The Delicate Art of Copy and Layout for the Web

Written by Michele Haapamaki


Continued from page 1

5) Backgrounds One common mistake is using distracting backgrounds or backgrounds which makerepparttar text downright unreadable. The classic white background with black text is stillrepparttar 134720 best choice for text heavy pages. A light background that stays in place asrepparttar 134721 reader scrolls can also be an elegant way to offset plain type.

6) Avoid Caps People read by recognizingrepparttar 134722 overall shape of words. CAPS slow downrepparttar 134723 character recognition ability of a person, making reading more frustrating and inefficient. Your readers will stay longer and absorb more information if you do not type in caps. Besides, having your text in all caps TENDS TO HAVE THE APPEARANCE OF A HYPED SALESMAN COME-ON! And do also tone downrepparttar 134724 exclamation points!!! It simply makes your company look like a dubious, fly-by-night operation-- notrepparttar 134725 impression that you want to create. Also keep this in mind when writing email ads, or sending (opt-in) email. Whenever I receive an email in ALL CAPS with !!!!, my brain immediately thinks… spam!

7) Flashing, Rotating and Animated Graphics As a rule, animated graphics are to be avoided in a business website. They take longer to load and are simply distracting and annoying. I have been to otherwise professional-looking pages which were ruined by a flashing, cheap, "Email Us" animation atrepparttar 134726 bottom ofrepparttar 134727 page. Having said this, there are times when a very small and tasteful animation can enhancerepparttar 134728 look ofrepparttar 134729 site, especially if it somehow relates torepparttar 134730 product or service you offer.

8) Typefaces There are two fonts specifically designed for maximum readability on screen, they arerepparttar 134731 Verdana and Georgia. In addition, Times Roman, Courier and Arial are both very legible as well. These fonts might seem "boring" torepparttar 134732 webmaster looking to make their website appear hip. However,repparttar 134733 most important factor is to choose a font that is clear and does not taxrepparttar 134734 viewer's eyes.

The best cure for layout problems is prevention. Before you design your site (or leave it entirely inrepparttar 134735 hands of a non-creative programmer) do some research and find web sites that you like and you can copyrepparttar 134736 look and feel somewhat. Also take at look sites in your industry andrepparttar 134737 types of features that your competitor's sites incorporate. While you don't want to copy (you want to innovate), this research can save future time and grief if you get it rightrepparttar 134738 first time.

Michele Haapamaki writes for Eworksworld, the only Internet Marketing Portal that reviews marketing companies and sites all in one place, so you spend less time searching the web! Send in your tips to our Red Ink Watch, which provides unbiased commentary on the (mostly negative) balance sheets of major Internet companies!


Should you DIY your own Website?

Written by Timothy R V Foster


Continued from page 1

Who are you aiming at? * Defined, known, named clients and prospects? * Categories of people (airline pilots, lawyers, gardeners...)? * The general public? * People who don't have computers and have never usedrepparttar Internet? * Or who?

Who will be your ISP (Internet Service Provider)? There's a lot of free stuff around, but bear in mind you get what you pay for. I'm happy to pay $25 a month to my ISP, because I never get a busy signal, their live telephone help line is free, and they're in business to serve business, not force me and my visitors to read a bunch of ads that don't interest us.

What would you like as your domain name? My domain is adslogans.co.uk, but adslogans.com had already gone when I started looking (it's still perenially 'under construction'). You can reserve an available name in advance if needed by paying a modest fee (check with your ISP).

Test it with users I must have changedrepparttar 134719 website more than 100 times since I launched it. It's my belief that you have no more than three clicks to engagerepparttar 134720 interest of a visitor. And loading times in excess of 30 seconds on an early visit will send your potential client off in search of faster pastures. On your first page, only have clicks that moverepparttar 134721 visitor forward to where you want them to go. Don't waste their time with irrelevant choices or meaningless spinning logos (Look, ma! Just like television must have been when you were a little girl!).

Never miss an opportunity to watch a person going through your site forrepparttar 134722 first time (you can even do this onrepparttar 134723 phone). Noterepparttar 134724 (to you) wrong turnings and false starts and ruthlessly deal with them. Don't tell them where to go when you're testing... find out where they are inclined to go and figure out what you have to do to get them to take your desired journey to your intended destination. Refine and retest. Continuously improve.

I hope this has given you a bit of a feel for DIYing your home page. I'm glad I did it! Check it out at . Give me some feedback!

Timothy R V Foster < fostair@adslogans.co.uk > created and operates ADSlogans Unlimited [Hyperlink < http://www.adslogans.co.uk > ], a service for advertising agencies that checks ad slogans for prior or competitive use.


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