Everyone new to the Web seems to be afflicted with a love for whirling, spinning, and flashing web pages. I remember the first time I created a.gif animation. I sent it to all my friends and family and then attempted to paste it on my site, wall-to-wall, page to page. It was fun! This tendency probably exists for most of us as each new advancement in technology becomes available. So a word of caution: play with all the new toys—but use them wisely.
The following are elements I perceive to be common to well-designed sites:
As writers, we are extremely creative. And that shows up on our web pages. And that can be good and that can be bad. Study the design of any large corporation. Scrolling text and .gif animations are used conservatively or not at all. Too much repetitive movement is distracting and sometimes annoying.
Simplicity in design should also be reflected in background choice. Busy, loud backgrounds detract from content and make text illegible. Too many colors or fonts can also be distracting and give a site a cluttered feel.
The rules we follow in writing novels are the same we follow in creating web sites. Use one design throughout the site. To a visitor, a web site is a physical place. It is confusing if pages within a site are not consistent in design. Be consistent with setup, colors and fonts.
A web site should reflect the philosophy and identity of the author. If you are promoting a dark sexy thriller, you wouldn't want your web site to look like a web site for an amusement park.
Have you ever been driving down a freeway that is loaded with billboards? How many billboards do you actually see and remember, especially at the end of the trip? The Internet has been referred to as a highway of sorts. And it's loaded with billboards. Try not to make your site another billboard. Provide some sort of content that will draw the visitor there and encourage them to come back.
The most helpful tidbits I can offer you are suggestions of WHAT TO AVOID when building your web environment.
How did I get started? I spent hours and hours going through sites on the Internet. I picked my favorite ones, and then studied what made them work. To get you started, here are a few of my favorite sites:
http://powerontheweb.com (Of course I have to list my site!)
http://disgruntledhousewife.com
There you have it. There are a million hints on designing a website. These are simply a base with which you can start. Watch what others do and take notes. You don't have to copy, but analyze what they've done and understand how it works and why. It's a learning experience and designers would never get anywhere without each other's influence. We're all one big happy family, not competing against each other, but competing with each other.
Merrily Mann is a member of the San Antonio Romance Authors. She is also the Account Manager for Power Promotions, a public relations company which specializes in book and author promotions nationwide.
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