frogsinkhouse.com

A “masthead” is the top section of a web page. describing the tall vertical pole supporting the sails of a ship, its use in publishing holds a similar meaning.|The term is also used to describe the tall, vertical pole on ships, and there is a relationship between the two usages.] In publishing, a [commanding masthead can introduce a web page brilliantly, and [capture users' attention in order to persuade them to continue reading].|A web page’s masthead supports the rest of that page’s content.] Mastheads can consist of images, brand logos and text. Mastheads are used to attract the attention of site visitors and clue them into what’s to be found on that page and on your general site. Mastheads are often designed with software such as FreeHand, Photoshop and Illustrator, but create one with a free website builder that saves you the time and effort of coding|using a free website builder can be a nice time and money-saver]. The potential of your masthead is huge, so don’t underestimate it. Spend time designing this component to maximize its attractiveness and functionality. Remember what the goal is here: to quickly tell visitors what your site is about, and why they should continue reading.

Content

The meat of any good website, content can be presented in a number of ways. The main idea here is to make your content as easy to read as possible. The best content is arranged in a way that visitors don’t have to think – it presents itself to them seamlessly in a way that naturally flows. There are several ways to achieve this. It’s general practice to use two or three columns of text in your page layout. You might want to have one wider column for your key text, and narrower columns for additional content or advertising. Also, be sure to select a font that is easy on the eyes of your readers. Creative, flowery fonts are sometimes appropriate for branding but are painful to read in large quantities of condensed text. A good rule of thumb is to stay with what you know: Arial, Verdana, Georgia, Times New Roman and Tahoma are classic readable fonts. Alignment is also important. Unless you’re writing your content in a foreign language that doesn’t lend itself to Western reading patterns, always align your text on the left. Justified alignment might look best in print, but web typography is a whole other ballgame. Try to limit the length of the lines in your main content column to between 10-12 words per line. Adjust column width and font size to achieve this balance.

Navigating Your Site’s Pages

The ease with which visitors can find information on your site is a vital component to any site’s success. This is what navigation components are for]. helpful tools of good site navigation|Navigation can include a menu bar on the homepage, hypertext in a content, and any other linkable content that allows your site visitors to quickly access relevant sections of your website]. Many novice web designers fail on this task, and create convoluted sites with difficult-to-interpret navigation. It is extremely off-putting for a visitor to feel lost or confused inside [your website, and the aim of good navigation is to allow users to quickly and easily locate the precise information they are looking for.|] The first step is to keep everything clear and organized. Use short and descriptive labels for menu buttons and links, letting users know exactly what they can expect to find on each indicated page. Include a link back to your homepage on each inner page of your site, perhaps by creating a link inside your logo.

On-Site Advertising

We are all used to the ads that populate websites, some in [more effective ways than others. They are typically found either in the masthead space on the top of the page, or along the sides of the sides|There are certain spots on web pages where ads are usually placed. These include the space next to or above the masthead, below the main title, and inside a side column]. Keep in mind advertising]. Especially irrelevant and obnoxious advertising that commands attention away from your visitors. Google AdWords’ text-based ads work best, for their minimal approach and keyword-based generation. Arrange your advertisement space strategically, have it clearly labeled as an area for relevant product info for your readers. Avoid loud, colorful or animated ads that will disturb your visitors.

That Space at the Bottom

insert text or design elements onto a web page|where you can place your footer text]]. Recently, many sites are incorporating more creative elements into their footers than the standard legal and copyright information and sitemap link.You can use your footer as a strategic navigational device, to direct users toward specific sections of your website. Corporate websites will often place directions and contact information in a footer. Some footers contain fun images or designs to insert a dash of personality onto a website. Placing a touch of free website design onto a page’s footer can contribute to a site’s branding and identity. Check out Designshak.com for a great example of one such footer| Designshak.com placed site navigation, layout and color selection and more in its footer]. A floating octopus and a colorful umbrella are found in Volll.com’s animated footer content. Use this element to your advantage and fill it with something unique or useful for your site’s overall purpose.

There you have it, folks. With these basic building blocks under your belt, knowing how to make a website shouldn’t be such a [scary]. Use your new knowledge to re-visit your favorite websites, paying attention to [the decisions that their web designers made when arranging their basic components. Take a couple of seconds to figure out what makes these sites your favorites, in terms of theirlayout and presentation. Pretty soon you'll be spotting components of web pages all over the web, and using this new perspective to evaluate sites differently and on a more involved level.|Have fun catching these components on pages you visit from now on, and pay attention to their organization and design. One of the best ways to improve your own site's web design is to pay attention to what works for others (and what doesn't!). Good luck!]