Welcome to the Web - Rocketface(R) Workshop Webmaster's Tutorial - "How to Design a Website"

Critical Web Design Rules
By: Komail Noori

Content is King! If you want a website to generate back-links and have quality content the search engines love, be sure to make it readable by both people and search engines. Search engines are working to give people quality results. Thus, they are looking for sites with quality content. So by building site content for people, not only are you getting back to basics (information dissemination to people via the Internet), you are creating a site search engines will love. So, build sites for people and the search engines will come.

When creating a new website or redesigning an existing site, there are four critical rules which should be followed to make the site effective, functional, loved by search engines - and successful.

Easy to Read

When building a website, the first thing you need to be sure of is that your website is easy to read. When you write content, remember that most web site visitors don’t read every word of a page - in fact, they only scan pages to find what they want.

Break up Your Content

Break up your pages and use headers between major ideas so people scanning your site can find what they want quickly. Use meaningful headers between each paragraph or major idea this helps with SEO. Headers should be created with the H1 through H4 tags for SEO. Always use good writing structure. Additionally, avoid long paragraphs that run on. You should break up any long paragraphs.

Color and Fonts

To help readability, use high contrast colors between font and background. Black text against a white background may seem stark, but it is very readable. To make a website easy on the eyes, try an off-white background and a dark gray (almost black) text color.

Things to avoid with content color:

Avoid vibrant background colors like purple or yellow. Such back colors make text difficult to read.

Avoid using an image behind your text.

Avoid using bright text colors on bright backgrounds.

Standard Compliant Browser for Development

When developing and testing your site, use a Standards compliant browser like FireFox. If you develop your site to be standards compliant, it will work in most browsers, including MS Internet Explorer (IE). It is recommended that you test your site using the latest and last browser versions of IE (IE6 and IE7). To run multiple versions of IE on the same machine, TredoSoft.com has a free installer that will install multiple versions of IE. It works great!

Keywords in Content

Of course, when writing content, not only should it be formatted to be readable, but it must also be consumable by not only people, but by search engines.

One way to make the subject of the content known to search engines is to use the keywords that people use to search for your site in your content. Be sure to use keywords in your header tags, your first paragraph and throughout your text.

The keyword density should be between 4% and 7% - but any more than that could

1) be hard to read and still make sense and

2) be considered spam by search engines and banned. Keywords should also be used in your TITLE tags and your Meta description.

By: Komail Noori, a freelance Web Designing guru and SEO Expert. http://www.komailnoori.com/

Starting a Website

Understanding the Basics of Owning Your Own Website

Even in this day of technology there are some people who do not understand the fundamentals of owning their own website.

Registering Your Domain Name

Registering a domain name is a quick process that often seems complex. It is far easier than most general web surfers suspect.

How to Choose the Right Domain Name

Your domain name will be your “Internet identity,” so it will be helpful if it closely matches the name of your business, product, or service.

What Do I Need in a Web Hosting Package?

If you are buying web hosting for the first time, you may have some questions about what you need and what you don't.

10 Key Tips on Choosing the Best Hosting Package for You

The overall "tip" here is that you need to get accurate information to make comparisons among hosts.

Don't Get Burned By Web Designers

If you bring up the subject of web design with small business people, it wouldn't take long to find someone who has been burned by a web designer.

Types of Websites

There are several types of websites on the Internet each specializing in a particular service or use.

Website Goals

No matter how great the graphics might be or the navigation scheme or the flowery words, the success of your website will depend on how concisely, clearly and effectively you present your ideas.

Designing Web Pages

Designing good webpages begins with good webpage layouts. Good webpage layout is not rocket science.

Your Website from the Ground Up in 10 Steps

So, you have finally decided to build yourself a website, but really have no idea where to start. The following 10 steps will give you some insight into what you need to address when creating a search friendly website from the ground up.

Promoting Your New Website

If your new website has not been properly optimized for the search engines, then this is a necessary first step you must take.

Keyword and Content Optimization

Keywords are the Keys to the Internet

If you have been on the internet for any length of time you have probably discovered 'keywords', certain words that can, when properly used, help to generate traffic to your website.

Determining Keywords

Determining keywords is a critical step in web design. If your website and meta tags do not contain related keywords, web surfers will be unable to find your website when they conduct searches.

Writing for the Web

Writing for the Web is very different from traditional writing. The way website visitors read Web copy is unique and you must adjust your writing style to be effective.

Which Keywords Should You Optimize Your Site For?

This article will give you the formula for the Keyword Effectiveness Index (KEI) - a mathematical formula to help you determine which keywords you should be optimizing your site for.

How To Find The Right Keywords To Optimize Search Engine Results

In order for visitors to reach their destination-your website-you need to provide them with effective signs that direct them right to your site by creating carefully chosen keywords.

Creating Keyword Rich Pages

Once you have established the keywords for which you should optimize your site, it is time to figure out how you can get a high ranking in the search engines for those keywords.

The Secrets to Keywords - Expanding Your List

The Primary objective of a business website is to attract potential buyers and convert them into paying customers. Relevant keywords allow you to fulfil this primary objective.

Content and Optimization

The content of your individual webpages determines how your visitors and the search engines se your website. The proper form and placement of your content is key to optimization.

Building Fresh Content for Search Engines

Fresh and unique content always plays an important role in terms of search engine optimization. Search engines understand this and therefore place a great weight on the content freshness.

Increase Search Engine Traffíc With Quality Content

Every web site owner wants to íncrease search engine traffíc. It's free and the visitor is targeted to your subject matter, product or service. What more could you ask for in search engine traffíc?

The Importance of Updating Your Website Content

There are countless reasons why updating your content is significant but the number one reason is to retain the publics appeal in stopping by your website.

Critical Web Design Rules By: Komail Noori