THINGS ABOUT WEBSITE DESIGN YOU HAVE TO EXPERIENCE IT YOURSELF

What do we do? So you need a website, but what kind? Is it, for example, a company presentation page, a blog or a discussion forum - or a combination of these? Also, look at what others have done. Google related website design and think about what is bad and what is good.Why do it? Why do you need a website? Nowadays, a website is quite an obvious part of information and marketing, but in addition, a website can have quite specific goals.

Who is it for? Who are your most likely customers or stakeholders? What values ​​and expectations do they have? What do they need?When is it done? Think about when your site needs to be ready. The release date determines how the project will be phased in and what goals can be achieved in that time. Simple pages usually take at least a couple of months to implement.

Who makes? A website project is usually divided into at least four areas: text writing and editing, graphic website design, illustration, and technical implementation. Think about what you are willing to do yourself and what you give others to take care of.

How to do? The technical implementation is usually chosen together with the technical implementer. Websites can be:

Static, where the content is permanent, such as an advertisement or a simple presentation. In this case, the pages are most likely made with html code.

Dynamic, making content changeable. In this case, the pages are likely to be created with some ready-made publishing system such as WordPress. Completely customized web applications can also be built for special needs.

If the schedule is tight and the budget is small, it may sometimes be most practical to opt for one of the free social media platforms.

Important technical questions: Are the pages updated frequently? What kind of technical skills do you have, what kind of tools? Need multilingual pages? Do you have a website design host, and if so, what features does it have? And have you already booked a domain?You can get the web hosting service and domain name from Shellit.org, for example (we recommend their Gold or Diamond package).

What are you willing to pay? Specify the amount you can invest in a website project. As a rule of thumb, small and simple pages cost 1000-2000 euros, slightly more sophisticated ones (e.g. with an event calendar) 2000-4000 euros, and require more customization from 4000 euros upwards. The price range between companies providing website services is wide. Some advertising agencies charge tens of thousands of euros for their basic services.

2. Drawing up the contract

The agreement states who will do what to whom, on what schedule, at what price and what kind of access rights the customer has with respect to the future product. An accepted offer is also binding and can serve as a contract.

3. Making the script

The script is a tool to help the entire website project team. It seems to have compiled site construction instructions. The parts of the manuscript are:

Sitemap / structure diagram to illustrate which page can be accessedA guide for the graphic designer, e.g., layout goals and company graphic rulesns. wireframe images (technical sketches) that show which elements are desired for certain page typesContent parsing that includes all the texts that come to the website design as well as information about any illustrationsStoryboard, if the illustration material is extensive

The script also includes functional descriptions of the user interface, e.g., “when the user hovers the mouse over the image, appears ..”.The guideline of the script can be considered that any outsider familiar with the field will be able to perceive the structure of the whole service on the basis of it.If the site is made very simple, you may not need a very extensive script. Then a simple structure diagram and content parsing is enough.

4. Layout design

Layout design is often the nerve-wracking and most difficult-to-predict work step of a project. In addition to the torque associated with taste, design is characterized by the traditional pain of creation and trade-offs in what is technically possible and sensible to implement. Therefore, time and patience should be set aside for this work phase. It is a good idea to go through the plans (i.e.  lizards ) at an early stage with both the customer and the technical implementer.

The design of the layout is website design up by expressing to the graphic artist as clearly as possible what kind of atmosphere is sought on the pages. Illustrate to him your wishes by showing examples of pages that you think are working or failed.

5. Technical implementation

Depending on your needs, choose one of the following implementations:

• static site (programming languages ​​html + css)
• customized dynamic website (in addition to html and css, eg php, MySQL, javascript)
• open source publishing system (WordPress, Drupal…)
• free social media app (Tumblr, Facebook, WordPress.com…)

6. Testing

For testing and development, the site will be made available online behind a password. The pages should be tested on Mac, PC and mobile devices, as well as various browsers such as Firefox and Explorer. Harness your acquaintances to test the pages!

7. Disclosure

Once testing is complete and final corrections have been made, the pages can be moved to the final address. Publication can also involve advertising to target groups, for example on Facebook or through Google AdWords ads. Visitor statistics can be tracked and analyzed with free Google Analytics.