Last week we detailed the initial stages of web design in our post, The Lifecycle of a Web Design Project Part 1: Concept and Design. If you haven’t already, check it out – you’ll learn about the planning, research and strategy that begin the making of a website.
Now you’re up to date, let’s begin stage two: the all-important build.
Stage One – Cracking the Code
Building from Front to Back
When the design is ready for the developer, it’s time to begin the build. The two core development phases are as follows; the front-end, which is the visual parts of the site that you can actually see, and the back-end; these are the functionalities such as interactive content forms and ecommerce shopping baskets.
Sites are built with a language of code known as HTML; it’s the skeleton that gives each page its structure. CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) dictate what the pages then look like, making the site more attractive. This helps it conform to a certain style, keeping every page on brand and brilliant.
Each element of the coding is complex; unless you’re one our highly-skilled developers, to which the language is a piece of cake. They work to create core visuals for standard screen sizes, and also incorporate elements of responsive web design – this makes the site accessible in various browsers and on different platforms, for example mobile devices.
The Secrets of SEO
Search Engine Optimisation is a vital tool to drive organic traffic to your website. It’s based upon a website’s code and content including certain keywords, so that the site has the ability to rank high in Google’s search results. Many people know about SEO for a website’s content, but it’s also a vital technical tool.
Our developers build every website with SEO in mind, factoring in the appropriate meta tags that include the client’s recommended key words, as well as image alt tags, fast page loading speeds and ensuring that all page URLs are clear and concise for Google to crawl. SEO is a multifaceted marketing tool, and when used effectively can do wonders for a business.
Each section of the website is coded, completed and reviewed, until every page is finished and ready for content to be added.
Stage Two – ‘Content is King’
The Gift of the Gab
We can confirm that the old internet adage, ‘content is king’ is in fact very true. A beautiful, functional website that provides a great user experience is only as good at the message it conveys; the words on the page need to ensure the audience buy into the values of the brand, and ultimately buy the product itself .
Uploading content through a CMS (Content Management System) such as WordPress or an ecommerce platform such as Shopify, means that new content can easily be added further down the line – so either one of the team or the client can add more pages at any stage in their ongoing marketing. This is vital in keeping a website contemporary and current, evidencing that the company is a forward-thinking, frontrunner of its particular industry.
Getting All Emotional
Whether creating original content based on a client brief, or optimising content that’s been sent over from the client, our content team will write creative and compelling copy that not only uses the aforementioned SEO techniques, but connects with the targeted audience on an emotional level.
Combining emotive and inspiring language with beautiful imagery has a powerful effect on website users. Whilst content must inform and instruct (with calls to action, for instance ‘buy now’) it must also connect. Humans make decisions based on emotion, and it’s a talent to be able to create or stir a person’s emotions. Marketers say that people forget what you said and did, but not how you made them feel – and this is why well-written content is crucial in online marketing.
At this point, the website not only looks great, but it’s filled with high quality content that will keep users coming back for more. But what’s the use if it doesn’t actually work? Before any site goes live it must be tested – so next week, we’ll tell you how we do it. Check back or keep an eye on our social channels for The Lifecycle of a Web Design Project Part 3: Testing and Launch. See you then!
