Nowadays it just seems obvious for any company or business aiming to capture the global market to have a digital presence. However, a digital presence alone is not enough. To capitalize on more opportunities and capture real, live, interactive consumers, you must have an optimized, interactive, and functional website.
Sadly, the internet is awash with poorly-designed websites that miss both the content and technical marks. To make matters worse, developers and clients alike often contribute to poor web design.
Web design and web development have a critical role to play in the success of any online portal, which is something big internet companies understood right from their inceptions. That is the reason why they are market leaders today! Now, if you’re truly aware of the importance of web development and design, you should be asking yourself the following question: How do I project manage a website build?
Here’s a quick guide to web development trends for the upcoming 2020.
Start by Planning
Before you think about anything else when developing a website, you need to ask yourself one important question: How do I plan a web development project?
Before you answer that question, you should know that it’s a widely-known fact that a slow-loading website can cause massive losses to any business. If that’s true, then it surely makes a lot of sense to invest ample time and other resources in planning. Planning is essential to web development, as it sets the foundation, as well as the tone, for all the other phases. Your main aim at this stage of development must be research. This includes identifying:
- Client goals;
- A target audience; and
- The persona of buyers, and other important details.
Start by building a site map that will serve as a guide to all end-users who might be either lost or need a quick overview. Consider all the documentation needed and discuss it with the client. Some of the important documentation includes:
- Payment terms;
- Clauses dealing with project closure;
- Clauses dealing with termination; and
- Copyright ownership.
Do not forget to determine all the third-party requirements like software, media, as well as resources that you may need in the course of development.
Proceed to Design
Start designing the layout of the site using a wireframe. Many web development technologies are available for that purpose. Your design should yield a basic outline of the site, barring special features and content.
Design is a very important step because:
- Close to 95% of the first impressions of a website are design-related;
- Everyone loves to browse a beautifully-designed website;
- Most people form opinions about a website primarily based on aesthetics; and
- Close to 40% of users will leave a site if it is unattractive.
Start the Development Process
Unless a website is backed up by advanced programming and eye-catching content, then what you have is merely a few designed pages. When it comes to content, ensure that it’s not too long because readers don’t have the patience and will probably spend less than 15 seconds on a web page if what they have to read is too overwhelming. This means that users will either stop visiting the site or switch devices. Keeping this in mind, content development should not be ignored.
Visitors are more likely to trust reviews and peer-created content. You should have as much user-generated content as possible. Create a developmental framework and build code templates for each type of page. Ensure that you also verify functionality and links and include everything that the client requested. Take into account any emerging web trends and incorporate them into the development process, too.
Proceed to the Website Launch
It’s now time to launch your website to the public. This stage involves the following three important activities:
- Final polishing;
- Deep testing of features and interactivity; and
- Consideration of end-user experience.
At this stage, you should shift the site to its permanent server early to avoid any problems. Perform all the necessary tests in this environment to detect any different reactions and behaviors the site might experience due to different servers. Note any glitches and make any necessary revisions. Such minor changes can make a huge difference. Run the site into final diagnostics using different web development technologies and don’t forget to perform a final cross-browser check.
After Launching
This stage is mostly concerned with the business and the client. Educate the client about the site with all the necessary training and information. Provide documentation, as well as source files, to prevent the client from drowning you in unnecessary questions. Provide the client with the site map and the copies of the development framework. At this stage, you may want to consider any requests by the client for website redevelopment.
Summing Up
This guide simply includes the basic steps of web development, and it is not exhaustive. You need to understand that web development can vary widely depending on the industry and the client base. For instance, if you’re doing website design for a small business that is only targeting the local area or state, the process might significantly differ from web design for a large corporation.
If you are a business owner in the US and Canada and you have been toying with the idea of setting up a website for your business, now is the right time. Don’t be left behind by the global digital wave when it comes to doing business. You don’t have to break the bank to get a website developed for your business. Contact us today for a quote.
