At one time or another, we are all newbies. That’s right: you can deny it all you want, but not one of us got into this game with a full deck stacked in our favor. With more and more people opting to start up their own businesses instead of spending another few decades working under someone else, the creation of a professional website is becoming more important by the day. This is easier said than done, however, because these businesses aren’t being founded by people who are naturals in web design or who have a lot of resources to pay someone else to do it for them.
So, what tips can these ‘newbies’ use to ensure that they have a professional website that gets them noticed?
Keep It Simple, Stupid
‘Keep It Simple, Stupid’ is a principle that can actually be applied to many tasks but is one that is integral to the success of a website that has been developed on a budget. Focus on one key element that you would like to highlight and then begin building the rest of the design around that. Then, select a layout that is simple and familiar; most people will choose the traditional two-column layout with right side and top navigation bars. Not only are simple designs easier to create, they also prove to be bolder, more memorable and easily adaptable.
Help
Whilst good design doesn’t come cheap, it is important to keep in mind that this will be money will spent if it helps you to avoid wasting time and leaves you with a professional looking website. If you do not employ anyone who is qualified in web design, do not let them work on the creation of your website. For every coder or executive who actually discovers that they have a flair for design, there will be hundreds who struggle, waste time and end up producing poor quality work. To try and lower costs, many people will turn to freelancers who might still be studying or who have another job.
Future-Proof
At the moment, it means that your site must be mobile-friendly and that it will be able to meet the increasing demands of these users. It is much easier to make adjustments for mobile-friendliness whilst the design is being built than it is to try and adjust an existing website. When spending a significant amount of time and money on website work, you will want to ensure that it will last for as long as possible. This means that the website needs to be prepared for the future of the internet, which could throw a number of curve balls your way. You should consider all sorts of variables from the very beginning.
If you know what you are trying to achieve with your own site or how you want it to look, you will need to find someone who can bring your ideas to life and who can think about the future in the creation of the code. If you are a ‘newbie’ to the realm of websites and you only take one thing away from this article, it should be this – web design is about three things: focus, talent and planning. More often than not, the hardest part for ‘newbies’ is finding the time, energy and the resources to achieve these things.