What is web design?

Learning about proper and effective web design can take many months, even if you’re already well-versed in how to use your computer.  Putting together a basic website can be done in a matter of hours, but when you’re interested in creating a virtual business, you will need to spend a bit more time.

Web design is the creation of a virtual space on the web in order to attract customers and visitors.  Effective web design not only allows search engines to guide more people to your website, but it also allows those that visit the opportunity to really learn from their experience.  What effective web design is not is the use of trickery and deception to lure people to a website.

Here are the basics of web design if you were to create a website on your own.

Finding your domain name

The title or the domain name for your website is the first and most important decision that you may make.  If you think over some of your favorite websites, you will be able to repeat their domain names quite easily (i.e. www.cnn.com, www.google.com).  Your domain name needs to be something that both represents your business and your intentions as well as helps customers to remember where to find you.  Domain names should not be long and complicated, nor should they be vague in their meaning.  To purchase a domain name, you will need to go to a domain seller, like www.GoDaddy.com, for example.  This kind of site will allow you to choose your domain name from the ones that are available and will even allow you to check on your preferred domain name to see if it’s available.  If not, many of these sellers will suggest similar names to choose from.

Finding your host

Once you have your domain name, you will need a web hosting service that will secure your place on the Internet so that customers can find your website.  There are hundreds of web hosts available, but not all are the same.  Here’s what you should look for in a web hosting service:

• Minimal downtime
• Reliable customer service
• Fast bandwidth
• Large memory capacity
• Able to handle large volume of traffic
• Reasonable prices with shorter payment terms

When your web hosting service isn’t up and running, neither is your website – which can cause you to lose money as well as respect in the eyes of the customers that try to reach you on the Internet.

The fun of web design

Designing your actual website is where your creativity begins.  This is where you will need to manipulate HTML and other codes in order to create a website that is exciting and educational to your customers.  When your visitors come to your site, they will want to see a professional page that isn’t just trying to sell something to them.

You will need:

• Effective SEO to increase your search engine ranking
• Exciting and bold titles that attract a visitor’s attention
• Easy to find informational articles
• Clear graphics that don’t take a lot of time to load
• Secure payment methods and information collection
• Interactive features like mailing lists, message boards, and other fun tools

When you’ve mastered the basics of web design, you will find that more visitors will be drawn to your website.