Website design in 2021 for business. What's it and who does it?

Looking for a web designer to design and develop your website? Well, there are a whole lot of us developers and designers with selling points in amazing pitches to offer you today. But, do you know how a refined website design that sells looks like? Or who amongst the developers and designers will offer the best design for you? Well, don’t sweat it, I got you in this article.

So, what’s web design?

Designing a website is a web development process that focuses on content, usability, aesthetics, visibility and interaction in order to make a website more visually appealing and easy to use. Web design identifies the goals of a website or webpage and promotes accessibility for all potential users. Web designers of this age need to think about the audience, the purpose of the website and the visual appeal of the design in order to create a refined design.

Most business owners don’t need to understand the nitty-gritty of web design, but it can help to know the basics before beginning a conversation about having a website or changing your web design. Websites are generally created using a markup language called HTML that makes up the structure for your website. The layout and appearance of the elements within a webpage are defined using CSS, or cascading style sheets. Lastly, JavaScript or JS is used to add interactive elements to websites. While HTML, CSS and JS are used to design the look and feel of a website, images and vector graphics are vital. Therefore, graphic design may overlap with web design.

Designing a website

In 2021 web designers have three main ways they can design websites. The first group of web designers, like me, prefer to hand code pages (typing HTML, CSS & JS from scratch). The second group of web designers use "WYSIWYG" editors like Adobe Dreamweaver. These editors provide a visual interface for designing the webpage layout and the software automatically generates the corresponding HTML and CSS code. The third and possibly the most popular way to design websites is with a content management system (CMS) platform like WordPress, Wix, Weebly, Squarespace or Joomla. These services provide website templates that can be used as a starting point for designing a new website. Web designers can then customize the layout and add/replace content using a web-based interface.

In website design, there are two common web design methods: adaptive and responsive design. Adaptive design, is less prevalent, and basically uses static layouts based on breakpoints of standard screen sizes as frames for layouts that don't respond to changes in screen size once initially loaded. Responsive design, on the other hand is fluid and adapts to the size of the screen no matter what the target device is. The content of a responsive website moves dynamically according to the screen size. You can check out how responsive any website is by using a web-based tool I created called JustResponsive.

As I have stated earlier in my previous article, a well-designed website with proper content can be more than just an information resource tool. It can be a very powerful marketing tool and a medium for enhancing the user experience for your customers. It’s 2021 and as important as social media is for businesses, websites have niched to shaping the online perception and messaging of businesses in a way that social media has been unable to. A website’s design impacts how your audience perceives your brand. The impression you make on them can either get them to remain on your page and learn about your business or bounce on your page and turn to a competitor.

Finding the best Web Designer For Your Website

When looking for a website developer or website designer it’s important to find a web designer who has mastered the principles of design. Look at the designer’s portfolio (here is mine) and:

• Search for designs that you particularly like the look (although, don't forget that designers produce whatever is required to appeal to the target audience - so just because the sites in the portfolio aren't your style don't be put off).
• Think objectively, look at the websites and consider whether you would enjoy using them if you were in their target audience. Would you be impressed enough by the company/business to get in touch? Is it easy enough to use?

By considering these two practical principles for choosing a web designer, I guarantee you a design that will satisfy both you and your prospective clients. If you are looking to create a website, I (Elly Wambwa) can be sure to help you. Get in touch with me today. Let's build that website with proper content and a neat design that meets functionality for you.