Web Development

Creating a website is an important process that requires careful planning and execution. A website is the face of a company or personal project on the internet, and its quality determines how successfully it can attract clients, create a positive impression, and meet the objectives set for it. In this article, we will go over the key stages of website creation, starting from the initial idea to its successful launch.

Usually, for most web studios, preparation for creating a website is a cornerstone and the most complex stage of work, often requiring various inputs from the client. In this way, those who may know how to build websites but lack business expertise try to make their lives easier at the expense of the customer.

But don’t despair or give this too much weight. In reality, we will guide you step by step through all these stages. In many cases, we won’t ask you but rather suggest the most effective solutions based on our experience in your field of activity, showing you how to proceed and what to choose.

Nevertheless, we offer you a complete systematic approach to preparing the creation of your dream website, so you have an understanding of how this process looks in its classical form.

Contents
Defining the Website’s Goals
Planning the Structure
Website Design
Choosing the Platform and Technologies
Development and Programming
Content Creation
Testing
Website Launch
Promotion and Support
Conclusion on Website Creation Stages

Defining the Website’s Goals and Objectives

The first and one of the most important stages is defining the goals and objectives your website will serve. Before starting development, it is essential to understand why you need a website and what functions it should perform.

Questions to Ask Yourself at This Stage:

• What will be the primary goal of the website? Sales, information, brand promotion, or other tasks? Usually, for a relatively small company’s website, the main objective is lead generation — that is, attracting potential customers interested in your products or services. Everything else is secondary.

• Who is the target audience of the website? What are their needs and expectations? You should always communicate with people in their language and offer what they require, just as every type of fish needs specific bait. This involves marketing segmentation.

• What key functions and features should the website include? An online store, blog, portfolio, or something else? What tools will your site use to meet the goals set for the chosen audience?

At this stage, you form a basic vision of the future site. The clearer you understand its goals and objectives, the easier it will be in the next development stages.

Planning and Structure

After defining the website’s goals, the next step is planning, which includes creating a technical specification (TS) and determining the site’s structure. At this point, you must decide whether it will be a costly, fully custom project for a unique business idea or a suitable solution in an already established niche for your audience.

Developing the Technical Specification (TS)

A TS is a document that describes in detail how your website should function, including its pages and features. It accounts for design, functionality, technology, security, and other aspects. If it’s a unique project, such as a new marketplace or a social network different from existing ones, you need to sit down and write the specification. But in most cases, we already have pre-prepared solutions for you.

Defining the Site Structure

At this stage, a sitemap is developed, which graphically represents the structure of the future website. The main sections, subcategories, and relationships between pages are determined. For example, an e-commerce site might include the following sections: homepage, product catalog, product pages, cart, contact, blog, etc.

A well-planned website structure will improve navigation and user experience (UX), positively influencing how visitors interact with your resource.

Website Design

The design of a website is its visual component, affecting how users perceive it and their overall experience interacting with it. At this stage, it’s important to make the website not only attractive but also functional and easy to use.

There are two approaches: fully custom development or significant savings by purchasing a ready-made design and customizing it.

Determining the Style and Color Palette

The design should match your brand and evoke the desired emotions in users. The color palette, fonts, and style should harmonize with the logo, corporate identity, and overall message of the company.

It’s essential to stick to the adopted corporate style. However, changes to the color palette of a ready-made design can be easily customized by a professional using a quality content management system, which usually takes just a few minutes. Thus, opting for a costly unique design may not be necessary.

Creating Prototypes and Layouts

A prototype is a draft version of the website showing how its structure, element placement, and main functional zones will look. At this stage, it’s crucial to design each element with user convenience in mind. Prototypes can be static or interactive, allowing you to evaluate how the website will function in reality.

In many cases, we are ready to provide you with several ready-made prototypes of how your website will look and what it will feature. Again, if the project is unique, you will likely start with prototype and layout development as a separate phase.

The Importance of UX/UI

UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface) are key design aspects influencing how convenient and pleasant it is for users to interact with the website. Well-designed UX/UI increases user engagement and boosts conversions.

In this aspect, the approach should not aim for uniqueness but should prioritize what is intuitive and familiar to users. Consider which type of website you prefer: one where you can’t find anything and buttons behave unpredictably, or one where navigation feels natural and provides the information you need effortlessly.

