Table of Contents
The Requirements for Website Design
Nine Steps to Creating a Website Design
When to Employ a Web Designer or Create a Website
Any modern business must have an interesting and educational website. Although building a website can seem like a daunting task, there are many of tools available to make it simple, even for novices without any prior coding or design knowledge.
We've put up this in-depth guide on website design so you can launch your new website quickly. We'll go over every resource you'll require, the fundamental actions involved, and some crucial things to remember.
The Requirements for Website Design
A few things must be ready before you begin designing your website. Typically, if you've selected a website builder without hosting included in the bundle, you'll need the website builder itself, a domain registrar, and a web hosting platform. Additionally, a point-of-sale (POS) system for accepting payments, an SSL certificate for site security, and an SEO tool to help customers find you are required.
What you need to plan, create, and manage a website is as follows:
Web hosting: Texts, photos, and databases must be stored in a physical location for your website's content to be accessible online. This is what web hosting platforms do.
Domain name: When someone searches for you, they see your domain name in the address bar of their browser. Include your name to prevent misunderstanding; if it isn't accessible, use a name that is similar. A domain registrar is where you may register your domain name. Before making a purchase, find out which hosting companies also act as domain registrars.
Secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate: Obtain a secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate from an SSL certificate service provider for the protection of user information as well as the security and reputation of your organisation.
Web builder: To design your website without knowing how to code, sign up for a website builder. You can personalise certain themes' elements to create the website of your choice.
Search engine optimisation tool: To ensure that your content adheres to fundamental SEO practices and strategies and begins producing the intended results, employ an SEO tool to develop an SEO plan right away.
POS: You must include a POS service on your website if you are selling goods or providing services that need to handle and collect payments.
Nine Steps to Creating a Website Design
Anyone who wants to construct a website must follow certain steps, even though you can alter it to suit your taste or meet your individual demands. Learn how to create a website by following these steps: determining the goal of your website, selecting a platform, creating the architecture, adding the required content, and publishing your website.
1. Specify the Goal of the Website
You must decide what you want from a website in order to develop one that produces the desired results. Think about your design goals and the audience you are trying to reach when creating the website. Are you aiming for more engagements, sales, downloads, bookings, appointments, or simply a bigger audience?
It is imperative that you understand the desired website's objective in great detail. Having this knowledge will assist you in selecting the appropriate platform, theme, and page architecture, as well as in implementing the best content strategy.
2. Select Your Platform
You can look into web builders once you've determined why you're creating a website. Even if you are not familiar with programming, these do-it-yourself (DIY) resources will assist you in creating a website on your own. Additionally, there are those made specifically for things like blogs, portfolios, and e-commerce.
In addition to offering editable templates for you to add your text and photos, many website builders also handle domain registration and hosting. However, you will have to create each webpage for the website yourself using the drag-and-drop interface. So, pick one that aligns with the goals of your website.
3. Assemble the Elements of Your Brand
Details that bind your website together are called elements and include things like fonts, colours, and images. Therefore, keep your brand's identity in mind when creating your website.
In order to draw users in, include photographs as well. However, ensure that the images are high-quality and pertinent in order to leave a positive impression on consumers.
4. Choose a Theme or Template
Next, decide on a theme or design for your website. This will determine how buttons, text, and images are displayed. Themes are pre-made layouts that can assist you with website creation, even if you're not experienced.
If you decide to use WordPress to create your website, keep in mind that you will need to install WordPress and obtain web hosting from a third-party company like Bluehost or Hostinger. With that, you may import demo content for premium themes, install a theme, and access your WordPress admin panel.
5. Lay Out Your Website
Visualise the pages that will be on your site and their connections to one another to facilitate the designing process. For instance, you'll have a blueprint to work from when you begin developing each section of your website if you know how many pages it will have, what will be on them, and how they will be laid out overall.
6. Create Every Site Component
With your template or theme and website map, the next step is to begin designing each site element, such as your menu (or site navigation), header and footer, search bar and any additional elements you want. site to have. Using elements, such as the following will structure your website, making it easy to navigate.
Menu: The products that are showcased on your website are shown in this area. It should just show a few items and be accessible on every page to avoid crowding visitors' screens.
Header and footer: These components raise user interest. You want visitors to be able to immediately locate items like your logo and navigation menu, therefore those should be included in the header. Additional information, like terms of service and contact details, should be included in the footer.
