The ultimate goal of anyone visiting your website is to quickly find the information that they are looking for. And, your website design should make that process easier and help visitors navigate your website without getting lost. The more user-friendly your website is, the more likely it is that people will engage with your content and take the desired action. A good website design should aim to provide the best user experience, which ultimately translates into conversions. Airbnb, for example, has a very simple, yet engaging website design where you can find everything right from the homepage. Whether you want to make a booking or explore the different types of accommodations and experiences provided by Airbnb, you will find an option on the homepage.
Airbnb As you scroll down the page, you will find more options to explore. From top-rated Airbnb stays to travel recommendations, you have it all. Airbnb recommendations So, if you know where you want to go, you can simply make a booking from the top of the page. If you’re just exploring your options, you can simply browse through and get inspiration for your next trip. See how brilliant that strategy is? Airbnb does not just make it easy for people to book stays but also encourages them to plan a trip if they’re not yet sure. And, all of that can be done right from the homepage. No messy drop-down menus, no page hierarchies, just a clean and simple all-you-need-to-know-you-find-it-here kind of design.
Website design is an important matter and should not be taken lightly. A well-designed website can help you form a good impression on your prospective customers. It can also help you nurture your leads and get more conversions. But, more importantly, it provides good user experience and helps your website visitors access and navigate your website with ease. So, if you are looking for designers to create your website, vet them well and ensure that they are capable of designing user-friendly and accessible websites. If you already have a website, you can always conduct a site audit and optimize it to provide a better user experience and to improve accessibility. When it seems that social media rule the Internet, you might ask yourself, “Do I need a website?” The answer is yes, and I’m here to tell you why. In 2019, 70-80% of people were researching companies online before visiting it/making a purchase, and the same percentage of customers could be lost to small businesses without a website. And when the world suddenly required more online presence than real-life presence the following year, having your own website became even more crucial.
If you’re not convinced yet, and you’re curious about the advantages of websites over social media profiles, read on! Here are five ultimate reasons why you need a website in 202 TABLE OF CONTENTS Having a website makes you look professional and increases trust. Most people don’t trust a business without a good website. A clean, modern page that is regularly updated and pops up in search engines is an instant credibility boost. Potential customers will trust you more and have all the information they need in one place. In a digital age, we expect businesses to have a web presence. Even the smallest local business or organization needs a website–from a simple one page site for a mom and pop shop to a full website for a local church congregation. Anyone can easily create a Facebook page or an Instagram account with fake data, your name/handle, and the profiles may look identical to yours. So, a professional business website legitimizes your company in ways no other social media channels would.
And if you don’t have a business and you’re considering creating a place for your portfolio, to show off your work, or something that represents yourself to send to recruiters when looking for a job – there’s not a more professional way to stand out from the crowd than having a personal website. Example of a professional-looking website template available in Website Builder Example of a professional-looking website template you can fully customize and launch in minutes with the Website Builder A business website will bring you more customers and increase conversions. Well-optimized websites can pop up on the first page of Google search attracting new customers that weren’t looking specifically for you but were just researching a topic. There’s a much bigger chance of someone ‘stumbling upon’ your website than a social media profile. Also, comparing you and any competing business or offer is easier when all the parties involved have a pro website. If you invest in Google Ads or Facebook Ads, you can direct the traffic straightway to your website. On the page, your leads will have all the details to make an informed purchase, and a call-to-action to motivate them. Pages with built-in popup forms and web push notifications encourage website visitors to stay in touch and come back. Adding contact forms and chats to a website. Adding contact forms and a live chat to a website. A website is available 24/7, every day of the year, from anywhere around the globe – that makes your business stay on customer’s minds even after business hours. Websites broaden your reach, and promote you without a break.
Creating your own website is much easier and less expensive than you expect. If you believe that to create a stunning website, you need to be a tech-savvy expert of web design, or have a team of engineers and a professional web designer on speed dial – I’m happy to say – you’re wrong! Creating websites has never been easier, and there’s no coding required. If you choose a website builder, like the one from , you can choose a domain (which will be registered and configured for you), pick a professionally designed, mobile-friendly, and device-optimized website template that suits your needs, and head to a drag-and-drop editor. All you need to have beforehand is good copy. But wait, there’s an even easier way. You can use AI to create an amazing website in an instant! You answer a few simple questions about your needs, and you have an AI-created personalized website. All for free.
