Navigation is probably the single most important piece of a website and if it isn’t done well, the cascading effects can be disastrous. Navigational menus are not only beneficial for your visitors but search engines and spiders utilize the navigation on your site to create a road map for others within search results.

Navigation is not limited to just having a pretty menu, it also encompasses handling pages that don’t resolve, maintaining consistency throughout your website and making it easy for your users to find things no matter where they are on your website.

Menus and Base Navigation
My own rule is to have two or three methods for users to get back where they started. For me this usually includes a main menu that allows users to get to almost any page on my website. When there are massive amounts of pages, of course we don’t want all of those cluttering up the website. Organizing them in a dynamic menu makes more sense. I tend to avoid menus that are entirely done in javascript (although you may see some remnants on old sites) because there are still many search engines that can’t find things efficiently within javascript. A combination of javascript and dhtml layers using css works for most of my needs but of course there are many options out there.  Find the one that suits your site best.

I also like to include a small footer menu on my pages. This usually includes things I don’t want on my main menu, such as my privacy policy or other lesser-needed pages but still important. A link to get back home is also included. This is nice for larger pages with more text to allow the user to get back home quickly without having to scroll all the way up.

My third method is typically a small graphical menu at the top that includes images. These usually go to my most important or frequently used pages. These usually include things like the home page, faq, contact info, and then my more popular sections (if of course I have that many pages).

One of the most important navigational features I feel is necessary for EVERY website is linking the logo or header text (be this a title or image) back to the home page. I use this on almost every website I visit and I know that there are many others who do as well.

Consistency - Templates
In addition to having multiple ways to get around your website, the menus need to be consistent across pages. I can’t count the number of websites I have visited where clicking from one page to the next brings up either NO menus or different options. If your visitors can easily find everything no matter where they are, the chances of them viewing more of the website increases greatly. This can be easily accomplished by having a base template either by utilizing editors like Dreamweaver or server-side scripting options such as SSI or php. I prefer the php option because it so easily integrates with html and doesn’t require uploading  and updating every file each time a change is made to the template.

Site Maps
A site map is also a great way to help users get around. These are fantastic for search engines too. The best site maps I have seen typically are organized by hierarchy and cascade down with emphasis put on a top category or section then listing topics underneath. However, your site map needs to fit your website’s order and methodology.

Error Handling
Even the best laid plans are never foolproof. Every now and again you will have a broken link or two or may even have someone who mistyped an address or favorite page. Having a mechanism in place to catch these is essential to a good website. They are really simple and customizable. Including your site’s template around your own custom error text gives visitors the option to find what they were looking for and a sense of familiarity. When they see the navigation they are used to, they are more apt to look around for the page they were trying to find initially. Since there are many different platforms and options for your 404 page, I won’t list them here. A quick search in any search engine for “setting up a custom 404 error page” will bring up plenty of results and instructions on how to do it on your own server or account.

Today I fully understand why a web designer would utilize a pre-designed template or software as you can see I myself am utilizing this avenue.

Is it because I can’t design my own website? No, like many other designers I am fully capable of designing full-fledged websites not unlike the template I used here. So the question is, why didn’t I?

It is a matter of simplicity. For the last 5 years I have been so busy that the only site I was able to slap together was mediocre at best and after that point I had little to no time to update it, leaving me with a sloppy outdated site that did little for me.

I finally decided it was time to do something else. Sure, I would love to have a custom website of my own but the time is always limited and drawn to other things. This leaves me with two choices:

1) Leave me site messy until I get around to it and potentially losing clients because it is severely outdated.

2) Install software and a template that although not custom at least allows me the ability to update easily and change as I see fit without a complete redesign.

Obviously I chose option 2. This option also allows me to do one more thing that I have wanted to do for many years, write. Prior to this, updating the site was a pain (because not only did I barely have time to design something but also had little time to code something custom to fit my needs). Now I am able to get my thoughts down etc. and share experiences, ideas etc. that hopefully will be beneficial to others.

Another added benefit for me is the SEO aspect. Having a constantly updated website also helps with the Search Engines. This is accomplished not only with my articles but with news feeds, ads etc. All that help me to be able to continue working while keeping this site updated and running with limited effort.

So.. today’s topic is Color Schemes. The color scheme itself is one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle not only because it takes the longest to come up with and fine-tune but because of its importance in the overall picture. Color schemes need to be more than a coordinated bunch of tables and icons. A neon purple set may match, but it isn’t necessarily a good color scheme.