Search bar: Make use of a box or magnifying glass, but make sure it is in a visible spot on each page. Usually, the best corner is the top-left or top-right one.
7. Personalise the Pages on Your Website: You can modify your material to fit your needs, as it is based on the objective of your website. However, every website should have the following web pages.
Home page: Every visitor lands here, therefore it’s a fantastic location to summarize your website. Provide a navigation menu that makes it simple for readers to navigate your website, along with your logo, business name, and what they can anticipate from you. Ensure that this page is neat and visually appealing.
Product or service page: This page should let users know what you have to offer and enable them to buy. Make a page for the catalogue display on an e-commerce site and another for a detailed view of each item.
About page: This page should serve as an introduction to you, share your background and principles, and emphasise how you stand apart from other businesses.
Blog page: In order to leverage blogging as a content marketing approach, you must set up this page, which will show excerpts from blog entries that have been published. After that, users can select the one that piques their attention.
Contact page: Inform website visitors of your contact information. Via social media, emails, or phone calls, it is possible. You can also add a contact form, a live chat widget, and your actual address.
Additional pages that you can include:
Custom 404 page: You should send users to a page that says "404 Error" if they arrive at a page on your website that is not there. You can further personalise yours by adding a link to your website, your logo, or a humorous statement like "Congrats! You've located our page with errors!
FAQ page: The purpose of this website is to address frequently asked questions that visitors may have. That way, website visitors won’t need to reach out to you.
Testimonials: This is your chance to shine your bright light. Add testimonials from past customers attesting to your assistance. Additionally, showcase reputable companies that have written about you or awarded you prizes.
8. Check and Publish Your Website
Test your website's loading speed, readability of the content, mobile friendliness, linking, contact form, and any other component that may have an impact on user experience before it goes live. Get input from loved ones and coworkers regarding the layout of your website. Go ahead and launch your website if everything checks out.
Continue to update your website in accordance with its functionality, industry trends, and ongoing business operations.
9. Optimize Your Contents
You should prepare to optimise your website for a seamless user experience when you've finished developing and publishing it. What you can do is as follows.
Mobile responsiveness:
With the majority of website themes nowadays being mobile adaptable, your content adjusts to match various screen sizes. Nevertheless, you might want to activate a mobile app just to be sure. You may test your website on iPhones and Android phones using browsers like Safari or Google Chrome.
Internet linking: Users and search engine tools can perceive you as an authority in your sector by using internal links. Use hyperlinks to lead visitors to other pertinent web pages since they keep visitors on your website longer.
Media optimization: Improve your media files to avoid poor ranking, increased bounce rates, fewer click-throughs, and longer load times. Make sure each page doesn't include an excessive number of images or videos and that they aren't overly huge. Additionally, just display pertinent pictures and videos.
SEO: Optimising text and image content for search engines is part of SEO strategy to drive more traffic to your website. Using legible URLs and adding alt texts to photos are two examples of these optimisation techniques.
The Best Website Design Tools
You'll need certain software and tools in order to locate and alter the words, forms, colours, and pictures required for developing the parts and pages of your website. You don't have to start from scratch to create the greatest designs when you use these tools.
Website builders: To create the kind of website you want, you'll need a website builder with the functionality you need, like WordPress templates builders or Page builders in Joomla CMSs.
Design tools: Graphic design and photo editing work well with a design program like Canva.
Expert marketplaces: There are many professional website designers on marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork that can assist you with design work.
Logo makers: If you haven't designed your company logo yet and want to do it concurrently with the process of developing your website, then this tool is essential. Adobe Express logo builder and Logo builder are two examples.
Photo apps: Use picture programs to discover visually attractive photos to match with your writing, such Stockphoto.com and Unsplash.
When to Employ a Web Designer or Create a Website
Although designing might be challenging, creating your ideal website is actually rather simple if you use one of the many website builders that offer customisable parts and themes. However, your budget, level of talent, and the needs of your website will determine whether you choose to work with a professional website designer or create one yourself.
Hiring a professional web designer is an option if you have the funds to do so, particularly if the site you have in mind is sophisticated or you lack the necessary design time. However, if you want to construct things and would like not to have to go back and forth while dealing with someone else, then you should use website builders.