COVID-19 has changed the way the world does business! The digital transformation has become inevitable; even businesses and industries that had previously turned away from digitization are taking a dive into it. Reason? The lockdowns have knocked a new sense of reality into the minds of businesses. Which is - "Earlier, going digital meant you were increasing your clientele, however now, if you aren't going digital, you are losing your clientele."
And this difference is why you need a website developed to stay relevant in the coming times; it doesn't matter which industry.
Now, is just about any website going to make the cut? Or is there any threshold to its sophistication? The simple answer is - it depends. But that's not what you came here for, so let's get through with the complex stuff.
What would your customers be looking for when they land on your website?
"People want character" is what the chief executive of a Chicago-based web advisory firm had to say.
Your website needs to showcase your uniqueness. It needs to state who you are and what makes you different from your competitors. From the homepage's layout to the contact us page, you need to have a customized look. It needs to be part of your brand. And remember, your brand is who you are to your clients.
What's a design or a development to a website?
"Web Design" and "Web Development" are terms usually used interchangeably. When looking for a website or a redesign of an existing website, there's often confusion as to which to use and which does what? There always seems to be a blurry line surrounding these two terms.
Let's decipher them. Despite sounding similar, the difference between a web developer and a web designer is huge. Although there are individuals who are able to do both, they are fundamentally and functionally different.
So, when it comes to the design aspects of your website, the question you will be answering is, "How strong do you want your brand to appear online?" This is how your business gets perceived by your customers, the people you are trying to attract, and the people buying your products/services from you.
In other words, how important is the brand-image to your customers? The more you concentrate on the designing aspects of your website, the more you impact your prospects with the power of your branding.
Likewise, when it comes to the development aspect of your website, the question you will be answering is, "How solid should the structure/framework of my website be?" Yes, web developers are the programmers working on your website's core coding, fixing bugs, and making your whole website function like a charm. They are usually experts at coding with extensive knowledge of different programming languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and more.
Custom web design that stands the test of time
A template adjusted for the blog is not a ‘custom-design’. It’s like adding an extra ingredient to the recipe of a well-known chef and calling it your own. It does not work that way. There is a world of a difference between compromising your ideas according to a template that you pick from the internet versus creating a design from scratch that is made for your business.
In essence, a web design refers to the aesthetics of the website, from the overall layout to the different visual elements associated with the website. This is because the design needs to reflect the brand, the vision and mission, the message, and the core value that will talk to the prospective customer and bring them to you as a loyal ambassador for life.
But why a custom design? Because it’s going to feel more “you” than any other pre-built template ever could. However, there are other aspects to it as well. Your business might be similar to others out there, but you still are unique, and so should be your website. Working with templates limits your design potential, even when it’s a premium one. A customized design can be modified and expanded to suit your business needs. And, of course, it’s harder for your competitors to imitate your website, ultimately giving you a higher ROI.
What are the key aspects of a customized web design?
- Balance of elements - One of the most important responsibilities of a web designer is to create a balanced layout across the entirety of your website. The balance between the heavy elements (the larger aesthetics and the darker colours) and the light elements (the smaller aesthetics and the lighter colours) should be optimized. Making use of the right proportion is critical to achieving the desired balance.
- Contrasting visuals - When it comes to colour contrasts, they can make or break the website's visual appeal. In theory, contrasting colours when placed together should complement each other. The other aspects of contrast within a web design include contrasting sizes, textures, and shapes that draw attention to and define certain sections of the webpage.
- Negative space - Called the white space, it is the space between layouts, paragraphs, each line of the paragraph, between UI elements, and such. What makes it significant is that it makes the content easily scannable and legible. The empty space helps create a visually pleasing ambiance without too much clutter distracting the visitors from the focus-object. It also allows the designer to guide the views wherever needed. And, white space doesn't literally mean an empty white background, but rather any colour, texture, patterns, or even an image.
- Highlighting - By intentional emphasis of certain design elements within the website's layout, the designer draws the attention of the visitors. However, it is very important to consider the highlights as a sprinkle of salt, as even a little too much could take away from the website's flavour.
- Consistency in art - Yes, keeping the visual aspects of the design going throughout the entirety of the website is equally important. This enhances the brand identity associated with your website, giving your users familiarity and navigational comfort.
- Functionality - Ultimately, all the design elements should work together to create a unified experience. And the relationship between the website's layout and the different visual aspects should create a wholesome experience and functionality.
Custom web development services to enrich the user experience
On the other hand, a custom web developer or a programmer is considered as the life-giver to an inanimate object such as an image or a page layout. A web developer has the potential to take the design elements and break it into functional components of a website. Can convert a static layout into a dynamic website for a better overall user experience.
Though the website’s styling and aesthetics play an important role in attracting/keeping views, it’s the custom web development that enables creating a high-quality fluid experience for the visitors, which they expect. In fact, studies show that customized websites have higher user engagement and better conversion potential.
What are the aspects involved in custom web development services?
Back-end development
Back-end web development is the management of the website's core programming. Developers engaged in back-end processes are usually expert programmers with complex software knowledge in languages such as Java, SQL, and C#. However, these processes run in the background (hence the name) on web servers and databases unseen by users.
It involves a lot of testing and bug fixes as well.
Front-end development
Also known as client-side development, it involves using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create visual objects, such as lead forms and entries. Hence is more connected to the web designing aspect of the creation process than the back-end development process.
In short, it involves a lot of coding work. However, they build frameworks that the users can actually interact with.
Full-stack development
A full-stack developer is a combination of both the front end and back end of development. It can be considered as essentially a complete package. So, when it comes to custom web development agencies, they are an expert in all areas of development.
With the combined powers of design & development
So, why is having a customized solution for both web design and web development important? It’s because they complement each other. A web designer for digital marketing is going to help bring brand awareness to your business, while the developer is going to help build the site's core structure.
And since your website answers the questions that the prospect would have and behave the way he/she would expect, the intuition and customer satisfaction that comes with customized web development and design is unparalleled.
At Vajra Global, we have the strengths of both, and we are here to share this strength with you. To create your next dream website!