Schemes need to first have eye appeal. They need to be pleasing on the eyes in a way that looks clean, crisp and clear but not so distracting that you can’t see the most vital piece of a website, the content. I remember reading something in my early design days about whitespace. If whitespace is used properly it can have a most dramatic effect both for that clean feeling and visual ease in viewing the page.

Use colors that don’t detract from one another. The colors should compliment each other. By complimenting I don’t mean matching, even a site done in the prettiest, most eye-appealing blues although can be pulled off isn’t always the best usage of color. Some contrasting colors are generally a good idea to help draw attention to or away from certain areas and to help focus the attention where it should be. Blues with a nice coordinating set of grays or beiges etc. can give a calm feeling.

Knowing and understanding what different colors mean and the impact they have is also important. A fantastic book on this is Color Harmony 2: A Guide to Creative Color Combinations by Bride M. Whelan.  This book not only explains what the different colors represent but also puts together beautifully coordinating color combinations and shows the effects in brilliant, breathtaking images. The images are done so magnificently that you truly can “feel” what they are trying to impress upon you.

Remember that although it is “pretty” to you, someone who may have vision impairments may not see it the same way. Again use plenty of whitespace so that things can be easily seen and separated. The same is true of text. Black text on a white or super light background is preferred. Now this does not mean that you can’t use other options and text colors elsewhere but save that for areas that are primarily for visual appeal such as menus and not for areas that require a lot of reading.

Pay attention to your target market. If you are designing for an older market, stick with plain colors. If you are designing for a younger market you might be able to get away with some different variations. Although I am not a big fan of neon or overly bright or fluorescent types of colors I will admit I have seen some websites that I think look fantastic utilizing some of those colors. It is all about coordinating and contrasting the colors appropriately.

Don’t forget your images!
Although sometimes you will have existing images, we all know that web designers often end up going outside of their realm and finding or creating images. It is important that the images match the color scheme as well. Images are a terrific way to accentuate a site and compliment your color scheme. Even a beginner can change a few colors on an image to help draw out even more colors and add a bit of flair.

This article is a hilarious look at what technology-related personnel from all mediums tend to deal with and although on rare occasions you can find someone who is willing to do it all, I think it is important to remember what you hired someone for to begin with. If you hired a graphic artist, don’t expect them to be phenomenal at web design unless they explicitly told you they were capable and/or would be willing to do that task. The same is true of web designers and graphics, content creation etc. If you want someone who can do all that you need either hire a team or find someone who is experienced at doing it all but above all be specific in your plans. Explain to the individual(s) helping you to create your site what it is you will need and what you can and can’t do by yourself. Let them know what you expect of them beforehand and they can then decide whether or not to continue but most of all, don’t be upset if something was not mentioned beforehand and the individual(s) you hired are not capable of doing it or are unwilling to do it. Sometimes our alloted time slots are so tight that we are only able to give the budgeted hours and fix bugs in our sites. Anything above and beyond is a bonus but not necessarily a given.

Now of course a bad website isn’t always going to mean they are a busy web designer, it could just as easily mean they are horrendous and have no design sense at all.

So this begs an answer to the question:

“How do I choose a good web designer?”.

Check their portfolio and/or ask for a list of websites. If they don’t have any to give and their personal site is hideous, my guess is that is about what you can expect.

If they do have a portfolio or list of sites, ask what they did on each of those sites. Sometimes a designer only does a portion of the work or starts with something already created and merely edits or adds to the site.

If you see a site in there that looks less-than-appealing, ask about it. Often times the client asks for something that is against the advice of their designer: like animated, spinning email logos **shudder** or worse. It is not always easy to convince a client to go with something friendly.

Inquire about their practices and methods. A good designer usually has a pretty established way of operating and will tell you not only what programs they utilize but where they go for resources and stock-images.

Be wary of designers (or really anyone in the industry) promising you something for a price well below industry standards. Quite often these are inexperienced beginners looking to get their name out there often lacking the experience to do the job correctly and/or the inability to complete the job.

Collect references from your potential designer. A good designer typically has at least a few clients who are overjoyed with their product(s) and are more than willing to share.

Pry a little deeper into their abilities and find out what weaknesses they might have. The best designers typically don’t try to get in over their head and inform the client about what they can and cannot do. Be wary of people who promise the universe as very few individuals are capable of such a feat but those who know their limitations will often know how to find the person capable

Finally, try and find someone whose overall style matches your own. If most of their sites appeal to you and look like something you would want to see for your own, then you have found yourself a designer. Otherwise, keep looking. There are many good designers out there and finding the right one for you will make things run smoothly when it is time to put it all together.