If you want to be taken seriously in the online world, you need to present your website, portfolio or blog appealing and visually attractive.
So how would you make your portfolio/website stand out in the crowd. Check out below 10 tips by Nicolesclasses.
Don't make me think
The number one rule to creating a successful website is don't make me think. You should always keep things simple ad make it easy for your users to find what they are looking for.Think of your site as billboard
People average about 2 min. 30 seconds on a website. Think of your home page or main site as a billboard. Just as you scan a billboard when you drive by, so do your viewers scan your site as they come online. You've got to think big, and keep the ideas simple to capture your audience.Call a spade a spade
Since people are spending such little time on each site, and their online habits are different, you should call things what they are. Don't get clever with your navigation tabs - call it "about" or "contact" so that you can help funnel your viewers there.Use that white space
We all know that white space is crucial in printed material, but it is even more crucial online. The white space makes it possible to focus, and read or see what is really important. Too much material can compete visually and make it difficult to follow.Watch the size
Make sure and follow the industry standards for sizes online. For example, make sure your body text is 16 px (or 16 pts) for easiest readability. Be sure to make your headlines or other important text a little bit bigger. Make sure and use a readable typeface, and be wary of using script or type that is hard to focus on online.User friendly experience
Make sure the landing pages as well as all other pages have only relevant information laid out in an intuitive way. A user should find relevant info easily and be able to navigate to what they are looking for.Be wary of backgrounds
So many times a busy background, or a dark background online can make it difficult to be on your site for very long. Keep it soft, inviting, and bright to encourage people to be on your site. Even if you love busy and bright colors, remember that they make it really difficult for people to focus on your materials. Se be wary of any background that is busy or dark.Remember online habits are different
It is so important to remember that people behave differently online than they do when reading a book or looking at printed material. When people are online, their eyes look all around - left to right, in circles, and not always from top to bottom. People also can't read full paragraphs for very long, so keep your online text in shorter increments.Install analytics
To get a good idea of how people and viewers are behaving on your site, it's a good idea to install Google analytics on your site to see how long people are spending and what pages are getting the most traffic. It's free, simple, and easy.Ask your common visitors
I can't stress how crucial it is to get reviews and critiques from your common viewers, and not your best friends or family. You need to gage what the average viewers thinks of your site, and see if you are capturing your audience in the way you want.
Thanks to Nicolesclasses.com/online-tips-for-success for sharing these useful tips.
image by: flickr
