Whether you are an online business person or a blogger, web design knowledge is important. Web design is one of the key factors that determine how appealing your website is to visitors and how likely they are to trust your content. This article will show you some great tips on designing a great website.

Be sure to use proper graphics when designing your website. Keep in mind that bitmap images are not usually the best type of images to use. Try PNGs instead. Use PNGs for images over 256 colors for text buttons and the like or use GIF files for images smaller than 256 colors. For photos, you can use JPEG images.

Go through all links on any page on your website carefully to make sure there are no links that are broken before you upload the page. When a visitor clicks on one, they’ll be frustrated. If you have very few links, you can check them manually. If many links, try using a link-checking program that can do the work for you quickly.

With large websites, it’s always best to add in good search capabilities. The upper right of the main page should have a search box for users to search your whole site. FreeFind and Google both offer these search functions to use on your site.

Try pulling images into your post to maximize engagement. It makes you seem more friendly that way. People always like to look at interesting pictures that they have never seen before, and many times will spend hours on your site looking at them.

All load times on the website you design should be as fast as possible. If a visitors has to wait long periods of time for items on your site to load, then they’ll wish to exit your site. Reduce graphics, scripts and Flash consoles on your web page, optimize HTML and utilize SSI files.

Always use fonts that look professional and are readable. People judge your sites professionalism by the fonts you use. Don’t use fancy fonts, such as Comic Sans since many computers don’t have them. Your style should specify a default font in case a user doesn’t have your preferred font. Your site can look bad when this happens.

If you are fortunate enough to have the funding for a major investment into your site, this does not mean that is a wise thing to host the site on your own. Do as much of the design that you are comfortable with, but allow a professional to host your website, so your time is freed up; this allows you to dedicate your time for things other than the site’s security and safety.

If you want to create a new website, consider using Adobe Dreamweaver. People of all knowledge levels can understand this program easily. It is loaded with options that allow for template creation, special features and the ability to preview a site as well as test it before it goes live.

It is important that you understand basic web design methods regardless of the type of site you run. A website that is designed well is very appealing to many people, and one that will attract many visitors. The information here will help you design a solid website.