1. Your site reflects your company, your products, your services and ultimately your brand. So it’s important to be visually appealing, polished and professional. Allow white space, uncluttered layouts with quality photographs and graphics look and let your message shine through. (See examples.)
Equally important, the site must work quickly, correctly and as expected. Build to web standards, proofread rigorously and test regularly for problems with speed or functionality. Every page should always be fast and functional, because any of them could be a potential customer’s first or only impression. Broken, slow, or poorly constructed areas will leave your visitors frustrated and encourage them to leave.
2. Site visitors are always in a hurry. Don’t make them work for information. User Experience (UX) plays a key role in helping visitors use, understand and stay on your website. Create obvious, logical navigation with clear hierarchy. Use consistent layouts and visual cues for functionality across the site.
Your site should satisfy both ‘searchers’—coming for something specific, and ‘browsers’—just looking. Help users accomplish their tasks quickly with onsite search, and keep them engaged by suggesting related content and minimizing dead ends.
3. Today there are no excuses, your site must look great and work well on any platform. The growth of mobile and tablet devices is not slowing down and you just don’t know what your next visitor will be using. Optimizing for mobile will improve both the experience of your visitors and your SEO Rankings.
4. Be succinct, interesting and new. Use language that makes sense to your
audience—avoid jargon, corporate speak and acronyms. Explain your “Why.” Visitors have short attention
spans: spell correctly, be accurate, be relevant and update regularly.
(Some tips here.)
5. Your audience won’t chase you down. Make it easy to engage, offer multiple points of contact: phone, email, social media and maybe an easy-to-use contact form. A Google map is a bonus. Above all, ensure that this information is readily available on an easy-to-find contact page—if not every page of your site.
6. If your site asks nothing of visitors, they will surely do nothing. What is the purpose of your site? Is that purpose clear to visitors? Even informational sites want visitors to read and share articles, follow the company on social media, download toolkits, join mailing lists or learn more about the organization. Include an ask on each page.
7. It’s not enough to build a nice looking website that’s easy to use. It needs to earn traffic. Otherwise, all that effort in design, UX and content development will be for naught. There are hundreds of rules and guidelines for effective search engine optimization, so here are a few to start with:
Use page titles and meta tags on every page and alt tags on every image. Optimize content on your site to align with words real people search for. Use keywords appropriately in content and links.
Use Cascading Style Sheets for layout and keep your HTML code clutter-free. Make it as easy as possible for visitors to share your content. Social can drive large volumes of traffic and positively impact your search ranking. Don’t forget obvious sharing links (even if they are rarely used in actuality).
8. Finally, don’t forget to measure. Use Google Analytics to track traffic and conversions. Use Google Search Console to track your search ranking. Use social media analytics to track your social media performance. Use heat maps to track user behavior. Use A/B testing to test different versions of your site. Use surveys to get feedback from your visitors. Use all of these tools to make your site better.
It's difficult to predict the future of web development, but it's safe to say that it will continue to be an important field for the foreseeable future. As more businesses and organizations move online, the demand for skilled web developers will only increase. Additionally, new technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality will continue to shape the way we interact with the web, creating new opportunities for developers to innovate and create cutting-edge web experiences.
In short, web development is unlikely to go away anytime soon. However, it's important for developers to stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and trends in order to remain competitive in the job market.
Web design is the process of creating the visual and interactive elements of a website, such as the layout, color scheme, typography, and navigation. Web designers work closely with web developers to ensure that the design of a website is both visually appealing and functional.
If you're looking for a web developer or designer near you, there are several resources you can use to find qualified professionals in your area. Some options include:
Freelance websites such as Upwork and Freelancer, where you can search for web developers or designers who work remotely or in your area.
Local job boards, where you can post job listings or search for available positions in your area.
Referrals from friends, colleagues, or other businesses in your industry.
It's important to thoroughly vet any web developer or designer you're considering working with, regardless of how you find them. Look for examples of their previous work, read reviews from previous clients, and ask about their experience and qualifications.
If you're a business owner or manager looking to hire a web developer, there are several factors you should consider. Look for developers who have experience working on projects similar to yours, and who have a strong portfolio of previous work. Additionally, consider their communication skills and their ability to work collaboratively with others, as web development often involves working on a team.
If you're a small business owner looking to hire a web developer, there are several things to keep in mind. Look for developers who have experience working with small businesses, and who understand the unique challenges and opportunities that come with running a small business. Additionally, consider their ability to work within your budget and timeline, as these factors can be especially important for small businesses with limited resources.
If you're looking to build an ecommerce website, it's important to find a web developer with experience working on ecommerce projects. Look for developers who have a strong understanding of ecommerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, or Magento, as well as experience with payment gateways and other ecommerce-specific technologies.
While web developers and web designers often work closely together, they have distinct roles and responsibilities. Web developers are primarily responsible for building the functionality of a website, including coding, database management, and server configuration. Web designers, on the other hand, are responsible for the visual design and user experience of a website, including layout, typography, and color scheme. Both roles are critical for creating