So what do you want on this most important first screen? You naturally want the title of your website and you want to let visitors know what the content is as briefly as possible. Use short phrases and short paragraphs. You also want to provide links to the main sections of your site (making sure to include text links).

The home page of your website is its front door. Most search engines will index your home page (i.e. index page) before they will index the other pages in your website so it is critically important that you give a great deal of thought to its layout and design.

Webpage Layout

Setting a theme for your website

In addition to designing a home page, you are setting the tone/theme of your site with this first page. Here you are presenting what visitors can expect to see carried out on every page within the site. This is should also be true of the website navigation system you use.

Using a theme for your website provides a convenient way of placing certain elements, in the same place, on each page. Navbars, headers, footers, etc. should all appear in the same place on each page for the convenience of your visitors. At a glance they can find what they are looking for, this will enhance the usability of your website.

Website Navigation and Theme

Organize the pages of your website

You want to use contrast to guide the eye around your pages. And, to be effective, the contrast must be bold. Also, any good web page design must have a focal point. Something on the page must be the dominant eye catcher. If everything has the same level of importance, then nothing is important.

Group items and information that belong together using white space so that the eye knows they are together. Also, your webpage layout should be consistent throughout the website. Each page should present the same appearance and have related elements in the same place on each page.

Designing Web Pages

Alignment

The alignment of elements on the page - both vertically and horizontally - is also very important. Choose one alignment and stick with it. That doesn't mean you have to align everything along the same line; it means things should be aligned the same on the page. The following examples will help to explain what I mean.

Poor Alignment: Unjustified text and graphics example

Good Alignment: Justified text and graphics example

Special Website Design Considerations: Special website layout and design considerations

Website templates

The perfect webpage is one that blends into and compliments the overall design of your website. Each page represents a part of your total website and it should reflect the theme, navigation and focus of all the other pages. This is where a website template can make your design job a lot easier.

A good website layout should be themed and provide a clean navigation system. There are a multitude of templates available on the internet, some are free and others are yours for a fee. Whatever you do be sure to decide on the template that suits your website theme the best. Once you have launched your site using a template stick to the same design throughout the website.

How to use Website Templates