A well-architected, high functioning application framework is the foundation for an effective website. Once the right platform is in place, set your design strategy based on the business objectives (i.e., revenue, net profits, market penetration, new opportunities, incremental sales etc.) and digital objectives (i.e., ecommerce, subscribers, macro and micro conversions, traffic, referrals, brand engagement etc.)
There are several design options, most especially for mobile, including adaptive, responsive, fluid, parallax, dynamic and more.
Site designers must be tactical in the following:
- How scripts will run
- Optimizing & minimizing images
- SEO, meta, and schema
- Caching
- Proper CSS and code configuration
- Crawlability and indexability
Consider a DOM for logical structure of documents and browser rendering (First Contentful Paint). And pay close attention to the First Meaningful Paint for the user-perceived loading experience.
As you are conceptualizing the pages, it is imperative to factor in GUI standards along with the following:
- Buyer Personas and Intent
- Business Drivers and Scenarios
- Pricing Model and Constraints
- Target Markets and Locations
- Planned Scaling and Expansion of Products or Services
- Customer Actions, Sequences, and Transitions
The design strategy needs to center on [a] common human behaviors, [b] how users will interact with the site, and [c] a brand-focused experience.
Web Design Essentials
[1] Content: User-Centric, Clear, and Concise
[2] Keywords: Relevant, Valuable, and Topic-Focused
[3] Menus, Filters, and Augmented Search Capability
[4] Visuals: Compelling, Resonating, and Storytelling
[5] Multimedia Assets and Solutions
[6] Color Palette and Fonts: Expressive of the Brand Tone and Voice
[7] Easy to Comprehend Hierarchy and Seamless Navigation (aka Findability)
[8] Effective Titles, Subtitles, Labels, and Associations
[9] Elements: Clean, Appealing, and Conventional
[10] Symmetry and Balance of Shapes, Textures, and Contrasts
[11] Well-Placed Indicators, Signals, and Notifications (aka Intuitive)
[12] Optimized for Search Engines, Speed, and Performance (aka Usability)
[13] Mobile “First” and Responsive
[14] Privacy Compliance and ADA Accessible
[15] Security, Governance, and Contingencies
[16 Host Service with Elasticity and Prompt Provisioning
Be sure not to skip critical steps such as journey mapping, use cases, wireframes, technical diagrams, flow of events, and entity relationships.
Use models and experimentation to set the right targets and channels. Be willing to have lofty goals, idealize the user experience, and confidently make ‘digital’ your organization’s center of excellence. Find more in”sites” on ArtofDigitalCommerce.com