As a business owner, you may have to make some difficult choices about how to allocate your resources when it comes to the design, build, and maintenance of your company’s website. So, we thought we’d highlight some of the basics about website development to help your decision-making a little easier and so you can set your priorities in tune with what’s right for your business.
It’s a big investment to build or redesign your website, and it can be a process, so here are a few things you should know about how it all works.
Websites Run on Software
Website designers used to have to hand-code every element on every page of a website, and that took a lot of time. Now, web developers are usually able to utilize software which makes the process of building a website easier and faster. For example, it used to take a lot of time to do something seemingly “simple,” like update a company’s logo on their website. Designers would have to update the code on every single page the logo appeared. Now, a new logo image can be uploaded and quickly assigned to propagate to each page. Software has definitely made things easier, but it also comes with limitations. There are certain things some designers won’t be able to do if the software doesn’t allow it, or if they can do it, it means it’ll take them a lot more time which translates into a higher cost for you.
Website Design and Content Are Two Different Things
On a website, the content is all the text, images, and any other media. The website design is the set of instructions that signals to a visitor’s browser of how everything should be displayed. Many website designers aren’t content writers, nor are they graphic designers. So, they may need you to supply the written content and the digital files for all of your graphics to them, and it’s likely those won’t be included in the cost of merely designing you a functioning website. Before working with a website designer, it’s best to ask them what exactly their services include and understanding that the content and design are two different things can make the process easier. Check out our previous blog: Top 5 Questions to Ask a Website Developer for other tips on what to ask before you commit to a designer.
Tasks That Seem Simple Sometimes Aren’t… and vice versa
Make sure you clearly communicate with your designer about your budget, time considerations, and goals for your project because sometimes tasks can take a LOT more time and work than you think. For example, if a client asks to change the alignment and size of text boxes on a page of a website, it’s not just a couple of quick clicks. Since the component is placed on multiple pages, changing it on one page will change it on all the other pages. So the task the client thinks will take a few minutes actually requires a few hours worth of work. On the other hand, some seemingly difficult tasks can actually be done relatively easily with a plugin or a few tweaks! Make sure you communicate early and often throughout the project and provide lots of feedback to make the process go more smoothly and within time constraints and budget.
Standards Matter
There are certain features every website should have, and you should understand that your professional web designer has to work to incorporate those features into every design. For example, since 2015, Google has penalized websites that aren’t responsive on mobile devices, so it’s imperative to have a website that is just as responsive on tablets and smartphones as it is on a desktop computer. Sometimes, you’ll need to redesign or update your website based on the standards set by others (like Google), otherwise your website won’t truly shine like the gem it was meant to be. Which is why it’s also useful to have a professional to handle the ongoing maintenance of your site.
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Pearl John2023-09-08I am delighted with the website Valerie Tanswell has created for me. The process of building it was painless and Valerie was reliable, supportive and very creative.Tony Rhine2023-08-27Working with Valerie was an incredible experience. She was prompt and worked very hard to get our project done. She had great references for when we needed additional outside work done. The site looks amazing and the experience couldn't have been better.Eddie Lack2023-08-11Working with Valerie on my new website was an absolute pleasure. Her professionalism and easy-going nature made the process a breeze. From our initial discussion to the final result, Valerie's expertise shone through. Valerie's ability to understand and translate my ideas into a stunning website exceeded my expectations. She kept me updated every step of the way, incorporating my feedback seamlessly. The website speaks for itself - it's visually appealing, functional, and perfectly represents my brand. I've received numerous compliments from impressed clients and colleagues. I highly recommend Valerie for her creative talent and professionalism. She's turned my vision into reality and I couldn't be happier. Thank you, Valerie!Tanner Esparza2023-08-08Our company recently had the opportunity to work with Valerie and she exceeded our expectations. From the moment we began our project together, I was impressed with her professionalism and attention to detail. She was able to deliver high-quality work and was always available to answer any questions or concerns I had. Overall, I would highly recommend Tanswell Web Design to anyone looking for exceptional marketing services. She truly goes above and beyond to ensure her clients are satisfied with the results.Shane Alexander2023-08-03Excellent design and very timely!Carlos Suescun MD2023-07-29Valerie came to us like an angel at a time of need when we needed a trustful website designer to completely redo our website and start from scratch. She created a beautiful, elegant, and very easy to navigate website for our hormone replacement center. Communication was very professional and timely and Valerie was very responsive to my company's specific needs. I highly recommend Valerie to anyone in need of an excellent website designer. Thank you ValerieTheresa Paganini2023-07-20What gorgeous websites Valerie creates! She is so diligent about creating your vision and ensuring your needs are met. If you are looking for someone who is easy to work with and very very talented, go with Tanswell Web Design. Check out her portfolio and you'll be sold.Carolyn Cummings2023-05-08I am an author/academic who needed a professional website to showcase my ideas and my work-in-progress. I contacted Valerie at Tanswell Web Design and she got to work straight away. Within 24 hours I had some suggested design ideas for logos and colour schemes. There was so much content to be put into this website and it is in this sense that a designer with an aesthetic sense like Valerie's can make all the difference. Before I knew it, my content was arranged into short, sharp chunks so that those who just want a 'taster' can get a feel for what my work is about and those who want more can click on the links for longer reads and more images. There were times when Valerie's suggestions didn't match my vision for the website. No problem. We discussed it, she made the adjustments to suit me and we agreed on a solution. Valerie pays attention to what her clients want and a challenge is right up her street. I believe mine was the first author/academic website she has designed. I'll not hesitate to recommend her to my colleagues.susan pack2023-02-09So very pleased with the end result of my new website. “Construction” started at ground-zero and Tanswell Web Design was with me every step of the way. Thank you for meeting my goals & exceeding my expectations. Tanswell Web Design listened to every detail and implemented exactly what I wanted. Extremely impressed with their abilities & professionalism! Thank you!!Glenn Ostlund2023-01-11Valerie is an absolute joy to work with. She is incredibly professional, creative, responsive and kept our commuication very organized. The web design she created is gorgeous beyond anything I could have possibly imagined at the start of our project. I highly recommend Tanswell Web Design. No complaints. Thank you Valerie!
