I don’t think it unsafe to assume that this is not the first blog you’ve looked at on this topic. And if that isn’t the case, you can imagine that this most certainly is not the only one one of its kind. In a market where an online presence is essential, where 76% of customers research a business online before visiting in person, it’s imperative you find the most vital and practical information on successful web-design. A slice of advice to cut through the conflicting obfuscation. Allow us to guide you up this formidable mountain of potentially endless opportunities.
Where to Start?
The question everybody has on their minds. Where do I place that first foot forward? Well, first and foremost, you must decide on the purpose of your website. You must decide: for what reason am I building my site? Is it for a pre-existing business? A fresh start-up? Is it for e-commerce? Or perhaps even media or news? This will indicate in which direction that first step will lead. And, if you’re still uncertain of that direction, a bit of research into your potential competition is in no way to be discouraged; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. In doing this research, it will give you an insight into what opposition you may face and how they are either succeeding or failing in regards to your desired user base. They can serve as inspiration for your own design and give you ideas as to how to apply it.
So you now know why you want to build a website. That’s essential. Now comes the first significant decision. Do you want undertake the process of building your own? Or outsource to professionals? This will determine where that first step will land. Each comes with its own pros and cons. Outsourcing to tried and trusted professionals can be an assurance of the resulting quality; whilst also alleviating a large portion of the responsibilities of research into target markets, into SEO, into analytics, optimisation and maintenance, and so on and so forth. They often, in cases such as our own, provide a regular means of sharing your input on the varying aspects of the design process. This option can be costly however, depending on the level of intricacy, quality, size, and scope that your website requires.
Building your own can also be costly. Not necessarily in a fiscal manner, but in terms of the time and effort required for the construction of a professional and successful website. To ensure both the triumph and maintenance of your self-built website will be a demanding and substantial commitment. However, if you are willing to undertake such a commitment, you will have unfettered creative control over every minute aspect and detail. You can see personally to every building block and addition along the life-span of your online platform.
The Mould or the Canvas?
So you have chosen the “do-it-yourself” model. And are committed to dedicating the time and effort necessary to analysing and choosing each component of the build. Assuming, of course, that you didn’t stop reading upon choosing to go through a professional agency such as ourselves.
So what comes next? Next is yet another choice, as almost all of the aspects of web-design are. Do you want to build your site through a template-oriented website builder? Or through a freedom-oriented CMS (Content Management System)? The differentiating aspects between the two are commitment cost, ease of use/access, and creative freedom. The former, the template-based builder, is usually subscription-oriented. And with that subscription often times comes an assortment of tools and services compiled in a convenient manner. These can include; domain name acquisition (your sites name followed by -.com,.net,.org, etc.), SSL certificates (allows for HTTPS encryption of data), site hosting on their servers, and website building templates, for example. Whereas with a CMS, these aspects are typically a separate purchase. The web-builder usually provides these through easy-to-access means; however, you will be restricted in your creative freedom through the use of largely standardised templates. CMSs, on the other hand, most times are template-free and provide you the opportunity to shape and grow the platform from the ground up, though it is advised to familiarize yourself with some coding principles (HTML, JavaScript, and CSS) for this purpose. The choice here will determine what advice will be needed, and so if you chose the website builder, the next section is for you. If you chose the CMS, yours will be the section following, which you can either scroll to or jump to by clicking here.
Building with a Web-Builder?
Website builders are a great choice for a more swift and efficient design process. They require a lesser dedication by contrast to CMSs. That’s not to say they will build the sites themselves, however. Well, not too well yet anyway. As there are in fact AI website builders that, whilst they do not produce a flawless and polished product, can be used as a fantastic source of inspiration, or a solid starting point. So now, as promised before, comes yet another decision. Though this one is not so binary. Which website builder will you use? Which website builder should you use? This is one that you will have to investigate yourselves. Shop around, see what they have to offer, and whether they’d work for your needs. There is no shortage of options here, and many offer a free trial, so find which one provides the services and storage space you want and for a budget within your purview.
Found the option best for you? Excellent. Now comes the time to get those creative juices flowing. Firstly, you’ll want to establish an email and domain-name, ideally one that is short yet catchy. When doing this, it’s best to avoid the inclusion of dashes (-), numbers, and any trademarked names so as to project an established and professional image for your business or company. GoDaddy.com and Namecheap.com are two of many services, for example, that allow you to check the availability of domain names. It’s better to check before you set your heart on a domain that is already taken.
