In web design, the term “masthead” refers to the top part of your web page. Historically a sailing term [used to describe the tall vertical pole supporting the sails of a ship, its use in publishing and web design holds a similar meaning.|The term is also used to describe the tall, vertical pole on ships, and there is a relationship between the two usages.] strong masthead can introduce a web page brilliantly, compelling users to continue reading users’ attention in order to persuade them to continue reading].|A web page’s masthead supports the rest of that page’s content.] Mastheads can consist of images, brand logos and text. Mastheads are used to attract the attention of site visitors and clue them into what’s to be found on that page and on your general site. Mastheads are usually designed using software such as FreeHand, Photoshop and Illustrator, but create one using a free website builder and save yourself the time and effort of coding|using a free website builder can be a nice time and money-saver]. The potential of your masthead is huge, so don’t underestimate it. Spend time designing this component to maximize its attractiveness and functionality. Remember what the goal is here: letting visitors quickly know what’s on your site, in a way that compels them to continue reading.

Site Content

The heart of any good website, content can be presented in a number of ways. What’s important is to make your content as readable as possible. The best content is arranged in a way that visitors don’t have to think – it presents itself to them seamlessly in a way that naturally flows. There are several ways to achieve this. It’s considered best to use two or three columns of text in your page layout. It might be worth creating one wider column for main text and narrower side columsn for additional content. Typography is also a huge factor in creating readable content. Creative, flowery fonts are sometimes good for branding but can be painful to read in large quantities of condensed text. Stick to the basics: Arial, Verdana, Georgia, Times New Roman and Tahoma are classic readable fonts. Alignment is also important. Always align your text to the left; justified text is awkward and unpleasant to read. Justified alignment might look best for newspaper layouts, but web typography is a whole other ballgame. Try to limit the length of the lines in your main content column to between 10-12 words per line. To achieve this balance, play with the width of your columns and font size.

Steering Visitors Around Your Site

Navigation, or how easily users find relevant content on your website, is a crucial component to any site’s success]. efficient parts of good site navigation|Navigation can include a menu bar on your homepage, hypertext in a content, and any other linkable content that quickly points visitors to relevant sections of your website]. Many novice web designers fail on this task. It is extremely off-putting for a visitor to feel lost or confused inside [your website, and the intent of good navigation is to allow users to quickly and easily locate the precise information they are looking for.|] Start out by keeping your content organized and separated onto relevant pages. Identify key pages with short and descriptive labels, such as Home, About and Contact. Include a link back to your homepage on each inner page of your site, perhaps by creating a link inside your logo.

Ads

better ways than others. They are typically found either in the masthead space on the top of the page, or along the sides of the sides|There are certain spots on web pages where ads are usually placed. These include the space next to or above the masthead, below the main title, and inside a side column]. Keep in mind the fact that no one likes [ads]. Particularly ads that have nothing to do with the main site’s content, or are full of loud colors, animation or sounds. Google AdWords’ text-based ads work best, for their minimal approach and keyword-based generation. Organize your advertisement space strategically, have it clearly labeled as a place for relevant product info for your readers. Stay away from loud, colorful or animated ads that will disturb your visitors.

Footers

The area at the very bottom of your web page is [one last opportunity to [place text or design elements onto a web page|where you can place your footer text]]. Recently, many sites are incorporating more creative elements into their footers than the standard legal and copyright information and sitemap link.You can use your footer as a strategic navigational device, to direct users toward specific sections of your website. Corporate websites will often provide directions and contact information in a footer. You can also use your footer as a place for creative expression, to leave visitors with a lasting impression of your unique offerings. Placing a touch of free website design onto a page’s footer can contribute to a site’s branding and identity. Go to Designshak.com for a great example of one such footer| Designshak.com placed site navigation, layout and color selection and more in its footer]. A floating octopus and a colorful umbrella are found in Volll.com’s animated footer content. Fill up this space with something beneficial to your site’s overall purpose.

 

There you have it, folks. After reading up on the basic components of a web page, learning how to make a website should be much easier]. their basic components. Take a couple of seconds to figure out what makes these sites your favorites, in terms of theirlayout and presentation. Pretty soon you’ll be spotting components of web pages all the time, and using this new perspective to evaluate sites differently and on a more involved level.|Have fun catching these components on web pages you visit from now on, and watch out for their organization and design. One of the best ways to improve your own site’s web design is to pay attention to what works for others (and what doesn’t!). Good luck!]