Start strong
One of the wonderful things about websites is that they’re not set in stone, they can change and evolve as your brand grows and changes – but as you begin building a website, there are a few important things to do that will save you tons of time later down the road.
HAVE YOU GOT A SITEMAP IN PLACE?
You probably have a general idea in your mind about what pages on your website will be best to have, but putting pen to paper and writing it out will help you get a bird’s eye view of what pages you can create.
Carefully start to map out what pages should be included in each section of your website. Make sure that you take time to consider what the user experience will be on each page and whether they will be able to find what they need as they discover your site’s content.
WILL YOUR WEBSITE BE RESPONSIVE?
For many websites, creating a website version for each resolution and new device would be impossible, or at least impractical. So how are you expected to keep up with the ever-growing list of screen sizes and then ensure that you build your site to echo each screen resolution and device?
Well, HostGator recommends that you integrate key design features when designing your website. Here are some of these key design features that are worth considering when designing a responsive website:
- Make information people look for more accessible
- Limit the use of bothersome pop-ups
- Make website speed a priority
- Keep your web design simple
- Make your button sizes large enough to work on smaller screens
- Use large font sizes
HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE SITE SPEED?
Nothing aggravates users more than sluggish loading times when searching for information online. Because of this issue, users often leave a site if it takes anything more than 3-5 seconds to load. Short load times provide clients with the information they want when they want it in the shortest possible time.
Testing your website ahead of time can help you detect any problems with loading time, as these can be resolved before the official release of your site.
Of course there are plenty of other factors you need to consider when building a website, but these three points are a great starting point. If you can nail the above nuts and bolts, you’re at a really great starting point.
