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When creating a new website you should have a clear idea what will be the purpose of the site. One of the first things after you choose the domain name is the layout of the website. It is not just about menus and colors. Every page element should be designed to have its function. The page should be transparent, informative, easy to navigate and should load fast. Avoid unnecessary whistles and bells that only distract users and slow down page loading. The visitor should quickly find what the page is about and should easily locate the main menu for further navigation. If you are designing the website from scratch you have total freedom for all on-page elements. This is a big advantage but also a tough job because you have to take into account all future extensions that should be possible without modifying the layout. On the other hand, if you are using a content management system you are limited to ready made templates with more or less limited customization. Of course, you can make your own template but CMS users are usually focused on content and do not design pages from scratch. Fortunately, popular content management systems like WordPress or Joomla have thousands of various templates available for every possible theme or purpose. Some templates have to be purchased, others are free. The most important fact is that the template is not “locked”. You can customize it to fit the needs of your website. This does not mean only changing colors. You can modify the width of the side column, add a custom footer or a new menu. Before you decide on the layout or template you should make sure that most of the important elements are in place. The most important part of any web page is the content. The focus of the website should be on the content which will be the reason to visit the website. The second important element is navigation. Visitors should easily navigate to other pages, menus should be large enough to accommodate longer page names. The third important element is place for gadgets and ads. Websites usually have a column on the left or right side for this purpose. The width of this column is also important. If it is not wide enough you will not be able to place wider gadgets with fixed width. In most cases you will be able to change the column width with simple tweaks in the CSS file. Space for advertising is usually not a problem because there are standard ad formats for every website layout. Just make sure that places which have the highest click-through rate are available for ads. A good example of simple layout with plenty of space is the http://dnaencyclopedia.com/ website. The right column is wide enough to accommodate almost anything, top banner space is perfect for advertising and the left place content is wide enough for any content type including longer articles with images like for the DNA encyclopedia example. The top menu is exactly where it should be and can accommodate even longer category or page names. The most important part of the website is the content. But don’t forget to choose the right page layout. Quality content and attractive design are recipe for successful website.
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