Sunday, June 22, 2008

Using Web Templates - Four Common Mistakes Made When Using Them

There are templates available for web sites, web page headers and banners, ebook covers, navigation links, order buttons, and more. Templates save time and money, and they can greatly improve the look of a web site. However, the improper use of templates can have the opposite affect. The following are the four most common mistakes people make when using pre-made web templates.

1. You are probably familiar with the phrase, "too much of a good thing." It is not uncommon for a particular graphic template to become very popular. If you use an overused template or image, it will diminish its impact, and you site will lose its uniqueness that sets it apart from your competitors.

2. If you purchased professionally made, quality web graphics or web headers, typically, all you'll need to do is add your own text, and maybe even your own graphic image. A common mistake some template users make is to alter the template so much that it no longer resembles the original template. What was once a professionally created image (which is why you chose it in the first place), is now a less than quality graphic. What is the point of using a template if you completely change it?

3. People also make the opposite mistake. While many good templates need little else than your own text, some may require a little more customization to be appropriate for your situation. Some templates, for instance, come with generic text that is intended to be replaced with your own. If you do not change this text, it may look out of place on your site. Also you may send the wrong message to your visitors if you don't change the text or image in a header template. For example, if your audience is work-at-home moms and the template has a picture of a businessman, it would be confusing as to who you were targeting on your site.

4. The fourth most common mistake is simply choosing the wrong template to begin with. Some templates won't be appropriate for your web site. The overall design may be out of place. For example, the theme of your web page is American Southwest, while the template’s theme is Gothic. The colors may conflict with your site’s colors. The image(s) may not relate to the subject of your site or your target audience. No matter how good the web template or header image may look, if it doesn’t fit with your web site then it will do nothing to improve the look of your site.

The proper use of templates is a balance of choosing an appropriate design for your needs, coupled with the right amount of customization of the template. When you have struck the right balance, a quality template will definitely improve your web site.

Boost Credibility and Sales with Quality Headers!
Header Templates, Web Templates & FREE 34+ Clipart Resources
FREE report “How To Avoid 10 Mistakes That Will Make You Lose Sales”
http://QualityHeaderTemplates.com/ © Leva Duell

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

What Are Header Tags?

The word "headers" has different meaning. Usually, I talk about header images.

But the word headers also refers to header tags which are HTML tags.

Search engine spiders only see text. They want to identify the subject of an article or a page as quickly as possible. In addition to title tags and description tags, they also use header tags to determine what the topic of a page is.

Headers are like key phrases that tell search engines what your text is about. Header tags vary in weight (size). H1 is larger and bolder than H6. They are often used for headings and subheadings and affect the structure of a page and the way your page looks. You can use header tags to tell the search engines what your site is about and what's most important.

Boost Credibility and Sales with Quality Headers!
See my review of header software, templates, and designers:
http://www.qualityheadertemplates.com/header-images.html
Header Templates/Web Templates/FREE 34+ Clipart Resources
© Leva Duell