6 Tips For Successful Website Creation If You Are Not A Designer
The creation of an attractive and functional website is within the reach of everyone. What exactly is paying for a good result – time or money, you decide. But you can always find the best solution, based on any financial opportunities and the availability of time. REG.RU shares tips, like not having the skills of a professional designer, to create a decent personal or business website.
Analyze competitors:
Before creating the site, you probably looked at the resources of competitors and pretended that from all this it would suit you. But more effective will be a detailed analysis of sites from the same segment as yours.
Try to understand why such a design is chosen, does it attract visitors? Evaluate the design and navigation – what is immediately visible on the site, what the eye clings to, and what can be invisible to visitors? Pay attention to the content – what it consists of, is it interesting to the target audience?
If this is a store, then test whether it is convenient – is it easy to look for the right products, which payment methods are presented, can you immediately order delivery? Look at the technical component of the sites you like,
Example:
On which CMS they are created. Based on such an analysis, it will be easier for you to determine the design and key tools for your resource in the future.
The choice of CMS – based on the functionality of the site:
Decide what kind of resource you need – a blog, a forum, an electronic store, a web application, a directory, a social network or something else. The site can be both simple and multifunctional, that is, it can include several components listed above at once.
But it’s better to determine the full range of functions right away: adding individual components can then become a problem for both you and visitors. For example, if you need to implement a separate authentication method. Having a ready list of site requirements, it is much easier to decide on the choice of CMS.
Of the free platforms, WordPress and Joomla are the most popular. Among commercial CMS, many users prefer 1C-Bitrix.
Use familiar tools:
If you have previously tried to create websites, then you may already have the tools you prefer or at least have an idea how to work with them. This need to use. You can create a decent website using any, even the simplest tools, the only question is the amount of effort to accomplish the task. For example, an online store can be made on the basis of WordPress, and a forum on the basis of a static site generator.
Do not forget about the additional modules for your site that will make it more functional. For example, if you have an online store, you can not do without a payment aggregator. Well, if you want to identify your readers in a blog, then you need an authorization module.
Create your own layout:
Depending on the chosen CMS, find the best way for you to create a design or theme for a future site.
If you can afford to invest a modest amount in website creation, then try Artisteer or a new product from the same Themler developers .
For a limited budget you can always find free options. If you use WordPress as your engine, then start with Make or Unyson . These special themes allow you to create a design directly from the administrative interface.
Design without binding to a specific CMS can be created on Brackets , Pingendo , LayoutIt or Canva – these free tools are available for different operating systems, and as a result of the work you get a compact and clean markup.
Do not neglect free templates:
If the independent creation of the theme of the site and layout turned out to be a difficult task, then do not be afraid to refer to free templates. Most of them correspond to all the latest trends in web design. You can find both free and commercial templates for Joomla and WordPress at rockettheme.com , wordpress.org/themes , woothemes.com .
Working with free templates, do not forget to carefully review all sections of the site and replace it with test content and design elements with your own. Try not to imitate the sites of competitors, but to develop your own style and presentation of the material so that the target audience can see your individuality.
Mission Possible – Delegate Complex Tasks:
Assign the specialists that is beyond your competence. For example, preparing infographics or illustrations, working with hosting, website promotion, information security.