Now is the time to start putting pen to paper. The provider you’ve chosen will likely have a large array of templates for you to choose and start from. Each tailored to a specific need and website type. Following the first decision, you now know the type of site you wish to construct, and so you can pick the best corresponding template.
Each of these templates will include features catered to your website type. With many simplifying the process, such as drag-and-drop editing. You’ll want to customise that template to the demands of your business. Some web-builders, as mentioned before, may have an AI “auto-fill” feature. This, if you feel you need it, should be used only to provide source of inspiration or as a starting point to build from. You want to ensure you have brought that template from a paint-by-numbers concept to a state of individuality – unique to your brand.
So what’s next, now that you’ve finished customising your template? Well, that depends on you and the site you wish to build. If you wish to create a brochure website, for example, you may only need the one page, and you may in fact be happy with solely that. Most businesses, however, require a website with a multitude of pages, especially those for e-commerce, pre-existing businesses, and start-ups.
So of course, in that case, the next step will be to add more pages. This will be a retrace of the previous step with some variation depending on the pages you create. A blog page or product page will not have the same layout as a home or bio page. It is also advised to keep in mind your site’s structure. And create a site map. This being equivalent to a blueprint of your website, which will allow search engine web-crawlers to have a better understanding of your site and aid in its suggestibility in regards to its search results.
Subsequently, following construction and customisation, it’s time to colour it in. You need to fill out those pages with what your brand and business does: with information, with products, with further contact information, and links to where they can contact you. This is where you sell, where the site sells itself. So be sure to colour within the lines and provide to your visitors reasons to stay and use your service.
For a little razzle dazzle, you can also enhance some of the various aspects of your website with extensions and apps. These will improve the functionality of the site. Most builders have a substantial litany to choose from, with some even offering CMS like qualities. Whilst not entirely essential, that’s not to say they should be considered as such. They bring that professional and established quality to your platform.
And now we come to the moment we’ve all been waiting for—the moment to preview your work and then publish it. To launch your ship on its maiden voyage. To send it out into the digital world. And with updates, maintenance, and support, to help it grow and thrive.
Following the section of advice for those using CMSs will be a compilation of advice that transcends your chosen means of construction. You can scroll further down or jump there by clicking here. See you there!
Crafting with a CMS?
Content Management Systems, whilst a more unwieldy beast to tame, are almost always more worthwhile in the long run. These work-horses are frequently free to use, offer better customisability, and are better tools for websites and platforms that are intended to grow in and of themselves or with the businesses they represent. There are many businesses that start with a website-builder, that eventually switch to a CMS once they reach a critical mass. So starting with one at the ground floor is by no means something to regret. CMSs, alike to their alternate method of website creation, have a plethora of options, and alike to web builders, you must choose which is best for you. Some allow you to add custom code. Some help share the responsibility of protection and maintenance. Some are proprietary, and some are open-source. Only you can decide which is best for your needs, so peruse your potential options and find the one that fits.
Something very important, which you should bear in mind, is your hosting options. Though not all, some CMSs do provide hosting, and some even for free. However, those are a rare case. So it is best to research, and choose the option that’s right for you. Whether that be shared hosting, which is the cheapest and consists of sharing servers and resources with other websites, VPS (Virtual Private Space) hosting, which is more moderately priced and in which you share a server but not resources; or dedicated server hosting, which is the most costly but ensures exclusivity of the server and resources. This decision will result in what volumes of traffic your site can handle, though it can be changed as and when necessary.
Regardless of the CMS you choose, you will likely have to purchase a domain name. Both GoDaddy.com and Namecheap.com, to name a couple of options, provide this service with added SSL security and Office 365 inboxes, as well as letting you know the domain name’s availability.
Now onto the next step. Choosing a theme for your site. This will provide you the ability to alter the appearance and feel of the site, across various pages, without the need for CSS and HTML coding from the ground up. CMS themes are comprised of design elements such as templates—sometimes available if you so choose to use them, images, modules, and global content—shared across portions of the website, such as sidebars, headers, and footers. Don’t overlook the theme options, as they are often included in most CMSs and are usually free. Just use the search-bar or filters to find a theme relating to your business/industry. At the very least give them a look, it may save you time and effort for a nearly-indistinguishable result from a website made without.
