Barely a day goes by when we fail to visit at least one website on the internet. Not only are websites a great source of information, but are slowly becoming a hub of business transactions. The online presence not only gives us an insight into the business of a company, but it also gives the business legitimacy. As a result, almost every business has a website today, catering to the needs of various kinds of users. So, when it comes to designing or developing a website, there are numerous aspects one needs to consider.
This is why most companies hire consultants, web developers and designers to create a successful website. But it doesn’t end there. Certain aspects like accessibility, SEO, layout, business strategies, content, images and so on are needed to be considered when developing a website, in order to boost sales and stimulate conversion.
Thus, for understanding certain basics of creating a website, let us check out a few things to keep in mind while website creation.
- Choosing a domain
When it comes to establishing a website, one needs to have a domain. A domain is a unique name which represents a business or organization. It appears after the ‘www.’ in the web address. Having a unique domain name is always recommended as it will help users easily remember your web address. Apart from being unique, your domain name must have some meaning to it. A meaningful name must subtly reflect your brand voice and must be almost impossible to misspell. This could make it difficult for users to find your website. An effective domain name is also significant for the right SEO marketing. So, one must be careful while choosing the domain name.
- Navigation
A website must be easily navigable. Complex and confusing layouts will only drive customers away. To see whether your website offers easy navigation, visit the website as if you’re a new user. This will give you an understanding of how your potential customers will view your website. If you aren’t satisfied with the performance, you know there’s work to do. Further, an in-depth site review like this will give you other insights as well. One prominent way to simplify the navigation for visitors is by adding a sitemap. You can also streamline navigation by eliminating underperforming pages as this will decrease the load time.
Web accessibility is another point to take note of here. In order to bring disabled persons at par with the rest, there are set standards, laws, and guidelines that give such people an opportunity to access websites with ease.
Web Accessibility is about giving disabled persons equal web rights as others. For instance, if your business is registered in Ontario, Canada, AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) is necessary to abide by. AODA compliance consultants can even help make your website accessible.
AODA clearly states that its rules apply to all government and private websites, whether they’re run by corporations or individuals. The act broadly identifies various disabilities, starting from physical and mental impairments, and injuries to learning and developmental disabilities. In this way, the act establishes uniform accessibility standards across various businesses.
Therefore, easily navigable websites attract more visitors.
- Clean design
The design of a website matters a lot. An appealing and quality design will successfully attract the target audience. Users often associate web designs with the quality of products and services. So, having a clean, interactive design with intuitive navigation can work wonders for your website. It can also help the viewers focus on the main content of your website, instead of unnecessary graphics and text. Therefore, for a positive user experience, having a clean and impressive web design is significant.
- Effective color schemes
A color scheme is yet another significant factor to consider while creating a website. Several studies have concluded that different colors have the ability to evoke emotional responses in individuals. So, web designers should make use of such data to create an appealing and successful website. When it comes to choosing a color scheme for your website, it is important to consider the goals of your business, its target audience and its niche and the logo. Some effective questions you could ask yourself are:
- What colors will the users respond to, positively?
- Whether the color scheme coincides with the logo and the brand’s voice?
- Is the color scheme overwhelming in any way?
For this purpose, you can do a survey and ask some of the users to give insights and suggestions. Taking note of the color scheme is, therefore, crucial.
- Security & privacy
With consumers becoming more alert by the day, it is imperative that a business has a plan and strategy to handle customer information. Protection of such data, in cases of malware attacks or security breaches, is an obligatory task. To reduce such threats, web owners must add SSL certificates to their websites so that consumers feel safe while providing personal information. Furthermore, frequent and random security checks can also be helpful for ensuring a safe environment. So, privacy and security are some of the most important things to keep in mind while creating a website.
Also Read: “What is Domain Masking?”
Conclusion
While developing and maintaining a website is not easy, seeking professional services can actually benefit a business to a great extent. Taking help from web accessibility consultants or agencies is often viewed as wise in this regard.
