Web Sites That Are Easy on the Eyes

Web Sites That Are Easy on the Eyes
by Nick Zerwas

You already know that having a Web site for your ministry is important. You also know that it’s important for your Web site to look great. But how do you pull this off? How do you make sure that your Web site has a look and feel that's easy on the eyes? How do you create site that makes people say “Wow”?  And how do you avoid the common pitfalls that cause people wince when they visit your site?

I’ll mention four quick things that will help you create a Web site look that you’ll love. Some of these things may seem obvious to you, but if you were to look at as many church and ministry sites as I do every week, you would find that sometimes the obvious things aren't so obvious and are worth reviewing.

1.    Text—Since a large part of your site will be made up of text, it’s important that you are careful to make it clear and readable. Don’t use a font that is too small—keeping it above 9pt is a safe rule. Don’t use a font or style that’s too crazy. You may love Brush Script Italic, but if you use it all over your site, most people will have a headache after just a glance. Lastly, make sure that there is adequate contrast between the color of your text and the background—dark blue text on a black background simply won’t work.

2.    Repetition—Use the same fonts, colors, and styles all throughout your site. Do you have a logo for your ministry? If you do, put this in a prominent place so it will be visible regardless of where people are on your site. Use the colors from your logo to serve as a guide as your choose colors for other aspects of your site.

3.    Emphasis—Make the important stuff stand out. What are the top 5 things that you want people to see on your Web site? Would someone who is new to your site notice these 5 things? You can easily add emphasis with a graphic or a sub banner.

4.    Templates—Using a template-based model can be an easy way to have a consistently great look throughout your site without having to be a professional designer.

Check out blazestudentministries.com to see an example of a site that is doing all 4 of these things really well.