Website development incorporates a large area of knowledge. You must carefully plan out your site, choose the right colors and borders for a great looking website. Let this article's ideas and knowledge help you rise to the challenge.

Make sure your text and background has the proper contrast. There's evidence showing that white text on a black background is easiest for most people to read, but other colors are fine so long as they're readable. Also keep in mind that people with visual impairments may not be able to read your site if the contrast is poor. Check to see if your site complies with various contrast standards using the tool at http://snook.ca/technical/colour_contrast/colour.html .

Frames are a holdover from 90's design elements. Frames worked well in the earlier days, but there are too many flaws in the design. Frame designs make the bookmarking difficult on your visitors, and it also makes scrolling a chore as well. You will learn, thanks to advancements in web page design, that allowing your visitors to cruise through an easy flowing site is a simple as 1, 2, 3 and visually more attractive.

Include a link to the homepage on every page of your site. One of the best ways to do this is to make a graphic title for your page that can be included on all pages. Web users are used to clicking on a graphic to return home so there won't be a learning curve to navigating your site.

Use a style sheet to stay consistent. There is almost nothing more disconcerting than being sent to a page that looks at nothing like the site you were just looking at, even if it is concerning the same subject. Style sheets help with saving your formatting, so each page looks similar to the rest.

Make it easy for visitors to your website to scan your content. Various tests on usability demonstrate that most online readers do not actually read all the content; instead, they scan it for something that interests them. You are more apt to gain returning readers if text is broken down and can be scanned easily. Definitely keep the most timely and important items near the top. This helps the visitors see the important stuff first before checking out the rest of the site.

Choose your web host carefully. Some hosts require you to link to them, while others may force you to install their pop-ups. You should also test their performance using one of the many tools available for free online, as you do not want to host with someone who is consistently slow or crashing.

If you plan on having a commercial site, you should seriously consider buying your own web hosting. Most free host sites force you to display their advertisements, which is counter-intuitive if you are attempting to sell something as well. Purchase your own hosting to avoid this advertising hassle, so that you can choose your own ads.

Creating a site map is a very important part of the website design process. A site map is an effective way to inform visitors of the various kinds of content that your website has to offer, and is a great tool for navigating your website. Search engine crawlers will also utilize your site map for similar reasons, and therefore, including a site map will help boost your search rankings. Make sure your website has a site map, and that it is through.

To help you design a good site, you need to make it so it is simple to navigate. Navigation encompasses everything and is the backbone of your site. So construct a site that flows easily from one area to another, otherwise your site will be very confusing and people will not visit it.

Always make sure that your site design works well on every browser. Your coding might look great in Firefox, but it could be askew in Internet Explorer. You need to find out exactly how things look in all browsers and then code in a way that leaves your site looking the same on every popular browser.

The information provided here is basic information to get started, and becoming an expert will take a little time and practice. Once you start playing around, you will learn more and more. If you run into any problems, look over these tips again.