving to create a polished look for a new Website. Corporate web designers and freelance Web design professionals all know this fact and make use of it when developing a Website for their clients. This is something that the people hiring them should look for as well.

So what type of consistency should you be watching for in a new design? Here are some features to pay attention to:

  • Font. Both font size and style should be compatible throughout the Website. If you have one paragraph in Times New Roman and another in Arial, it will look messy. Sometimes this is done for effect, but if so, it should look like it.
  • Color. If you have a red-orange logo on one page and a dark orange logo on another, it will look unprofessional. Take a look to make sure that the colors used are consistent and appealing.
  • Header. The navigational information and header should be in the same place throughout the site. This type of consistency generates a more professional look.
You can look for consistency in other areas as well. This type of review can be especially helpful when you are browsing sample sites that are sent by a designer as part of their portfolio. It can also help you review a final product.

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Designing Personal Websites

Designers don't just create Websites for companies and institutions. Personal Website design is also a popular category. These days, self-employed people realize that having a presence on the Web is a necessary thing and many hire designers to build one for them. The Web design strategy you use for a person is similar to that you use for a company with one important difference; the person is the product.

That said, the keywords you select for search engine optimization and tagging will have to do with the name of the person and the field they are in. For example, if your client's name is Joesph P. Smith, you will want to include all variations on his name:

  • Joseph P. Smith
  • Joe Smith
  • J. Smith
  • Joey Smith
  • J.P. Smith
If Joe is an architect, you'll also want to use tags that reflect his field, such as: architect, homes, houses, building, etc. You may also want to include things such as a city or town, and a business name, if appropriate.

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