Every business needs a functional website. Customers rely on Internet information. If they search for your firm and don’t discover your website, they may be suspicious. So they won’t buy from you. Same with untidy, unresponsive websites. It’s confusing. Businesses must make sure their websites are functioning and attractive on every device to avoid losing clients.
Purpose.
A website’s purpose explains why it exists, like a mission statement. The main aim of the site will ultimately inform design and content decisions.
Aims.
Who is your target audience? Everyone. While I appreciate the reasoning behind that answer, you can’t build for “everyone” (thus the variety of automobiles, clothes, computers, etc.). Identifying and designing for your top two audiences will help your site achieve its aims.
Goals.
Like your organization’s strategic plan objectives, your website’s objectives highlight the site’s major goals. My nonprofit clients address these questions for each target audience. What will your website’s visitors do? Ensure your goals are satisfied by revisiting them during design and content creation.
Mobile-responsive design.
Responsive design resizes a website to meet the screen size being used. It’s often more cost-effective to re-design an existing site than to retrofit it with responsiveness. No more different websites for desktop and mobile devices.
Originality.
Imagine museums never changing displays. Why would you return? New exhibits and activities keep us coming back to museums. We revisit websites if we expect new content. Develop a web content plan to keep visitors coming back.
Good writing.
People read 20-28% of a webpage’s text, according to research. So websites employ shorter text blocks, lots of pictures, and multimedia. Today, all you need is a smartphone to generate photo and video material.
Features.
Features include contribution buttons, online forms, embedded video or audio, online quizzes, social media buttons/integration, and gadgets and widgets. For a more cohesive design, think out as many as possible in advance. (Instead of realizing you need social networking buttons and having nowhere to put them without deleting or squishing other parts.)
Optimization (SEO).
48% of users start using a search engine. You should optimize your site for search. SEO-only companies exist, but most organizations can’t afford them. You (or your site developer) can do several SEO jobs.
Upkeep.
Website design costs include site design, development, and upkeep. Web design is usually a one-time fee. Developer-specific site upkeep varies substantially. Clients either learned Dreamweaver or paid me to do updates. I switched to WordPress seven years ago to update the model. My nonprofit customers update their own sites and rarely need me after launch. Who will manage your
after launch? Will this person upload other people’s content or do it all?
Accessibility.
This refers to a nonprofit website’s Section 508 ADA compliance (ADA). All websites should be accessible, but nonprofits have a moral imperative to do so. Inclusion and social justice are in our sector’s DNA, so our websites should reflect it.
Conclusion.
Creative website ideas for startups can help settle the argument about web design inventiveness. The ideal interface has only the basics. Digital product design is like painting or sculpting. All involve skills, experience, and ingenuity.