How to Create Good Layout and Content
- Nina Menezes
A good layout gives your site a clean, professional look. Visitors will be able to find what they want easily, and navigate your website with ease. If your layout is not pleasing, visitors may not want to return to your site. The way you dress; whether sloppy, neat, business or casual, conveys an immediate impression to the viewer. The same holds true when a user goes to your Web site, she gets a first impression. That first impression is critical. It will determine whether she wants to stay and look around your site or leave.
Consider the following when designing your layout
1. KISS - Keep it simple. A simple layout is user friendly.
2. Use contrasting colours on your site, i.e. dark text on light colour background or vice-versa. If you use dark text on a dark background or vice-versa it will be difficult to read the text.
3. Avoid using several different fonts in one page. Small serif fonts (like Times Roman) are difficult to read on a computer screen. Verdana is a popular font, since it is clean and easy to read.
4. Design your layout so that important content is within viewable area without scrolling. To avoid a horizontal scrollbar, set the page layout to expand and shrink with changes in browser window size.
5. Break up long paragraphs into smaller chunks. Visitors don't like to see long lines of text because they want information to be concise and quick. They want easy-to-read material.
6. Use bullets, subtitles, highlighted keywords, hyperlinks, etc. to improve scanability. This will help guide readers to key information.
7. Avoid all caps, busy backgrounds and excessive animation: Don't type all words in caps. Busy backgrounds can make your text hard to read. Animation and sounds are distracting to the visitor.
8. Save the top of your page for your most important content.
A good layout will give your site a professional look and keep your visitors coming back. Now, here's an exercise for you. Go to your Web site, and see how many things you can and should change. Change them, and stand back and marvel at the difference!
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What Clients Say
"Nina's stellar creativity as a web designer was nothing short of phenomenal as evident in the ingenious design concepts presented throughout the term of the project. We were simply amazed with the special touches she added within our own website's revision, as if it were simply a "work of art"."
- Brenda Lopez, Affluent Bride
"Nina is divinely talented with exquisite style and flair, following her deepest intuition and connection. She has blessed me with a great design. She delivers what she promises with tier one results!"
Elizabeth Lengyel
People Coach
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
"Nina, thank you for making such a daunting task into such a wonderful experience. Your step-by-step guidance along with your patience and creativity have resulted in a website that captures the essence of who I am and the message I want to convey to the world; all without me ever actually having the pleasure of meeting you in person. "
With gratitude,
Elaine Turner
Pawsitive Connections
Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
“Nina's skill and creativity in web design is only surpassed by her patience and mentoring. As "Social Media Newbies," we had no idea how or where to begin in launching our Gem Health Care Halton website. Nina took us by the hand and guided us through the process with dignity intact! Our new website is clean, easy to manoeuvre, and showcases what we do and who were are. We will work with her again!”
Ginger Quinn
Gem Health Care Halton
Oakville, Canada