Maintaining a presence on the internet is critical for most modern businesses, even customers mostly need a site to learn about a few services and contact the company. Website design, consequently, is important. How do you choose a site's design, though? You can employ the following process to maximize the value of a web design project.

Establish the Site's Purpose

A website's purpose will dictate much of its design. An information-heavy site that directs people to lots of topics, for example, is going to look quite a bit different than a single-product promotional site. The information-driven site will have lots of navigational elements, numerous pages, and links to the most popular items. Consequently, it will be a visually busy site. Conversely, the product-centric site may feature one to four pieces of high-quality photography augmented by limited design elements.

Identify the Target Audience

Your website's expected audience will also affect its design. If you're trying to sell an exciting product to active people, the website design will likely employ more colors and graphics. Conversely, a site that connects people with forms and information will be significantly more tame and stately. There is nothing wrong with either approach, but a web design firm will want to use the site's look to signal who the audience should be and how they should feel.

Determine Technical Requirements

Website design and technical needs are rarely separate things. The design should never get in the way of the technical operation of the site. If a website needs to show a data stream so visitors can get notices about developing news, for example, you will need to incorporate that functionality into the overall design.

Brand Standards

Every business should have a set of standards for how it displays its branding in a variety of media. The baseline includes your company's colors and logo. Ideally, you have the colors nailed down to specific color codes so designers can easily implement them.

Brand standards maintain consistency across media. You want people to draw the connection between your organization's print ads, billboards, product packages, and web pages. The connection should be almost instantaneous when anyone visits your website.

Unapologetic Stealing

There is also value in unapologetically stealing ideas from other sites. If you want a particular layout, for example, write down the names of some of the websites that click with you creatively. The designers will have an easier time bringing your ideas to life if you can show them examples. 

For more info about web design, contact a local company. 

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