The theme you choose can also be customised, and, as you can likely imagine, it is advised you do so. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to cater your site further to your brand and distinguish it from its contemporaries.
With the framework of your platform now formed, it's time to fill it out. What you have just done, you will have to repeat. Repeat it in the creation of the new pages your site will need. You know what you need, or, if you're uncertain, you know what your competitors think they need and can infer from their decisions. There will be some variation when creating your homepage, services/products page, or contact us page, for example, but the principle is the same. Once you have created your pages, it’s time to fill them in also. Not in their framework but in their content. It’s time to sell, sell your products, sell the information, and sell your brand to those visiting your new site. After this, you'll want to fill in your general settings, this will help to add or adjust your SEO (Search Engine optimisation) elements.
As a final bit of polish, it is steadfastly advised that you install add-ons. These may be referred to as apps, integrations, plug-ins, or extension modules. These will help give your site the shine it needs to establish itself as a sensible and professional platform to those who visit.
And now, all this arduous effort pays off. The moment of unveiling is here. It is time for you to preview, and then publish your work. To upload it into the big, wide digital world for all to see. To let it fly the proverbial nest so to speak. Though you will always be close by, monitoring, maintaining and updating it as needs reqiuire. Congratulations on your new virtual child.
Regardless the Resource
What a journey we’ve been on! Crafting a virtual entity that will continue to grow and thrive as you nurture it. As you have likely gathered by now, it is no small commitment. But the bulk of the work is done for now. And now comes the nurturing, which, regardless of the resource you used to craft it, will help your website thrive and succeed in the digital space. These are some of the principles we at QuantumPixel use in our process, and think you should consider too. These expand on some of the points discussed earlier in the respective website builder and CMS sections.
Firstly, there are layout and presentation designs you might have noticed when scoping out your competition. Standards that have been set almost universally, which, as a result, are now expected by your visitors and so lead to an intuitive format. Such things as the brand logo being present in the top-left of the screen, which also doubles as a homepage link. This will allow for easy navigation through the site.
The creation of a favicon, a small logo for your brand and site that appears on the tab of the visitor's browser. Again, giving your site a distinct and recognisable impression.
Clear and legible text. Through a combination of colour-scheme and font, you want to ensure that your visitors have an easy time reading what you want to tell them.
Easy navigation through “navbars” (horizontal bar under the header), “megamenus” (drop-down menus with links to different pages and products), or burger menus (three line menu items on mobile devices), to name a few.
The use of complimentary colours. Pick a complimentary colour-scheme, in keeping with the brand to ensure an aspect of beauty in your site. It is important to ensure a clean and pleasant appearance for your website, as 94% of a visitor's first impression is formulated in relation to the design/aesthetic of your site.
And secondly, there are important aspects of optimisation to consider. In your text, you will want to incorporate keywords—words you can research that are prevalent in search-engine queries—subtly and organically to enhance the traffic brought to your site from them.
It is advised, at any-point in which you would use an image, to use a compressor and help with faster load times. Load times are critical in bringing and keeping visitors to and on your site. People won’t visit your platform if takes too long to load. One of the other ways you can also accomplish this is via the elimination of unnecessary plug-ins.
It is vital to make sure to optimise your website, also in terms of both browser and device user-friendliness. Do not exclude the large portions of your visitors and customers who may not use the same browser and device as you. Be certain to ensure them of a seamless and easy experience regardless of their chosen device or web-browser.
At the Mountain’s Summit
We’ve made it! I know it was a long way, and a more exhaustive read than some might appreciate, but now we stand at the summit of that aforementioned mountain of potential opportunity. And whilst the list of advisory points above is not in the least bit exhaustive, as there might perhaps be new additions to the blog page that expand upon those principles, it should provide a solid enough set of materials to build that ship: with which to set sail across the digital ocean. Now I would be remiss to mention, as you have likely figured, that those professionals, which one can outsource to, such as ourselves, provide these services and much more. If you feel that you might wish to outsource, we here at QuantumPixel can assure you of the relinquishing of these responsibilities, and of the impeccable artisanal quality of our products. This is also a topic we will delve into in further blogs, a glimpse into our method to assuage any concerns about the quality your money would buy. You can also browse our services or book a consultation for further information. Thank-you for, at least in part, joining us on our journey to bring bespoke quality to the digital space.
If you need help at any stage of your journey, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help you build, refine, and grow your digital presence.