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What is Web Design All About?

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There are well over 1.7 billion websites in the world, and organisations of all types and sizes need one. Yet, there are still many myths and misunderstandings about them, alongside too much money wasted on sites that perform badly. So, what is web design all about?

Looks aren’t everything

It’s important to stress that the word ‘design’ in this context means a great deal more than simply aesthetics. Yes, an attractive website is important. It’s part of something called your User Interface, which includes making your brand obvious and attractive on every page.

However, good website design involves creating strong website performance too, the sort of architectural factors that ensure you get a good return on your investment.

What skills are needed for effective web design?

The above point is why so many DIY websites fail to generate sales or even to attract enough page visitors.

A website design company goes beyond appearances, as it knows how to:

  • Pin down business goals
  • Identify target customers
  • Research competitor activities
  • Innovate on graphical content
  • Build vital functions, such as search options
  • Streamline load speeds and navigation
  • Find relevant plug-ins
  • Make pages more ‘searchable’
  • Create user-centric web pages

What is meant by user-centric web design?

Some of the best website designs ‘on paper’ fail to hold on to their target customers, such as a website that’s stunning on large screens, but fiddly to use on smartphones, alienating younger users instantly.

User-centric design links to another commonly used term in website design; user experience or UX. Put simply, things like SEO and online ads are a waste of money if you leak leads from your web pages. The best website management company will provide you with strong UX and a web design that converts leads seamlessly and consistently by matching user expectations, preferences and behaviours.

Constant evaluation

When considering, ‘What is web design all about?’, it’s also important to understand it’s not a quick fix for business success.

The best website designs are constantly assessed and improved. This is another reason DIY websites fail, and why website hosting and management services are so invaluable. They provide you with proactive and creative help to keep your website relevant and successful.

Web design Gloucestershire

Real Internet offers affordable, adaptable web designs that are about performance as well as aesthetics, so contact us today to learn more.

What is Meant by Web Page Design?

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Websites are integral to the effective and successful operation of a business, but when it comes to putting a website together, what does web page design mean exactly?

Web page design explained

When a web design company creates a website, it needs to consider the functions and goals of the site, as well as the target audience. This information is used to decide how to put each page together, and how each page will contribute to the look and feel of the entire website.

Each page will be designed with a focus on aspects such as appearance, layout, choice of colours, text, and fonts, using specific design software or templates. Special attention will be paid to making sure that the brand elements of a company are included on each page, whether that’s on a home page, an about us page or a contact page.

When designing a web page, it’s not just how information is put together that matters. Designers will also make sure that the white or empty space on the page allows the rest of the elements to easily flow together to enhance the user experience.

Page design

Web designers have a choice of various software and design templates they can use when putting a website together, and which one they choose often depends on what the site or pages are intended to achieve. E-commerce pages may need a different design structure than a simple information page, for instance, while a contact page will need a form layout, including buttons and a drop-down menu.

Some pages of a website can, however, be designed using the same template, so that their background, menus, and header images all look identical on each page. Each page may then be given its own specific design elements to differentiate it from the other pages.

User-friendly design

In order to create a successful web page design, a website management company will need to ensure that users can view the site on all different types of devices, including desktop computers and smartphones.

Web pages will be designed for use on different devices using either adaptive or responsive design. In adaptive design, web pages are designed in fixed layouts that match different screen sizes, while page content moves dynamically to suit the screen size in responsive design.

If you’re looking for effective web design services to create a web page design for your site, get in touch with us today.

What is Adaptive Web Design?

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Adaptive web design allows users to view a website on multiple devices, but what does this involve and how does this differ from other types of web design?

Adaptive web design explained

First coined by web developer Aaron Gustafson back in 2011, adaptive web design is, essentially, a way of allowing a website to be viewed across multiple devices. More of us now use a range of devices to view web pages, with smartphones now trumping desktop computers in terms of use, and web design services have had to change to accommodate the different ways we look and search online.

Adaptive web design has become one of the leading solutions used for browsing on different devices. It involves the creation of different web layouts that are fixed, and which can be adapted to suit various sizes of screen. Therefore, instead of having a single, static page that looks similar across all devices, with adaptive web design you get a number of web page versions that fit a particular device.

