The goal of the website design process is to create a website that will attract visitors, showcase a business and its products, and create opportunities for interaction. While attractive visuals combined with great copy are crucial, they rely on a functioning website infrastructure that works seamlessly. If you’ve ever wondered how to go about designing a website, read on for a step-by-step walk-through of the process.
1. Define Website Goals
Before you start, you need clearly understand what the purpose of the website is. Does it need to sell products, communicate information, or create community engagement?
2. Determine Website Scope
With a clear goal in mind, the scope of the site can be determined. This will cover what pages will be needed and any other special features. The timeline for the completed website will be established.
3. Work Out A Site Map
Creating a sitemap is an important part of the website design process as it sets out the hierarchy of the pages and how the features and content will connect. A sitemap is a roadmap for websites that make navigation simpler for the user. It follows a logical thought process to ensure that the website flow will be seamless.
4. Create Content
This part of the process involves creating engaging content for each individual page. Make sure the content focuses on one topic and is optimized for search engines. Write content in a way that is engaging and fits in with your branding.
5. Add Visuals
This stage of website design requires clear visual branding. If the client already has a strong brand story, the website visuals will match it. If not, you can work with the client to establish their unique visual style. Simplify the process by using mood boards, collages, or style tiles.
6. Optimize for Mobile Use
Check each page and optimize all for mobile use. This includes rearranging all the elements to display correctly on mobile phones and hiding some elements as they may not function properly. This is a crucial step as many people rely on their phones to browse instead of their PCs or laptops.
7. Website Design Process Testing
Once all your website pages are set up, linked and the navigation is defined, it’s time to make sure it all works. Every menu header, page, and hyperlink needs to be tested on a variety of different devices to ensure a good user experience, and eliminate any broken links. The landscape of website design is evolving constantly. Something that seemed modern and fresh yesterday may appear outdated overnight. But you need to know that trends that dismissed once can cycle back unexpectedly in the forthcoming years. Images should display correctly and any contact us buttons should link to correct contact details. Make use of manual testing and automated site crawlers.
8. Launch Your Website
Before your website goes live, determine the best timing strategy and decide on a communication plan to let customers, clients, and the public know about your new site. Once all that is in place, the website can be published. This is a good time to celebrate with your website team.
If you’ve found this article useful, browse other internet marketing content under our technology tab.
