If you are thinking of designing a website, whether it is a personal site or a business site, this article is for you. Today, there is no need to be an experienced graphic designer to design a website with a beautiful design. Many tools exist to assist you in this essential step. We will detail the methodology to give birth to your site and impress your friends or colleagues.
Define your strategy
It seems obvious, but before tackling the design of your site, ask yourself what is its purpose, its universe, the goal you want to achieve, etc. If you need more information, find out this here. Before you dive into your content strategy, it’s important to know how you want to showcase your brand. The goal is to build something engaging and authentic. Once you have defined your goal, you need to ask yourself what actions you want people to take on your site. Did you create it to deliver information ? To sell your products ? To gain subscribers ? The answers to these questions will determine the visual appearance of your site.
Watch the design trends
The visual aspect of the sites change quite often depending on the modes. But note this point : even if it is necessary to be inspired by it, a fashionable design will not necessarily correspond to you. For 48% of Internet users, the visual aspect is the most important. So you have to take the time to see what the competition is doing. Each sector has its own universe. It remains to be seen whether you want to comply with it or, on the contrary, disrupt it. The advice we can give you is to carry out your monitoring according to the sector, rather than according to the age or sex of the target. Because each sector has its codes. Haven’t you noticed that tech companies use blue a lot ? It is not a coincidence. The colors used refer to certain emotions. Your site must therefore respond to its codes or, on the contrary, detach from them, depending on the desired effect.
Choose a template
Now that you know what content your site will contain and why you created it, you surely have a clearer idea of what it will look like. A template is the backbone of your site. It is on him that rests all the elements that you will add. Most platforms offer pre-cut templates with sample content. Templates are often divided according to sectors, which makes it possible to choose a model that suits you with the right features. If you decide to open a site for your cafe, for example, you will turn to templates adapted to cafes and restaurants with an integrated contact form and menu. Each template can be previewed to ensure it meets your needs.
Optimize your content
Once your site starts to look like something, you have to get people to go there. For this, you have to take an interest in two things : positioning and SEO.
•The positioning : Positioning refers to the layout of a page. Most web users read content in the form of F. This is why menus are often placed at the top of the page. It’s the first thing people see on a home page. So keep this element in mind when populating your site with content.
•SEO : You have certainly heard of SEO. It is a practice that optimizes your content so that your site stands out in search engines. These are often small tricks that have to be done in the shadows. Your site will look the same.
Publish your site
Before shouting from the rooftops that you have a site, have your friends, colleagues and family members test it so that they can give you their feedback. You can also have it tested by a few Internet users. It is important to take the time to make sure everything is ok. To do this, make sure that :
•Your links are working and redirecting to the right page ;
•Your content is readable and easily accessible ;
•You must not make more than 3 clicks to access content ;
•Your site is displayed correctly on desktop, mobile and tablet.