CREATE A FREE WEBSITE Or try our AI builder here. As for the costs, if you choose , you can have a website along with essential email marketing features, all completely free. Plus, you get limited-time access to our premium features such as automation, autoresponders, funnels, chats, and more for as little as $15 a month. Learn How to Build a Website from Scratch in 9 Easy Steps. A website gives you full control over the medium. There are two sides to this reason. The first is your freedom of expression on a website. You can’t customize your social media presence to the same extent. All your assets have to be the same format as everybody else’s. If you really want to stand out, a website is the answer. The absolute design freedom gives you an opportunity to present your brand in a unique way and showcase its voice and personality. The control over your image on a webpage isn’t only about the graphics and layout. You decide what to put out there, so if you have any cool online reviews, customer testimonials, videos, etc., they can all share the space on your site.
If you have a gallery or a portfolio, this is also a chance to display it in a creative way. You can redesign and change anything on a website any time you want. Designing a professional website. Designing using pre-made website templates. The other side of ‘full control’ is that a webpage is your owned media. You don’t have to follow the ever-changing rules of social platforms, and while the platforms themselves come and go (remember MySpace?) your website can stay in business forever. Also, any Internet user can engage with your website without creating an account. Read more related content: Best website ideas for 2022
How to create an effective about us page 25 inspiring one-page website examples Facebook business page vs. website: what to choose Websites are the center of all marketing efforts. A website can be the first place where potential customers interact with you and learn about your business. It can also be where they land on last, to make a purchase, because they were redirected from an email, a Facebook ad or an Instagram post. Maybe they want to receive your emails, and that’s why they visit your site – to sign up. Someone driving by your facilities clicks the pin on Google Maps, which directs them to your website with pricing or menu. They might have typed your URL into their browser from a physical business card. Or, after watching your YouTube video they ‘clicked the link in the description below’ to get a coupon code for your new online course.
All your marketing efforts, no matter if your business is operating online or offline, should sprout from and lead to your own, stunning and informative webpage. Campaigns are also easier to manage when everything is interconnected and the common denominator is a website. So, having a website is a priority and the first step to success. (And not to toot our own horn too much, but has just launched an amazing Website Builder tool, so you can build, grow, and manage your business online using all the essential digital marketing tools from one account.) Now you know I hope these five simple reasons cleared your doubts about creating a professional website for your business. If you don’t have even a basic website you’re missing out on a massive opportunity to increase your good online reputation. The sooner you create one, the more customers will trust your brand. This is a simple and inexpensive way to increase your revenue, boost your company’s credibility and establish your place in the industry. If you’re no longer questioning the benefits of websites and want to make one for yourself, click the button below to learn more about our Free Website Builder.
Website development is a catch-all term for the work that goes into building a website. This includes everything from markup and coding to scripting, network configuration, and CMS development. While web development typically refers to web markup and coding, website development includes all related development tasks, such as client-side scripting, server-side scripting, server and network security configuration, eCommerce development, and content management system (CMS) development. Download Now: Free Intro Guide to HTML & CSS In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of web development, the process of creating a website, and additional resources for those who want to learn more about development — or become a developer themselves. Keep reading to dive into website development or use the chapter links to jump around the guide. Web Development Basics Types of Web Development The Web Development Process
Web Development Resources Why is web development important? The Internet isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s become a portal and primary method of research, connection, education, and entertainment in the world. As of 2021, there were 66 billion global Internet users — more than half the world’s population. Given the rapidly-increasing number of Internet users, it’s no surprise that web development is a rapidly expanding industry. Between now and 2030, the employment of web developers is expected to grow by 13%, much faster than most other technology careers. See why thousands of customers use CMS Hub to build an optimized website that integrates with their CRM data and full marketing suite. In the next section, we’ll tackle web development basics with answers to some common questions. Web Development Basics
What is a website? What is an IP address? What does HTTP mean? What is coding? What does front-end mean? What does back-end mean? What is a CMS? What is cybersecurity? Now that we've defined web development, let’s review some web development basics. What is a website? Websites are files stored on servers, which are computers that host (fancy term for “store files for”) websites. These servers are connected to a giant network called the Internet. Browsers are computer programs that load websites via your Internet connection, such as Google Chrome or Internet Explorer, while the computers used to access these websites are known as “clients”.
