Creating a website for your business can be overwhelming, with numerous platforms and design decisions to consider, the possibilities (or confusion) seem endless. But don’t worry— we’ve got you! Here are 7 essential steps to simplify the process and set your website up for success.
1. Choose the Right Website Builder for Your Business
The first step is selecting a website builder that aligns with your business goals, technical skills, and budget.
When it comes to building a website, there are many platforms, and each offers slightly different features. It can be challenging to narrow down which one is right for your business. This should help guide your research to the best fit for your business or project!
Popular Website Builders:
- WordPress: Our favorite All-in-one solution
- Shopify: Great for E-Commerce
- Webflow: Great for Designers
- WIX: Great for Small Businesses
- Squarespace: Great for Freelancers
- Adobe Portfolio: Great for a simple design or photography portfolio
- Hostinger Builder: Great for new users seeking value in web building
2. Create a Clear Content and Design Plan
A successful website starts with a strategic content plan and design roadmap. At SocialSurge, we use our initial planning meeting to create a rough sitemap and talk through how many pages the website needs to have. This helps us understand what content is needed, and we can look ahead to see what needs to be requested from a client or created. In this stage, it can also be helpful to create a mood board and get on the same page about the visual direction of the website.
General Content & Design Checklist:
- Define the number and type of pages for the website (roadmap)
- Gather written and visual content
- Set brand guidelines for colors, fonts, and imagery
3. Don’t Skip Wireframing!
A wireframe is a low-fidelity mockup of a web page layout that features the key elements. This can be sketched, drawn on a whiteboard, or done in programs like Figma or Adobe XD. In short, wireframing allows you to explore layout ideas before committing to a design.
This step is crucial for testing out different layouts and identifying the most effective and functional design. By making several lo-fi wireframes, you can combine the best elements and create a rough draft that prioritizes user experience. This is a simple way to create a clear hierarchy and organize content and the overall information architecture of your website.
Sound a bit overwhelming? We get that. Luckily, Figma has a great resource library to break it down even further.
4. Create and Review Website Mockups BEFORE Building the Entire Website
In our design process, we find it most effective to build out two pages of a website in Figma and talk through the different mockups with the client. This allows us to have a conversation around the visual direction and gain clarity on the overall look and feel of how the brand will be implemented. This ensures you’re not wasting time redesigning mid-project and gives your team and stakeholders a shared vision.
5. Make Your Website Fully Responsive
A professional website must work flawlessly across desktop, tablet, and mobile. As you move into designing a website inside a platform like WordPress or WIX, it is crucial to scale as you build. For example, as you start designing the homepage for desktop, make sure to check how the design scales to tablet and mobile. We love the customization that WordPress and Elementor provide as a site is scaled through different breakpoints.
6. Design for Accessibility
It is best practice to design with accessibility in mind, especially being mindful of color usage and text readability. As you translate your design to a website builder, it is extremely important to be mindful of alt text. Each image on your site needs an alt-text description of the image. This helps screen-reader software describe images for visually impaired users as well as allows search engines to better understand the image and the overall website.
Additionally, you can get a free assessment of your website’s accessibility by using Accessibility Checker. From there, you can make updates based on their accessibility recommendations.
7. Understand the Basics of SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
A beautiful website is useless if no one sees it. You will need more than good website design to get the traffic or search rankings you want for your business. It is the combination of website design and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) that will have the most impact on your website. SEO best practices help your site rank on Google (and other search engines) and attract relevant traffic.
Start With the Basics:
- Use targeted keywords in your page titles, headings, and URLs
- Add meta descriptions and image alt tags
- Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console
Search engine optimization is a key factor in how visitors find your website. Thankfully, at SocialSurge, our Website Team has Designers and SEO experts! We’ve created resources that make it easy to understand SEO basics and how they can make a big difference in your website traffic.
Helpful SEO Resources:
- Basic SEO Checklist: Top 10 Tips for Website Blogs & Pages
- The Beginner’s Guide to SEO
- Google Analytics 4 Guides
Need Help Creating a Website? We Got You!
Whether you are looking to create a new website from scratch or want a striking revamp on an existing site, we can make your vision come to life! Explore SocialSurge Web Design services.