Are you about to embark on your first custom web design project? Here are Kartogram’s 10 easy steps to follow that will help you plan your project to perfection! Of course, every custom web design project is different, but stick with our guide and you won’t go far wrong when it comes to successful web design for your business.
1. Identify your goals This first step is key to ensuring that your project heads in the right direction from the very start. The more you can articulate who your website is for and what functionality it needs to provide for your business, the more straightforward your custom web design process will become as you work through the later steps.
2. Draw up your strategyOnce you have decided on your project goals, you can develop a clear strategy to refer back to through the course of your custom web design project. Your strategy should not only include your goals and intentions for the project, but also your target audience and the significance of the project as well.
3. Plan your approachNext comes the planning stage. Here, you need to use your strategy to plan out your custom website as fully as possible. You could think about organising your pages and sub-pages, content you want to add, and any features or resources you may need to include in order to secure the website functionality you’re looking for.
4. Draw out your sitemapYour sitemap is a clear structure that will help both you and your custom web designer organise your plans into a functional and successful website. Using your planning, determine which pages relate to each other and how your audience might easily access information they are looking for.
5. Create your contentNext, use your sitemap to start creating content for each of your website pages. In order to maximise the success of your custom web design, you need to think about producing content that engages your audience, provides your audience with the information they need, and maximises your SEO.
6. Think about visualsOnce you’ve got your content sorted, it’s time to think about visuals and presentation. If you have existing branding in place for your business, such as a colour palette and logo, use these as a basis to form the look of your custom website.
7. Web developmentBy this stage, it’s time to build your custom website! It’s useful to refer back to your sitemap, strategy, and planning documents through this process - that way, you can make sure that your website stays true to the original project goals.
8. TestFollowing the design and development of your custom website, it’s important to test the product. Check that all pages are loaded correctly, the layout is as planned, and that no links are broken.
9. LaunchNow, the exciting part! After all of your final checks it’s time for your custom website to go live.
10. MaintainThis is arguably the most important step of custom website design. For most businesses, the real work begins when the website goes live. Keep an eye on how your website is being used and whether your site is performing as you expected it to. Be open minded to upgrades and edits if they’re needed.
If you’re reading this and think you could do with a helping hand on your custom web design project, contact Kartogram today. Our experienced and friendly team are happy to support your business through any or all of the ten steps above - talk to us about what you need and find out more about what Kartogram can do for you. We can’t wait to hear from you!