When it comes to designing your website background, the possibilities are unlimited. Effective use of background will not just add to the aesthetics department of your website but it can also help soar up your revenue. Unfortunately, most webmasters focus on the content and layout part but ignore the background. So, next time when you sit down for a new project, just remember that background alone can make the difference between a boring and an interesting website. Here are some best ideas as to what you can use in your website background.
1. Image
This is the most popular option most webmasters use. Choose a high quality image that blends well with your brand or web content; it should also be coherent with other design elements. The type of image you select is totally up to you – a photograph, painting, vector image, abstract art or something else. But remember, inappropriate selection of image will not add any value; instead it will mar the other good work as well.
You can either use a full width image or go for a tiled layout. Like with other images you use in your design work, steer clear of any copyright issues with your background image as well. Either use a copyright free image or buy it from a proper channel.
2. Slideshow
You can use jQuery to display more than one image through slideshow in the background. It will give a complete changeover to your website, making it look vivid and unique. You can try out different settings and options to see what works best for you. For example, arrow navigation, transition effect, change time, repeat images, autostart, pause button, etc. You can add as many images as you please but too many images may have a negative impact on your page loadtime, and may also turnoff your visitors.
3. Video
Background video definitely adds a ‘wow’ factor to your website, and it is getting more popular with the increasing speed of internet. If you’ve got a business website, you can place an introductory video of your business or go for some cool video clip pertaining to your business. For example, a restaurant website can play an HD, clear, close-up video of people dining in its restaurant. You can choose to have a single long clip or a short looped video but take care not to make it distracting or annoying.
4. Colors
Background colors can be used to make your website look clean and elegant. You can either use a single color or a combination of multiple colors. Sometimes, a site just looks great in plain white or light gray background. Depending upon the theme of your website, you can go for a subtle and sober color or a bright and vibrant one. However, the background color should not make it difficult for your visitors to read the site content.
Apart from solid colors, you can also try out gradients, textures and color fades.
5. Clickable Ads
Clickable ads help make the effective use of your website background but never do it at the cost of your site’s tone and personality. That being said, it’s not that difficult either to make your ads interesting and appealing. You can use an image or video to embed ads with clickable links.