Web Design Considerations For Web Developers

Web development is evolving at a fairly rapid rate. From basic HTML pages to complex CSS, mobile dedicated sites, and responsive web design, it has been difficult for some developers to keep up. While there is no future proof approach to web design and development, there are some issues to consider that will ensure that projects avoid the need to constantly be updated.

Who Is it For?

This has less to do with the business behind the website and more to do with who the visitors happen to be. Are they millennials who are likely to access the site from smartphones? Or are they older and looking to hire services? The answer to this question can and should guide development efforts. Responsive web design should be considered a must for almost all projects. However, the way it is implemented, as well as the presence of any additional “bells and whistles” may be impacted by knowing who the likely visitors are.

Will People Buy From The Site?

If a business sells products and services directly through their site, it is important to develop with this in mind. Proper web development should make it as easy for a visitor to accomplish their task as possible. Don’t make it difficult for people to pay you. A website that looks great, but is difficult to actually buy from will lose money. This will cost clients business.  It’s all about web usability.

The Learning Curve To Administer The Site

A site developed on WordPress, Joomla! or Drupal should be fairly simple to use once it is turned over to the client. Our clients also love Magento Commerce when it comes to eCommerce platforms. These are all fairly easy to learn CMS platforms and require a short learning curve. If you are designing a site on a more obscure system or developing one of your own, things may be more difficult. Just because a developer understands how things work doesn’t mean their clients will. If the site is built on one of the CMS platforms the UI importance is not only important for an end consumer but also to the administrators. Good web design is easy for everyone to use, from users to administrators.

Can It Be Expended If Need Be?

Finally, a developer should be able to expend, built on, and modify the site easily and efficiently as your business grows. It is better if the site administrator can focus on the day to day operations, and web developers should focus on the robustness of the platform and the code. Not restricting themselves by designing a site that cannot be altered fairly quickly and easily down the road.  Often business change direction, ads new product or service or simply focuses on different things, the site should be always built with versatility in mind.

Conclusion

There is a never-ending list of considerations that a developer must account for, but these are focused on users and clients. If neither of these two parties is happy, then the work is likely to be considered a failure. Always consider the audience and the people who will actually be responsible for the site when developing a new project.