When you start building your site with OLB, the first thing that you probably think of is images. But to make your site stand out, you should be focusing on the text instead!
Use consistent fonts A common problem with many DIY sites is that each page has a different font. Viewing such sites is like reading a book that has different font face/size/color/ on every page. This disparity is usually a result of cutting and pasting from a word processor at different times and probably from different computers. To give a uniform feel to your site, be consistent with your fonts. It is all right to choose a different font for headers and titles, but use the same font face/size convention across the site.
Let's say you come up with this font scheme:
- Headers: Trebuchet MS, size 14, bold
- Sub-headers: Verdana, size 12
- Text: Verdana, size 10
Now use the same combination on ALL your pages. The idea is not to limit your font choices; you can make as elaborate a scheme as you like. But make sure that you use it consistently across the entire site.
Use easy-to-read fonts Would you like to read a newspaper that uses a thick gothic font? Or a script font? Probably not. Then why put the visitors to your web site through the same ordeal? Choose sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Verdana. They are easy on the eyes while reading large amounts of text. Don't make the font size too large or too small. Very large or small text is equally irritating to read. Choose a size that you would use to prepare your resume.
Use “normal” fonts Bold and italic letters are used in books for emphasis - use them sparingly on your site as well. Don't make entire pages bold or italic. Don't type in an entire page in uppercase letters either; that is the equivalent of shouting at your readers.
Use black/dark gray letters on white background Not blue. Not Navy. When was the last time you read a book or a newspaper that had yellow letters on black pages? Probably never. Black or dark gray letters on a white background is the best foreground/background color combination you can have for a site, irrespective of the site's color scheme. It makes your pages easy to read. Almost all print publications use it and so should your web site.
Don’t use scrolling or blinking text With the notable exception of stock brokers, people are used to reading text that stays put in its place. Avoid scrolling text. The only places where people expect to see blinking text are traffic lights and digital clocks. Avoid it as well.
Align text to the left margin Unless you are used to reading Arabic, your eye is trained to read from left to right. That is why text in books is aligned to the left margin. If each line begins at a different place, as is the case with centered or right aligned text, the text is very difficult to read. Microsoft Word has popularized the "align justify" option, which is equally irritating to read. For your web site, make "align left" your motto.
Proof-read your text These days, every conceivable application comes with a spell checker. Make use of the one that comes with your word processor.
Don’t use sound effects It fine to have streaming audio content that a user knowingly wants to hear. But pages which play loud tunes while loading do little more than startling unsuspecting users and make them scramble for the mute button.
Post a page when you finish it Have you ever read a gripping story in a magazine only to find a "to be continued in the next issue...." at the end? I have. It is very annoying. "Under Construction" or "Coming Soon..." signs on web pages are its digital equivalents. Put your page up when you are ready with it. The same applies to missing images and broken links. Take trouble to click on every link to make sure that it points to its intended destination.
Don’t make your readers scroll horizontally It is not uncommon to find web sites where you have to scroll horizontally on various pages. The horizontal scroll bar makes the user go back and forth for every line of text – just like while reading right aligned text. Design your pages to minimize horizontal scrolling.