Congratulations! You have decided to enter the world of web design. Creating your website from scratch is both exciting and stressful. The great thing about designing an entirely new website is that you are starting fresh. But, this is also the challenging part. Without a starting point (like redesigning an old website), it can be difficult to know how to start. What’s important? How long will the design process take? Where do I begin? It can be stressful! Here are some strategies for stress-free web design to put you ahead of the curve:
1. Find out what you want
Don’t skimp on the preliminary stage of looking through tons of other websites. You may feel like you are “getting nothing done,” but trust us, starting with a clear vision will save you time in the long-run.
2. Set a clear timeline and budget
If you are working with a web designer, as most people do, communicate well with them about the money and time you can devote to a new website. Do not trust your assumptions. Make sure that they know exactly what you want, how much you can spend and when you need it completed. And, be sure to listen to them if they say they can’t do it. Managing expectations is one of the keys to stress-free web design.
3. Do your own research
Even if you have a great web designer, do your own research about what types of designs work best for your industry. You don’t want a website that isn’t doing well because it wasn’t designed with your specific customers in mind.
4. Don’t forget the “extras”
When we talk about web design, you may only be thinking about how the site actually looks. But really, web design is the entire experience that your audience has while on your site. Here are a few questions to ask yourself and your designer to save you big headaches in the future:
- Is my site mobile friendly?
- Do I have an attractive email marketing campaign opt-in on my site?
- Is my site user-friendly?
- Do I have interesting call-to-actions on each page?
- How does my website’s design contribute to overall SEO?
- Do my images all have alt-tags?
Designing a website does not have to be stressful! Although the web design process may seem overwhelming, these strategies will help you save time and keep you stress-free.
