Attractive Website Design - The Five S's of Good Design

Website Design S1: Super Visuals

An easy way to make your website look good is to use visual(s). For some sites - such as those for a hotel or photographer - you have a ready selection of photos to choose from; for others you may have to search one of the free - or affordable - internet photo libraries. Even where there is no obvious visual, try to find a picture that might link to your site's general theme - for example, a photo of candles, quill and an unspecified open book was used to illustrate the Gnostic Gospels for a Gnostic Life website. Alternatively, use an attractive abstract picture/photo.

Where possible, select these visuals to sell your customer's product/service. Remember, a picture is worth 1000 - or at least, many! - words. For example, if a hotel is located next to a sandy beach, then a photo of the said beach makes this key selling point without the visitor having to read through reams of text.

Website Design S2: Slogan

Generally, select just one slogan that tells your visitor in a few words what your website is promoting and why they should consider you. An example of such a slogan is "Attractive Affordable Website Design". Occasionally have a complimentary slogan in small print underneath/next to your company logo - for example, "Website Design for Suffolk and the UK" - but don't clutter up your masthead with multiple slogans that are all vying for your visitor's attention.

Website Design S3: Shading

Color attracts the eye. Use shading - whether subtle or dramatic - to draw your visitor's attention to an important point.

Also, use shading to link different parts of the website together. For example, in a portfolio page, use background shading to link together each photo and its description.

One important use of shading is the website border - often this can be used to tie together the different sections of the site.

Website Design S4: Space

Space - or wide left, right, top and bottom margins - can make your website look so much less intimidating. Likewise, a line break after each paragraph helps to break up the page into less daunting chunks.

Website Design S5: Subheadings

The use of headings and subheadings helps your visitor to easily scan the content and home in on the points of interest to them. They make the page look more attractive and are also of benefit for SEO.