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There are many steps involved in creating a website. Each of them requires expertise and a specialist of a certain profile. Website development is a bit like building a house. It is divided into different stages - pouring the foundation, building load-bearing walls, roofing, etc. If you skip one of the steps, you can't build a house, and if you do, no one can live in it.
If we consider the stages of website development, then everything works according to the same principle. If at least one of the steps of its creation is neglected or skipped altogether, then the whole idea loses its meaning, because the resource will not be able to work normally and fulfill its task, be it sales or representation on the Internet.
The customer must understand what stages are hidden behind the mysterious term "website creation", and why each of them is important.
The main stages of creating a future site from start to finish:
formulation of the problem;
elaboration and approval of technical specifications;
website design layout development;
page layout;
functional part programming;
website promotion and content filling;
testing and subsequent tuning;
making edits.
Also, when creating a website, the developer connects hosting and chooses a domain name. The content management system is being configured.
If all these points are properly followed, customers receive a product that is completely ready for work.
Objective of the project
The goal of web studios at the initial stage of working with a client is to collect any available information to help the client clearly formulate the tasks of the future project. Therefore, the first question asked by the developer to the customer is: "Why do you want to create a site?"
The most common goals and objectives for which websites are created:
recognition, attracting new customers and partners;
presentation of the company, its activities or services;
sale of goods or products;
attracting target audience and redirecting to other channels;
organization of an advertising campaign for a specific product or brand.
At the stage of setting and understanding the task, the performer begins to understand the client's business, ask leading questions. He may ask about the advantages over competitors, potential visitors and what the client does not want to see on the resource. This helps to form a concept of what the customer expects from the product and what implementation methods should be used.
Terms of Reference - a document that fixes the requirements for the project. It always precedes the creation of the website. With the help of TK, it is determined what the final product will be. Also, due to technical tasks, the number of disagreements between the customer and the web studio is reduced. This is due to the fact that the technical specification minimizes the number of errors and risks of failure to meet the deadline for work.
The goals and objectives of the site determine the structure of the technical task A competently drawn up TK includes the following sections:
description of the project, that is, information about the business and target audience;
targets and goals;
glossary of terms;
technologies used and hosting requirements;
detailed structure;
design requirements;
layout requirements;
functionality;
description of internal pages;
graphic and text content;
project deadlines.
After writing and agreeing on the terms of reference, you can accurately estimate the cost of the project and call clear terms.
We wrote in detail about the preparation of the technical assignment earlier in the article "Why is it so important to draw up a technical task before creating a website." We described the stages of development of the technical specification, its benefits and what will happen if you skip this stage.
When the development of the site concept is over, the work moves on to the next stage - design.
Initially, website design development starts with prototyping. This is a schematic arrangement of blocks. Prototyping is done so that the customer can see the main elements of the pages, the structure of the site.
If everything suits the customer, a full-fledged design is developed. Only at this stage does the web designer draw the layouts. It is based on the terms of reference and is based on the entire concept of the site.
The main elements of design development:
style - the site is developed in a pre-selected style. Mixing of different elements is not allowed, which the visitor will certainly notice;
Structure - Applying a modular grid will make content visible and simple. Well-structured information is easier for the user to perceive;
call-to-action objects - buttons that call to make a purchase, subscribe, contact an organization should be conspicuous.
To make a good design, you need to clearly understand the target audience and their idea of the ideal website. When creating a website about caring for newborns, it is better not to make it on a black background and with a grotesque font, because breastfeeding and a bathtub evoke completely different associations.
When the design is approved, it is transferred to the layout designer.
The next stage of creation is the layout or creation of the structure of the html-code. For layout of the site, text or graphic programs are used. Competent layout should be:
cross-browser - correct display of the resource in popular browsers;
valid - compliance of CSS / HTML code with W3C standards.
Programming
The programming process is the stage that links together the management system, design and site interface. The logic of the portal is also "implemented", algorithms for the interaction of the user with the site and the relationship of the page with external resources are written. That is, at this stage of development, the design layout is transformed into a full-fledged website.
The programmer is engaged in improving the website loading speed, its engine, and security.
SEO promotion is a set of measures aimed at increasing the visibility of a site in search engines for certain user requests. There are conditionally two directions of optimization methods, but only with comprehensive optimization can a site really be in the top of search engine results.
Internal optimization is what you can do on the site itself to improve your ranking in search results. This is the elimination of problems with indexing, linking, i.e. linking pages with hyperlinks, writing high-quality content, improving loading, adapting to mobile devices. Offsite optimization is something that can be done off-site to increase its relevance. Search engines consider all sites according to this criterion. Basic methods: registration in specialized directories, link exchange, posting articles on other resources, representation in social networks. These are methods that will help the site to take the first positions in the results of Google and Yandex.
Special attention should be paid to content. It is a handy site optimization tool that includes text content, images, audio and video materials, flash banners. Content-filling predetermines how successful the resource promotion among users will be. Therefore, the requirements for the content include the uniqueness of the texts, usefulness, competent presentation and design, compliance with search engine queries.
