Tips offered for best practice web design

29/08/2008

Those embarking on a new web design project should follow a few basic rules to ensure they provide the best user experience possible, according to one expert.

Chris Curtis of the Northwest Voice advised web designers to refrain from using splash pages as they are of little use and do not indicate the true value of the website in question.

Avoiding the use of excessive banner ads and audio can also prevent users from being distracted from the purpose of their visit, while a simple and clear navigation scheme can help to keep visitors on the website, he explained.

"When visitors are deeply engrossed in browsing your site, you will want to make sure they know which part of the site they are in at that moment ... Don't confuse your visitors because confusion means 'abandon ship'," Mr Curtis warned.

According to research from software provider SDL Tridion, some of the most annoying site features for web users include pop-up ads and having to download new applications to view content.