This means that a website design company might develop different designs for various screen widths to suit mobile phones, laptops, desktop PCs and tablets.

Benefits of adaptive web design

A web design company may choose an adaptive design because it offers a number of different benefits. Since it is designed for various resolution sizes, it is considered relevant and specific to a user’s needs. It also delivers faster loading speeds, particularly compared to other types of design.

Isn’t it the same as responsive design?

If you’ve heard of adaptive web design, then chances are you’ve probably heard of responsive design, too. These phrases are often used interchangeably, and many people assume they are much the same thing. However, there are subtle variations between the two. While adaptive design consists of different layouts, there’s only one in responsive design, which responsively adjusts to fit the user’s screen. It is the browser window that decides on the layout with responsive design, while the back-end, as opposed to the browser or user, determines the layout in adaptive design. The server selects the correct layout according to factors such as operating system and device type.

Find out more about adaptive design for your website, by contacting our expert website team today.

What is a Sitemap in Web Design?

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A sitemap is one of the most crucial aspects associated with developing and designing a website, but what is it exactly and why is it so essential to creating an effective, user-friendly site?

Sitemaps explained

A sitemap is akin to a blueprint or road map for a website. It’s a visual representation created by a web developer to detail the layout of a website and its contents before it gets produced.

Usually drawn on a large piece of paper, a sitemap consists of boxes to represent each web page, set out in a hierarchy, with the most important at the top. The boxes for each page will detail what content will be included, with arrows to show how each page connects to each other.

A web design company will also list on the sitemap what the goals and functions of the website will be, so close collaboration between the website management company and the client is key to creating a successful sitemap, and, therefore, an effective website.

Easier collaboration

Since there are often lots of parties involved with creating a website, including the client, developer, designer, web hosting company and, possibly, an account manager, having a sitemap that everyone agrees on before the website is created ensures it can be developed smoothly and seamlessly, with fewer problems along the way.

By creating a website’s layout on paper before it gets put together for real, the website design company can make sure each part of the site will flow together and function effectively so that no costly or time-consuming changes would need to be made once the site is in the actual design and development stages

Improved user-experience

A sitemap also provides benefits for anyone visiting a website, as it allows a user to see how the pages are organised in a hierarchical structure, to enable easy navigation and an improved user experience. Since the sitemap includes details of what will be included on the website, it also ensures there’s no room for any duplicate or superfluous content. This promotes a high-quality website that will be favoured by search engines.

Indeed, search engines and web crawlers look at sitemaps when determining the ranking of a site, so it’s a good move to have an effective sitemap as part of your SEO strategies.

If you’re looking for effective web design services in the South West UK, contact us at Real Internet today.

What is a Web Design Company?

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Having a top-class website is a must for digital marketing in the modern age. To create a great website, you’ll need to work with a reputable web design company, but what are they and what do they do?

What is a web design company?

In simple terms, a web design company is a company that designs and builds websites for businesses, public bodies, charities, and personal use. During your first consultation with a web design company, they will sit down and find out more about their client. They will also dig deeper into what the client needs their site to do, how they want it to look and what features they need on it. Once this consultation phase is complete, their team of expert web designers will build the site according to the client’s wishes.

Web hosting

Although designing and building websites is their prime service, many web design companies also offer web hosting services. This makes it convenient to find reliable hosting in the same place you have your website built.

In addition, some can bring existing WordPress sites into their hosting plans, even if you do not want a new site built. Some web design companies also specialise in areas such as graphic design and branding, which can be useful if you need help in sourcing the best marketing materials to stand out from competitors.

Why hire a web design company?

Some business owners may wonder why they should spend money hiring a web design company. After all, could you not save money by designing and building it yourself? While this is possible, it is likely that the site you end up with will almost certainly not be as responsive, stylish, and practical as one built by professional web designers.

Contact Real Internet today

At Real Internet, we have many years of experience in building websites that are not only feature-heavy and fast, but great to look at too. We also offer a range of additional services to clients in South West UK, from web hosting to graphic design and branding. Get in touch with us for more details.

 

 

What is a CMS in Web Design?

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If you’ve ever tried to build your own website, you might have come across the term ‘CMS’. CMS stands for Content Management System, and it’s a type of software that can be used to build and manage a website. Building a website using a CMS is a cost-effective and practical way to create a website that can be edited by anyone in your team for years to come.

