Web design is a quickly evolving game. It is built to be flexible while still meeting the need for clean, trendy design, so it can be quite the project to keep up on. If you’re ready to start your website or overhaul an outdated one, you should have a good think about the following things before starting your design.
Ideas
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Maybe you’ve already had a look around, but check out some websites to see what’s out there. There are numberless ways to design a site, so make a note of those that really stand out to you. Then take a minute to compare the sites you like against one another and see if they share any similarities.
Likewise, if there are design features that make you die a little inside, make note of a few examples to avoid. If you have a professional helping you with an affordable website design, such as an XCITE Web Designs website, share both lists with them so they can get a better idea of what you’re looking for.
Logo
If you don’t have a logo, it’s time to create one. This should be something simple and unique to you. Play around with some different options until you find the one that represents what your company is all about.
You could look at putting your face on the website and getting some decent headshots could be a great way to help redesign the look of your logo and branding. However, it can be hard to know what to wear for headshots, but you do want to make sure that you look your best. It can be a great way to add a personal touch to a website and brand, and even if it doesn’t formally become part of your logo it is a great idea to put a face to the name.
If you already have a logo, determine whether or not it needs to be updated. Think about the overall feel you want your website to have. If your logo doesn’t fit that vision, it may be time to redesign.
Colors
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Add to your vision by delving into some colors (and even color schemes, what?). The coloring on your website will give visitors a sense of your company personality. It can influence the mood of your visitors, persuading them to look further into your services.
Consider tranquil blues, energetic reds, creative yellows, or natural greens to bring out the personality of your company. The subtle touch of a color will make a great first impression.
Fonts
There are probably millions of fonts in existence now, and if you wait to choose them until you’re sitting down with a designer, you’re going to waste a lot of valuable time that could be used to further the vision for your website.
Font can affect mood the same way that color does. It can also portray whether your company is professional, intelligent, or dedicated. So take some time to look over the best web fonts or most recommended so you’re prepared to design when it’s time to design.
Photos
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Visitors to your website will be drawn in by the images you use, but it can be hard to capture in photo form what you’re looking for. Photos can also be used to direct the visitor’s eye to a certain link or piece of information, so before you go on your photo shoot, draw out the basic layout you’ll want to use.
Once you have an idea of where your images will sit on the page, you can pay a photographer to get the money shots or take them yourself. If you’re not sure how to take a professional looking photo, use some of these basic tips:
- Take outdoor photos when the sun is coming in at an angle; put your back to the light.
- Take photos from multiple perspectives. Some of the best shots are ones you hadn’t planned.
- Use gridlines to line up the shot.
- Practice using an image editor to manipulate photos that are nearly perfect.
Organization
Your website should not only project your business’s purpose visually; it should have areas to explore more about your business and how it functions. Maybe you don’t have too much to elaborate on and want a one-page website split into relevant sections about you and your services.
Or maybe you do so much, you want a page for each department of your company. Either way, make a plan for how much space you’ll need and how you want it organized. How will you group different pages together, and will the page layout be the same on all pages?
Content
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You’ll also want to write out the most important content you intend to display (unless you’ve hired someone to take that on as well). Things like your company purpose and About Us page should be a cinch.
You can also take a stab at what you want clickable links and buttons used for navigation to say. The more you’re able to experiment, the more you’ll be able to tweak the vision you have until it’s all telling the same story.. It’s likely that ideas for new pages or content will come to mind while you’re doing this, making your vision better than you’d originally planned.
