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Note: For the sake of sounding redundant and unoriginal, we have omitted the inclusion of “meta” tags (except for the <title> tag) from our list since everyone and their mother talks about the importance of meta tags. If you need information about meta tags and how they relate to SEO, please visit SearchEngineWatch.com.

The SEO Friendly Website Design List

The following list, organized by importance - from most important to least important (but still important), covers all of the basic (and some of the more advanced) methods to effectively and efficiently optimize your website design for SEO:

• don’t use Flash (and how to survive if you absolutely must use it)
• don’t use frames (and how to survive if you absolutely must use them)
• the foundation of the foundation: keyword research
• researched keywords in <title> tag
• researched keywords in URL (filenames and folders)
• CSS drop down navigation (no Javascript or Flash); CSS stylesheets
• density of researched keywords in document text; don’t hide text
• researched keywords in anchor text (the text that contains a hyperlink)
• researched keywords in headings <H1>, <H2>, <H3> etc.
• images (including researched keywords in “alt” tags, no text in images)

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  Technorati Tags: search engine optimization, SEO friendly website design, website, SEO
  ]]> http://www.chromaticsites.com/web-design-blog/2007-10-07/essential-guide-to-creating-seo-friendly-website-design/feed/ http://www.chromaticsites.com/web-design-blog/2007-09-22/5-things-to-hate-about-web-design-and-how-to-fix-them/ http://www.chromaticsites.com/web-design-blog/2007-09-22/5-things-to-hate-about-web-design-and-how-to-fix-them/#comments Sat, 22 Sep 2007 09:16:40 +0000 Chromatic Sites http://www.chromaticsites.com/web-design-blog/2007-09-22/5-things-to-hate-about-web-design-and-how-to-fix-them/ What do you hate most about websites ? If you browse websites as much as we do, then there is a lot to hate. Because there are so many terribly designed, user non-friendly websites on the Internet today, we have put together this short but detailed list of things to hate about web design. In addition to compiling this list, we’ve also provided a solution for each of the problems.

  When creating a web design, there are a number of things that a web designer should take into consideration if their goal is to produce a high quality, user friendly website.

  1. Vomit Inducing Color Schemes

  There is nothing worse than visiting a website and seeing a borderline-gruesome, mismatched, out of control color scheme. As basic as it is, some people have a terrible time choosing successful color schemes. Though there are millions of colors to choose from, it doesn’t have to be a difficult process. Whether you want to pay for a piece of software that will significantly simplify the color scheme selection process or use one of the free color scheme tools available on the Internet, you will be implementing attractive and successful color schemes in no time.

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  Technorati Tags: websites, terribly designed, web design, web designer, website, colors, color scheme, color schemes
  ]]> http://www.chromaticsites.com/web-design-blog/2007-09-22/5-things-to-hate-about-web-design-and-how-to-fix-them/feed/ http://www.chromaticsites.com/web-design-blog/2007-09-14/dos-and-donts-guide-to-great-web-design/ http://www.chromaticsites.com/web-design-blog/2007-09-14/dos-and-donts-guide-to-great-web-design/#comments Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:00:07 +0000 Chromatic Sites http://www.chromaticsites.com/web-design-blog/2007-09-14/dos-and-donts-guide-to-great-web-design/ When followed, this guide will prove to be quite a valuable web design resource. From the inexperienced to the experienced, this guide has something for everyone.

  The Process of Great Web Design

  Just to make sure we are all on the same page, lets begin with the basic definition for “web design”. According to Wikipedia, web design is:

  “a process of conceptualization, planning, modeling, and execution of electronic media delivery via Internet in the form of Markup language suitable for interpretation by Web browser and display as Graphical user interface”.

  The process of web design can be compared to the process of writing a research paper. In the conceptualization/planning stage, flowcharts (the outline) are created which illustrate the navigational structure of your website. In the modeling stage, static wireframes are created (the rough draft) which illustrate the skeletal layout for each section of your website. After the wire frames are created, graphics, colors and text are used to create the design of your web pages based on the layout of the wire frames. In the execution stage, your design is converted into a format supported by web browsers, text and content are added, and finally, your website is published live to the Internet for the world to see (final draft).

  All three stages of the design process are equally important. Many web designers skip a stage in order to save time or because they don’t think that is is necessary. However, all three stages are necessary if your goal is to create a successful design and respectable website. Even if the three stages are used, there are many mistakes that web designers can make that will lead to poor-quality, non user-friendly websites. It’s time to clean out the cabinet of bad web design practices and restock it with the good ones.

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  Technorati Tags: web design, flowcharts, website, web designers, user-friendly
  ]]> http://www.chromaticsites.com/web-design-blog/2007-09-14/dos-and-donts-guide-to-great-web-design/feed/ http://www.chromaticsites.com/web-design-blog/2007-08-20/web-design-keep-it-clean/ http://www.chromaticsites.com/web-design-blog/2007-08-20/web-design-keep-it-clean/#comments Tue, 21 Aug 2007 05:51:00 +0000 Chromatic Sites http://www.chromaticsites.com/web-design-blog/2007-08-20/web-design-keep-it-clean/ When designing your website, remember one thing: Less is more. Some people make the mistake of filling up every pixel on their web page with a different image or graphic or piece of text. Not only does this usually look bad, but it greatly diminishes the chance that the visitor will be able to find a focal point. People don’t like being confused when they visit a web site. They like simple.

  Information overload

  Try to not use more than three columns in your layout. Some websites can get away with one column, others need two or three. A good web designer will be able to develop a strategy for successfully laying out their website content in only a few columns.

  Colors that complement

  Try to avoid using more than 5 colors on your website. Develop a color scheme and stick to it. A great site that has heaps of working color schemes is at http://www.colorschemer.com/. They also have a program called ColorSchemer that makes choosing colors a cinch. No, we don’t work for these guys - we just love their website and software! One of their recent blog posts was about our company’s obvious favorite color - blue!

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  Technorati Tags: website, web designer, color scheme
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