What is an IP address? To access a website, you need to know its Internet Protocol (IP) address. An IP address is a unique string of numbers. Each device has an IP address to distinguish itself from the billions of websites and devices connected via the Internet. The IP address for is 10124 You can find any website’s IP address by visiting a site like Site 24x7 or by using Command Prompt on Windows or Network Utility > Traceroute on MacBooks.Traceroute in Network Utility on Mac To find your device’s IP address, you can also type “what’s my IP address” into your search browser. While you can access a website using its IP address, most Internet users prefer to use domain names or by going through search engines. What does HTTP mean? HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) connects you and your website request to the remote server that houses all website data. It’s a set of rules (a protocol) that defines how messages should be sent over the Internet. It allows you to jump between site pages and websites.
When you type a website into your web browser or search for something through a search engine, HTTP provides a framework so that the client (computer) and server can speak the same language when they make requests and responses to each other over the Internet. It’s essentially the translator between you and the Internet — it reads your website request, reads the code sent back from the server, and translates it for you in the form of a website. What is coding? Coding refers to writing code for servers and applications using programming languages. They’re called “languages” because they include vocabulary and grammatical rules for communicating with computers. They also include special commands, abbreviations, and punctuation that can only be read by devices and programs. All software is written by at least one coding language, but languages vary based on platform, operating system, and style. All languages fall into one of two categories: front-end and back-end.
What does front-end mean? Front-end (or client-side) is the side of a website or software that you see and interact with as an Internet user. When website information is transferred from a server to a browser, front-end coding languages allow the website to function without having to continually “communicate” with the Internet. Front-end code allows users to interact with a website and play videos, expand or minimize images, highlight text, and more. Web developers who work on front-end coding work on client-side development. What does back-end mean? Back-end (or server-side) is the side that you don’t see when you use the Internet. It’s the digital infrastructure, and to non-developers, it looks like a bunch of numbers, letters, and symbols. There are more back-end coding languages than front-end languages. That’s because browsers — at the front-end — only understand HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, but a server — at the back-end — can be configured to understand pretty much any language.
3xV-StudioWhat is a CMS? A content management system (CMS) is a web application or a series of programs used to create and manage web content. (Note: CMSs aren’t the same as site builders, like Squarespace or Wix.) See why thousands of customers use CMS Hub to build an optimized website that integrates with their CRM data and full marketing suite. While not required to build a website, using a CMS makes things easier. It provides the building blocks (like plugins and add-ons) and lets you create the structure with your code. CMSs are often used for e-commerce and blogging, but they’re useful for all types of websites. What is cybersecurity? There are always malicious actors looking to find vulnerabilities in websites to expose private information, steal data, and crash servers. Cybersecurity is the practice of securing data, networks, and computers from these threats.
The methods used by hackers are constantly evolving, as are the security measures taken to defend against them. Failing to understand how your site could be targeted could result in disaster. As a result, a basic understanding of cybersecurity best practices is critical for effective web development. You should also carry out security audits on a consistent basis. Next, let’s take a look at the types of web development a developer could specialize in. Types of Web Development Front-end Development Back-end Development Full Stack Development Website Development Desktop Development
Mobile Development Game Development Embedded Development Security Development Whether you’re looking to hire a web developer or become one, you should understand the different types of web development that developers can master. These different types of web development primarily refer to the different sectors of the profession in which web developers can work. Some of these distinctions overlap, and web developers will often master multiple types of web development. Front-end Development
Front-end developers work on the client- or user-facing side of websites, programs, and software — in other words, what users see. They design and develop the visual aspects, including the layout, navigation, graphics, and other aesthetics. The main job of these developers is to build interfaces that help users reach their goals, which is why they also often have a hand in the user experience aspect of their projects. Back-end Development If the front-end is what users see, the back-end is what they don’t. Back-end web developers work on the servers of websites, programs, and software to make sure everything works properly behind-the-scenes. These developers work with systems like servers, operating systems, APIs, and databases and manage the code for security, content, and site architecture. They collaborate with front-end developers to bring their products to users. Full Stack Development Full stack developers work in both the front-end and back-end sides of a website. They can create a website, application, or software program from start to finish. “Stack” refers to the different technologies that handle different functionalities on the same website, like the server, interface, etc.
