In order to obtain a user-friendly website that incorporates the latest technology, looks and functions brilliantly, and contains engaging and interesting content – a collaborative project between you and a designer is highly recommended.
Once you’ve chosen a designer, it is then a good idea to follow an easy 6-step process to success.
Discussion
Even when you hire a designer to build you a website, the building of the website still needs to be a collaborative project between the designer and yourself.
In the discussions prior to the design and creation stage, experienced designers will seek an understanding of your business, its goals, objectives and target audience.
However, it is still important that you do your own research, understand your target markets and convey your ideas clearly and concisely about what you think you want the website to contain and what you want the website to help you achieve.
Planning Your Website
Once the discussion has taken place, it is time to turn the ideas generated into a plan which should determine the following:
• The website’s purpose.
• The target audience.
• Visual impression including layout, fonts, images, graphics and colour scheme.
• Tone: corporate, informal, chatty.
• Method of navigation.
• Marketing including social-media, articles and blogs.
• Completion date.
The Mock-up
When the planning stage is complete, the designer will usually create a mock-up which allows you to tell him whether you like the design. This is the best stage to ask for corrections and modifications, if required.
To keep the project on deadline and within budget it is a great idea to communicate quickly via tools such as Breeze.
Developing a website
Once you’re happy with the mock-up, the designer will turn his attention to optimizing the website’s functionality using a combination of front-end web development and HTML/CSS coding.
You can usually view your “work-in-progress website” throughout this process, allowing you to pass your thoughts onto the designer.
Testing
Once the development stage is complete, the designer should test it thoroughly for glitches and snags to make sure it runs smoothly, and make sure the website is compatible with various web browsers.
If it a responsive website, he’ll also check it automatically readjusts itself to make mobile web-browsing user-friendly.
Site maintenance
After your website has been delivered, because of ever evolving technologies, it is always worth constantly bearing in mind the changing needs of both your business and your target audience.
To enable you to stay ahead of the competition and boost sales and profits, it is important to check your website remains at the cutting-edge, and that blogs and other content continues to engage your established communities and attract new customers.
Here at the Tourism Marketing Agency, we’re happy to talk you through our design process to make sure you get the perfect website for your business, and our door is always open for you to pop in for a free consultation.
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