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How to Build a Professional-Looking Web Site

Successful web sites all have one thing in common: They're easy to read, easy to use, and easy to navigate. People want to get information as quickly and effortlessly as possible, and good web sites allow their users to do just that. Here are some extra pointers to help set your site apart:

• Keep your pages short and uncluttered.
• Make your text straightforward and concise.
• Use pictures and graphics to add zing to your site.
• When using graphics, keep the files small. (The smaller the file size, the shorter the download time for your web site visitors.)

Give Your Web Site a Consistent Visual Identity
One of the first steps in creating a professional web site is to select site-wide characteristics. Site-wide characteristics include the colors, fonts, and basic layout of each page and affect every web page in your online business, giving your site a cohesive look.

Give your site consistency, which users appreciate. The site-wide layout can be either vertical or horizontal.

The vertical setup places your navigation links on the left side of every page in your online business. It's a smart choice for web sites with many sections.
The horizontal setup puts your navigation links across the top of every page. This is a better option for web sites with fewer sections.

The next site-wide element to consider is color. When choosing your colors, think about how you want your site to look. Select colors that suit your business's personality. For example, an environmental organization might use earth tones, like green and brown, while a rock band might use more vivid colors, such as black and red. You also might consider using colors that contrast in value or intensity, which makes it easier for users to notice them. Don't go bonkers with your color choices, though — you want to make your site readable. A distracting color combination or scads of colors could disconcert your customers.

Make Each Page Unique
In addition to these site-wide styles, each page of your online business has its own page-specific details. In other words, although your pages share the same fundamental elements (colors, fonts, and basic structure), they can also have unique layouts and content. Varying these allows you to jazz up your individual pages.

For example, you could create a homepage with pictures and a headline, then a page of questions and answers about your business, then a custom page that includes a survey — three different pages that have distinct elements but share the same site-wide color and design. The pages will look unique but obviously like part of the same online business. This combination of page-specific and site-wide elements makes it easy for you to design an original, professional-looking web presence.

Creating a Logo
To make your web site look even more polished, add a logo. Your logo could be a special version of your business name or include an image that's associated with your company. Your logo is a big part of your identity and should fit in with the overall appearance of your web site.

Nothing Is Etched in Stone
The beauty is that you always have the flexibility to improve and revamp your site. You can build your web site and, for example, decide two months later that you like the horizontal layout better than the vertical, or that you want an orange background instead of fuchsia. No problem. Whenever the whim hits you, you can change any feature of your web site at any time, as many times as you want.