Choosing the Platform and Technologies

Once the design and structure of the site are ready, it’s essential to choose the right platform for creating it.

Platforms for Website Creation

Today, there are many platforms available for building websites. The most popular are WordPress, Joomla, builders like Tilda (which we do not recommend), and custom development. The platform should be chosen based on the project’s complexity, budget, and business needs. For example, WordPress suits most projects and is used by up to 70% of websites worldwide, whereas custom development might be necessary for complex online stores with unique functionality. We have a comprehensive article on choosing the right site system for your needs: “What kind of website do you need?”

Hosting and Domain

Hosting is where your website will be stored, and the domain is its address on the internet. Choosing the right hosting and domain is a crucial step since they affect the site’s speed and availability. For business websites, it’s recommended to choose a reliable hosting provider with SSL certificate support to ensure security.

For our clients, we handle all the hosting and domain setup as part of our contract. The client only needs to maintain the project by paying approximately 5 euros a month for hosting renewal or, with a discount, pay the provider directly for the whole year.

Development Technologies

If you choose custom development, it’s important to determine which programming languages and frameworks will be used for the website. The most commonly used are HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and MySQL databases.

It’s wise not to opt for exotic solutions as this can lead to future challenges or even problems. Today, the vast majority of websites are built using these languages and technologies, making it easier to find specialists for maintenance, development, and fixing issues that may arise in the future.

Development and Programming

The development stage involves implementing the website’s design and functionality.

Front-end Development and Coding

Front-end development is responsible for the visual part of the website that users interact with. It involves the layout of web pages using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The goal is to make the design responsive, meaning it should display correctly on all devices, including smartphones and tablets.

Back-end Development and Programming

Back-end development refers to the server side of the website, responsible for its logic, databases, and functionality. This is where coding languages such as PHP, Python, Ruby, and others come into play. Back-end developers ensure the site works correctly, processes requests, manages data, and maintains security.

Content Creation

Content is the heart of your website. Without valuable and relevant content, the website won’t be able to fulfill its functions effectively. Content includes texts, images, videos, and other materials that will be placed on the pages.

Creating Text Content

Text should be clear, engaging, and meet SEO (Search Engine Optimization) requirements to help the website rank higher in search engine results. Your content should also reflect your company’s tone and style and provide value to the users.

Choosing Images and Media

High-quality images and videos significantly improve the site’s visual appeal. It’s essential to choose media content that matches your brand and website’s theme. Use stock photos or hire a photographer to create unique images.

Testing

Testing is a critical stage of website creation that should not be neglected. At this point, you must ensure that the website functions correctly on all browsers, devices, and screen resolutions.

Usability Testing

Usability testing involves checking how easy and convenient it is for users to navigate the website and interact with its elements. Problems with navigation or usability can negatively affect the user experience, leading to high bounce rates.

Cross-Browser and Cross-Device Testing

The website should be tested in different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.) and on various devices (PCs, smartphones, tablets) to ensure it displays and functions correctly everywhere.

Functional Testing

Functional testing checks if all the site’s features, such as forms, buttons, search, cart, and others, are working correctly.

Website Launch

After completing testing and finalizing all aspects of the site, it’s time for the long-awaited moment — the website launch. The launch process involves deploying the website on the hosting platform, setting up the domain, and making the site available to users.

Promotion and Support

Launching a website is just the beginning. After its launch, regular promotion and technical support are essential to ensure its growth and development.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is a set of actions aimed at improving the website’s visibility in search engines like Google. This includes keyword optimization, meta tags, building backlinks, and ensuring fast page loading times.

Content Updates and Site Maintenance

It’s essential to regularly update the content on the website to keep users engaged and improve SEO. Regular technical maintenance is also necessary to ensure the site functions smoothly, and any emerging bugs or issues are promptly resolved.

Conclusion on Website Creation Stages

Creating a website is a multifaceted and time-consuming process that includes defining goals, planning, design, development, testing, and promotion. To make the site effective and user-friendly, it’s essential to go through all these stages carefully and thoughtfully. By following these steps, you’ll create a quality product that will meet business needs and attract your target audience.

Ready to create a website? Order a consultation now to calculate your project’s budget and learn how to optimize costs.