Websites are still very much relevant in today’s society, even more so with the rise of mobile devices. Here are the five principles of website development in Atlanta that everyone should keep in mind when designing a website:
1. Page Structure & Navigation
A website can be structured in two ways, navigation based or page based.
A navigation based site is made up of a menu system that directs the visitor to different content pages. The focus is on getting visitors to the desired content as quickly as possible.
Page-based sites are divided into sections where each section has its own theme or topic, so the visitor knows what to expect when they click on it. They are more about offering information than directing users to specific pages.
The best structure for your website can depend on your goals. A navigation-based site is usually better for restaurants, travel agents, and other e-commerce companies with lots of products that are easy to navigate through. Page-based sites are better for blogs and other websites with recurring information.
2. Page Layout & Interaction
The layout of a website can be understood in terms of grids, which are used to create responsive layouts. Grid-based layout design is about dividing a page into columns and rows, which are then subdivided into smaller cells that will contain the content. This grid-based approach is also utilized by responsive layouts. The grid enables designers to control the way content is displayed on different devices by simply making adjustments.
3. Color & Typography
Understanding the science of color is one of the most important aspects of design. Colors can evoke different emotions and feelings in people, and this can result in better conversions.
4. Content Development & Management
Content management entails the creation and curation of content for a website. It is an important process. But it is one that people often complain about. A good content strategy for websites should include research about your target audience, understanding what your audience is interested in, and how to use this information to create compelling copy. The goal is to maximize the traffic to your website by making it easy for people to find what they are looking for.
5. Responsive Web Design Practices
Responsive Web Design is an approach to web design that adopts fluid, responsive designs so that the same website can work well on all browsers, platforms and devices. The basic idea of responsive website design in Atlanta is to have a website which is navigable across all screens – be it a small screen on a smartwatch or desktop computer. Therefore, the various elements of the page are optimized so that they are optimized for each of these screens. This would include images being cropped differently based on the width of the screen, different font sizes for readability etc.
