There is no underestimating the value of a website that looks good, functions efficiently, and ranks highly in search engines. A high performing website can mean the difference between a thriving and a struggling business. But even today, when the majority of our information, shopping, and work is performed online, it can still be challenging to set up a website that is functional, cost-effective, and easy to manage.
That’s why we’ve created this ultimate guide to website design! To help business owners, entrepreneurs, and creatives get familiar with the world of web design. We’ll help you understand how to create a website that not only looks beautiful, but is easy for your users to navigate, and functions smoothly.
Contents
What is Web Design?
Web design is the process of planning, conceptualizing, and arranging content online. Today, designing a website goes beyond aesthetics to include the website’s overall functionality. Web design encompasses everything from the overall look and feel of the website, the user interface (UI), the user experience (UX), and the site’s performance including loading time and SEO.
There are many different ways to design a website. If you can dish out the cash, some businesses hire a designer to design the appearance of the site, and then hire a developer to make the website come to life through coding. But if you’d rather do it yourself and save tons of cash, there are many no-code web design tools on the market today that make it easy for non-technical users to build a website using pre-built, customizable templates.
As stated above, web design is more than just appearance to include functionality. Did you know that web design can have a huge impact on your performance in search engines like Google? This article will give you some helpful insight into how to create a website that not only looks good, but functions properly and ranks highly in search.
Things to Consider Before Creating a Website So you need a website for your business to keep on growing. Where should you start? Before jumping in, here are some considerations to make the web design process easier.
Finding Inspiration
Designers look for inspiration everywhere. Having an idea of the overall look and feel of your website can help you choose a tool and begin to conceptualize your website layout. Here are some of the best sites to help get your creative juices flowing:
- Behance
- Awwwards
- Web design inspiration
- Site Inspire
Check out our blog post for more tips on finding inspiration.
Make sure to consider your brand, your audience (discussed further below) and the message you want to convey when looking for inspiration.
Understanding Your Audience
When getting inspired and beginning to conceptualize your website, it’s important to consider your users’ needs and expectations. Understanding your audience will help you develop a website with clear messaging and a clear user journey.
Create audience personas in order to get to know your audience demographics, wants, needs, and struggles. This will help guide your website messaging and design.
Next, start to craft your unique value proposition. Your value proposition is what sets you apart from your competition and really speaks to your audience needs. Having a clear value proposition can help shape branding and design.
For a full breakdown on crafting messaging, check out our Ultimate Website Prep Guide.
Choosing a Web Design Tool
There are two main ways to design a website: using a desktop app or using a website builder. The tool you decide to use will vary greatly based on your team size, your budget, and the type of site you wish to build and its technical requirements.
1. Desktop Apps
Desktop apps require designers to create their design and send it to a development team who can then convert the design to code. The most popular desktop apps for designing websites are Photoshop, Sketch, and Figma
Typically, this is the standard for large and/or complex websites. The benefits of using a desktop app include:
Designers can focus on the overall look and feel of the website
Technical challenges are transferred to developers
The website is not limited to the feature set of a website builder
Unfortunately, this process can be expensive and time-consuming because multiple resources, skill sets, and team members are required.
To avoid involving a developer, it is beneficial to use a website builder to design a website with fewer technical requirements.
2. Website Builders
Today, there are numerous website builders that provide a wide range of services and features. Some popular website builders include Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, and Pagecloud. These builders vary in terms of design capabilities, template options, price, and overall editing experience. Be sure to do your research, experiment with free trials, and determine which platform best fits your website needs.
If you don’t know how to code, becoming familiar with the freedoms and limitations of various website design tools is essential. WordPress, for instance, is the most popular website platform, but visual designers do not like it because it requires technical knowledge and has few customization options. A website builder like Pagecloud on the other hand has a drag-and-drop interface that allows you to build your site visually by arranging content on the digital canvas.
Before you start building a website, determine your website needs: Are you creating a photo gallery? How often will you update your site? Do you require a contact page? Choose a website builder that can help you effectively accomplish those goals.
Important Elements of Web Design
When designing a website it’s important to consider both the site’s appearance and functionality. Integrating these elements will maximize the site’s overall usability and performance. Your site’s usability includes elements such as an easy-to-navigate interface, appropriate use of graphics and images, well-written and well-placed text, and a color scheme. Your site’s performance refers to its speed, ranking, searchability, and ability to capture your audience.
Visual elements
Here’s a quick overview of the elements you should consider while designing your website to make sure everything works well together. Each section will provide tips and tricks to help you get started.