Because full-stack developers require years in the field to build the necessary experience, this role is often sought after. Their all-around knowledge helps them optimize performance, catch issues before they occur, and help team members to understand different parts of a web service. Website Development Website developers can be front-end, back-end, or full-stack developers. However, these professionals specialize in building websites, as opposed to mobile applications, desktop software, or video games. Desktop Development Desktop developers specialize in building software applications that run locally on your device, rather than over the Internet in the web browser. Sometimes the skillset of these developers overlaps with that of web developers if an application can run both online and off.
Mobile Development Mobile developers build applications for mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets. Mobile apps operate much differently than other websites and software programs, thus requiring a separate set of development skills and knowledge of specialized programming languages. Game Development Game developers specialize in writing code for video games, including console games (Xbox, PlayStation, etc.), PC games, and mobile games — which means this specialty overlaps somewhat with mobile development. Embedded Development Embedded developers work with all hardware that isn't a computer (or, at least, what most of us imagine as “computers,” with a keyboard and screen). This includes electronic interfaces, consumer devices, IoT devices, real-time systems, and more. With a recent rise in interconnected devices as seen with smart appliances, Bluetooth technologies, and virtual assistants, embedded development is becoming an in-demand practice.
Security Development Security developers establish methods and procedures for the security of a software program or website. These developers typically work as ethical hackers, trying to “break” websites to expose vulnerabilities without intending harm. They also build systems that discover and eradicate security risks. Now, let's dive into the web development process. The Website Development Process The process of creating a website isn’t as easy as 1-2- Each development path is different based on the type of website, programming languages, and resources. The following section serves as a brief overview of the web development process and a short introduction to the most common languages and CMS options.
Form a plan. Before laying pen to paper or hands to keyboard, it's vital to first connect with teams and personnel across your organization to develop a plan for your website. Here are some questions to consider before your first site draft: What is the goal of your website? Who is your audience, and what do you want them to do on your website? What type of website are you building? (e.g. basic informational, membership, online store) What content are you aiming to publish, and at what volume? What’s the purpose of this content?
How will you structure your website for the best navigational experience? What’s your budget? Answering the questions requires interfacing with your web development, marketing, and financial teams to determine your priorities and make informed decisions. Put simply? It’s much easier to create a roadmap at the beginning of the process than reverting your progress at a roadblock. Create a wireframe. All good websites start with a blueprint. Developers call this a wireframe. It doesn’t have to be an official document; it’s simply a vision for your site that’ll give both you and your developer(s) direction and a place to start. You can draw it on a whiteboard or use a tool like Invision, Slickplan, or Mindnode. website development: wireframeWireframes are strictly visual tools that will help you understand where text and images will go on individual webpages. You can use blank boxes and “dummy text” to get an idea of how your content will show up on the front-end. Work with your developer to create wireframes so that they have an idea of what you’re picturing.
Draft up a sitemap. Next, it’s time to create a sitemap (not to be confused with sitemap.XML, which is an XML file that helps search engines crawl and find your site). Just like a business plan gives a potential investor insight into your goals and deliverables, a sitemap gives a developer the information needed to meet your vision. You can create your sitemap on your own or work with your developer(s). Here are a few questions to ask yourself when planning your site: What individual pages do you want? What content will be on those pages? How can you organize those pages into categories? What is the hierarchy of pages on your site? How will the pages link together?
What pages and categories are essential to your site and user experience? Which pages or categories could be removed or combined? Again, it’s a good idea to consult with other teams within your organization. If you have an SEO and/or content strategy team, their input will be critical in the linking structure and categorizing of your pages. Write your website code. The next step in the web development process is writing the code. Developers will use different coding languages for the front-end and back-end of websites, as well as for different functionalities of the site (such as design, interactivity, etc). These different languages work together to build and run your site. Let’s start with the most commonly-used languages. HTML
HyperText Markup Language (HTML) has been used since the 1990s. It’s the foundation of all websites and represents the bare minimum of what’s needed to create a website. While it’s possible to create a website with only HTML, it wouldn’t look particularly attractive. Below is the HTML code for a basic Bootstrap button. Languages like CSS and JavaScript enhance and modify the basic site structure built by HTML codes. HTML5 is the most recent version and supports cross-platform browser functionality, making it popular in mobile application development. CSS
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