What is a CMS website?

A CMS is any specific software that is used to create a website. Inside the CMS dashboard, users can edit website features, tweak the website design, and add and remove content to webpages. To manage websites at this simple level, most CMSs do not require any programming knowledge.

Some examples of popular CMSs include:

  • WordPress
  • Drupal
  • Magento
  • Duda
  • Joomla
  • Wix

While all CMSs are designed with the goal of creating easy, accessible website building and editing, they all look and work a little differently under the hood, which is why many people prefer a particular CMS over others. Here, at Real Internet, we tend to use WordPress, but we also have experience in using other systems.

CMSs are designed to make website building and editing simple and accessible to everyone. Web developers and designers build websites using CMSs because it’s fast and effective, and because these sites can then be passed on to clients who can update, edit, and re-arrange website content without any input from technical teams in the future. Reasons why CMSs are popular include:

  • A CMS enables non-technical teams to manage and update their own websites without input from developers. This is cost-effective, efficient, and allows content teams to retain control of their own data.
  • A CMS keeps web design and content separate. If you want to redesign your website, you can do so without having to rewrite or re-enter all your existing content.
  • Many CMS packages include additional tools for marketing, SEO, and analytics that can help you track website traffic and improve visibility.

Content Management Systems are designed to be affordable, simple, secure, and ideal for use by businesses of all sizes. Different systems will have their own strengths and weaknesses, but almost any web project can be successfully completed using contemporary CMSs.

Get in touch

At Real Internet, we offer an affordable web design service in the South West UK. Our web design service combines our expertise and experience while allowing you to retain complete control over your website. To find out more about our services, get in touch today.

What is a Child Page in Web Design?

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Websites are key in modern business and give companies an effective digital marketing tool to build their online presence with. Of course, the key to this is great web design which focuses on speed, responsiveness, and user experience. One web design term you might have come across before is a child page. But what are they and why should websites use them?

What is a child page in web design?

In short, a child page is a page on your website which is found underneath another page. The page it is underneath is usually referred to as the parent page. A good example is a ‘Company History’ page on a website which is accessed via the overall ‘About Us‘ page. In this case, ‘Company History’ is the child page as it is placed underneath the parent ‘About Us’ page.

Why are child pages useful in web design?

One major advantage using child pages in web design brings is easier site navigation. It allows you to form relationships between relevant web pages and makes it easier for people to get around. The knock-on effect of this is that your site becomes more user friendly and enjoyable to spend time on too.

What else makes child pages worth using in web design?

Child pages also help to give a professional look to your website and make it obvious to users that you have invested time in creating a quality site. This is great for your brand image and may help persuade consumers to shop with you or hire you. Using child pages is also a good move for SEO. Search engine robots who crawl websites usually look more favourably on those who make navigation simpler with features like this. It will be a lot better than having masses of individual pages to crawl which exist on a standalone basis.

Let Real Internet help you get the most from your website

While the above points set out what a child page is and why they are worth using, you may not know how to implement them. If this is the case, contact Real Internet today on 01454 806570 for assistance. Based in Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire, we are a web design company that serves the whole of the Southwest UK.

Get in touch today, so can we unleash the power of child pages on your website!

How to Pick a Web Design Company

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There are lots of web design companies that will promise to build you the perfect website, but how do you know which one to choose, and which is going to deliver? Here are some top tips for picking the right website design company.

Understands your vision

A reputable web design company should be able to listen to your ideas and understand your vision and goals, while translating these as closely as possible into reality, utilising their skills and expertise. Crucially, you shouldn’t feel that you’re being talked into something that isn’t right for you, just to suit a particular web developer.

Complete package

Choose web design services that incorporate all aspects of web development, from the initial design concept to website development, as well as secure and reliable website hosting, digital marketing, and SEO. A website doesn’t stay still once it has been created, so a company that can provide ongoing maintenance will ensure your site continues to thrive long into the future. By picking a website management business that provides a complete package of services, you can enjoy a seamless experience when getting your site designed and developed.

Keeps up to date

When deciding on which web design services to use, ask about what systems, methods, and strategies they use to keep on top of the latest industry trends. A website hosting and management business that stays up to date is more likely to offer web solutions that will be secure, responsive and adhere to the latest SEO guidelines.