The developer tests the site in several stages. The more complex the project, the more time it takes to check and debug. The main stages of testing are:
preparatory work, including the analysis of technical specifications, the study of the final layouts and the preparation of a site testing plan.
Functional testing, including checking the operation of mandatory functions, the speed of uploading files to the server.
Layout testing, where the layout of the elements is checked, the optimization of graphic information, the validity of the code.
Usability testing, that is, assessing the convenience of a resource for users with different levels of skills and abilities.
Security testing, which is a test of the protection of critical pages from external influences.
Performance testing to help determine the speed of a service during an influx of traffic.
In addition, font checks, 404 errors and a search for broken links are carried out.
Making and discussing edits is an important stage in the development of a site. The developer shows the final product to the client, and the client checks it: tests the buttons, evaluates the design and the logic of information presentation. It often happens that a customer can see that a line has moved somewhere, that the distance between banners is not maintained, or that there is a broken link. The client sends all his comments to the developer and they are finalized.
It is difficult to test all the functions of the site right away during its transfer to the customer. Therefore, WebCase provides customers with a 6 month warranty. During this time, if the customer encounters an error, we will fix it free of charge.
A business card site is a simple and lightweight type of site, the content of which is limited to 2-4 pages. In essence, it is a virtual business card.
A business card site should be optimized for search engines, have a competent structure, understandable for users, and a simple design. However, the main difference between a business card site and a large site is its laconicism, which does not imply a huge number of pages and an abundance of text and graphic information.
functionality. A business card site is at the same time a business card, an advertising platform and a round-the-clock representative office of the company;
relatively fast development speed. It takes less time to create a business card site than to create a large corporate portal;
convenience. The content of the site does not need constant updating of information, replenishment with new articles and supervision by a content manager.
In the future, with proper revision, the business card site can be expanded to an online store or corporate site.
A business card site is created for the presentation of companies, an offline store or as a portfolio for a specialist. It builds brand awareness and grabs the attention of potential customers.
The goals of creating a business card site:
representation of the company on the Internet. In modern conditions, it is difficult for a business to exist without online representation. Moreover, today the owners of companies are striving for digitalization. And online presence is an important step towards digital transformation;
for offline stores. With the help of a business card site, a larger number of users learn about the offered goods. Also, the ranks of the target audience will be replenished with residents of other cities and even countries;
as a portfolio for a specialist
for the presentation of a service or product.
You can compare a business card site with an advertising sign. The resource also works round the clock and attracts users from different fields of activity and different income. However, the message of a business card site is to provide information about an organization or a private entrepreneur. That is, the visitor learns the occupation, experience and qualifications, distinctive features and necessary contacts.
The difference between a business card site and a corporate site is the lack of comprehensive answers to customer questions. The electronic business card is free of heavy modules - news block, photo and video gallery, forum.
Sometimes a business card site is identified with a landing page, which is fundamentally wrong. Landing Page works "aggressively": persistent calls to action, "hot" promotions, encouraging purchase arguments. The virtual business card does not work with these methods. It works more on reputation and brand recognition, while the task of a landing page is to sell goods or services.
What should a business card site contain?
The correct business card site includes such mandatory sections as "About the company", "About goods and services", "Contacts". The scope of its functionality is more modest than that of a corporate portal. Sometimes a contact form is enough for a business card.
This section describes in detail the activities and basic tenets of the organization - the history of the company, its occupation, features and achievements, advantages over competitors. Also, the section often contains reviews from grateful customers. After reading the information, the visitor should understand what the company is doing and what benefits the cooperation will bring.
This page describes in detail the products and services that the company provides. Here are high-quality photos of goods, prices. If necessary, the function of downloading a price list or a catalog file is introduced to the site, where the product range with the current cost is detailed.
Here, the business cards indicate the maximum contact information: address, phone number, opening hours, e-mail, instant messengers (Telegram, Viber, Whatsapp), integrated social networks. The section often contains a map showing the physical location of the company - some customers are interested in where the company is located. Also important is information about the presence or absence of parking, which should be immediately indicated. The presence of a feedback form with a free field for comments will not hurt either.
Why a business card site should be made by a specialist
There are many free and paid builders that offer
users to create a website that will be relatively inexpensive. Undoubtedly, self-development of business card sites will help save money that the web studio will require for the services provided.
However, there is one "but" - everyone should mind their own business. Even creating a small and light business card website requires web development skills. A specialist must understand user behavior on a particular page, how to correctly arrange modules with information, how to optimize a site.
The business card is the face of the company. She should look nice, inspire confidence and speak of the company's reputation. To get a good business card site, you need to contact a specialist for development.
Prices
We approach each customer and his business individually. Despite the fact that all business card sites have similar elements, the price for the development of a particular site is negotiated on a personal basis. It depends on the way the site is implemented, the complexity of its idea, design, and so on.
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