Balanced Webpage Layout
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Balance, organization and focus
Now this is more like it! Here we have balance, organization and focus.
If all the pages of your website follow this type of pattern it will have that clean, uniform appearance that most web designers shoot for.
Don't underestimate the power of your webpage layout it will make or break a website.
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Balanced Webpage Layout
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fig. 1 - This is a balanced page that is well organized and focused
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Balance
Balancing the content of your webpages is more that just producing an attractive layout. Providing a means for your visitors to easily scan your webpages is far more important. People coming to your website are looking for some specific information and/or product details and the sooner they find it the better your website's performance will be.
Producing a well balanced webpage layout entails presenting your visitor with a pleasant visual experience. The above example demonstrates this effect. The minute your eye perceives it there is a sense of order and balance. Your eye can grasp this type of layout as a pleasant pattern, uncluttered and organized.
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Organization
The above example makes good use of white space to lead the eye around the page. It also emphasizes the main features of the page with a logical organization of both text and graphics. Be sure your webpage is properly balanced and organized into logical information zones. Avoid clutter that will cause a distraction.
Information, presented on a webpage, follows its own rules of balance and organization is the key. The main focus of the page should be the most obvious thing a visitor sees. This would be in the title of the page and the header text. Next follows the content or body copy. Placed at the heart of the webpage your main content text will be naturally seen by the visitor as a natural progression of the title and they will read on.
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Focus
Avoid placing navigation bars, ads and links in inappropriate places on your page. (e.g. most clicks on ads come from the ones that are embedded in the content of the page anyway) They should never detract from the main focus of your webpage. These should always be treated as supporting elements only, never as points of focus or allowing them to become distractions from your main content.
The focus of a webpage should always be its main message. Other elements, even necessary ones, should be seen as framing the content and must never be allowed to overpower it. Keep your supporting material unobtrusive and present your message as the focus of your webpage.
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