Look at examples

There’s no better endorsement for choosing a good web design company than finding examples of other websites online that you like the look of, and then seeing who designed it, which is usually written somewhere on the individual site. Any decent web company should also be able to show examples of sites they’ve designed and developed, so you can see their standard of work for yourself.

Don’t just focus on price

If you’re driven by a tight budget, it’s natural that price might be the deciding factor when picking a website design company. But, be cautious. Opting for the cheapest quote from a web company might not deliver a site that meets your needs, and their web hosting services might not be as secure and robust as you’d expect. While price is an important factor, don’t let it be the main consideration when picking a web design business.

When you’re looking for the ideal web design company, South West UK based business Real Internet ticks all the right boxes, so get in touch with us today.

How to Find a Good Web Design Company

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A key part of any business’s digital marketing strategy is its website. This is the place where people can find you online and where they can browse your goods or services. In addition, your website is key for connecting with consumers and helping to build a positive image around your brand. It is, therefore, essential to have a responsive, well-laid out website that delivers an outstanding user experience.

The best way to achieve this is by hiring a professional web design company. This sees professional designers use all their expertise and knowledge to build a top-notch website for your business. With a lot of web design companies on the market, however, how do you find a good one?

Recommendations from your network

Networking is key to modern business and it often comes in handy when searching for a good web design company. This makes perfect sense as it enables you to get a trusted opinion on who to use from people you know. It also sees you getting recommendations on who to use from those with first-hand experience of the service on offer. Of course, networking itself can also be a great way to find a good company to use. Whether it is online at places like LinkedIn or offline events, this allows you to get to know the company personally and suss out how good they are.

Search online

It is also worth heading online to find a good web design company. Running a search for web design firms in your area in any major search engine is a fast and easy way to find ones to consider. Once you have drawn up a list of potential candidates, remember to check out online reviews of them. This is wise because it enables you to see how good the service they offer really is and what previous customers think of them. It is also worth looking at the company’s own website to see how well designed it is and if you like the feel of it.

Local advertising

Going online is not the only way to find good web design companies to choose from. It also pays to keep an eye out for adverts in your local area. This may be advertising in local print media, flyers being handed out, adverts in shops or leaflets pushed through your letterbox. All of these are great ways to find good, local design companies to hire.

First-class web design services from Real Internet

At Real Internet, we offer affordable web design services to businesses in the Gloucestershire/South West UK area. As a professional web design company, our expert team have plenty of experience in building responsive, agile and attractive sites. Get in touch today on 01454 806570 to chat more about your project.

 

How to Design a WooCommerce Website

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A WooCommerce website is a great way to get started with your eCommerce journey – it is one of the most popular global eCommerce platforms, hosting multiple virtual storefronts. That popularity, however, means you need to know what will make your storefront stand out.

For that, you need to understand the basics of good web design.

What makes a good WooCommerce website?

There are several cores to every good website, and the same principles will apply to your WooCommerce site. The first is making sure your website is functional. A good looking storefront is no good if it’s impossible to navigate when customers land there. Mapping out the easiest

There are several cores to every good website, and the same principles will apply to your WooCommerce site. The first is making sure your website is functional. A good looking storefront is no good if it’s impossible to navigate when customers land there. Mapping out the easiest possible path between finding a product and checking out is one of the best things you can do to encourage future success.

With function taken care of, it’s time to think about the visual impact of your website. You want to make a statement, but remember that simplicity is the key to success. A simple website with well-chosen elements, images, fonts, and colour schemes will be far more eye-catching and memorable than a website that’s far too busy. An elegant website that is intuitive to navigate will always be successful.

How do you get started?

So now you understand the elements of a successful website, how do you get started with WooCommerce?

Consulting a professional web design agency to assist you can be an invaluable investment. Whether you want to consult with them for more in-depth ideas about how to design your WooCommerce website, or you want them to take the lead and design your storefront for you, you should strongly consider it.

You want your WooCommerce store to look as professional as possible, to encourage trust from your first-time customers. A website design company like Real Internet can help you – if you’re interested in learning more about what makes a great WooCommerce website, or to get started building yours, contact us today.