Hi!
If you’ve landed on this page, you might find yourself in one of the following situations: Either you are at the beginning of your journey in the web creation industry, you’re an entrepreneur with a small or larger business, or you’re simply curious about what a presentation site, an online store, or any custom web project should look like.
Before we get started, it’s important to mention that this article won’t dive into many technical details, focusing only on the basic principles.
The technical details will be covered in future articles, which will be featured in this section.
So, below are the 11 PRINCIPLES TO BE FOLLOWED BY A PRO WEB DESIGNER.
- #1 Finding a clear purpose for your pro website
- #2 How do you “reach ” more people with the same website?
- #3 A website easy to navigate “retains” more users
- #4 What does a fast website mean?
- #5 "Do you feel safe on my website?”
- #6 A website is a long term project
- #7 A "good looking" website
- #8 What "do you see" on this website?
- #9 A website for everybody
- #10 A measurable website
- #11 A pro website is maintained
1. Finding a clear purpose for your pro website
Given the aggressively digitalized era we live in, it’s almost self-evident why a business, project, or event needs a website, or at the very least, a web page.
Largely, a website is used for more effective communication between businesses and clients, for easier information dissemination, and most importantly, to ensure a constant online presence.
Determining the purpose of a website for a business is straightforward!
All we need to do is look at the business for which we are creating or acquiring website development services.
Let’s have a look at a few short examples:
a. Example 1: Let’s analyse a store that sells hand-made, customized phone accessories.
- The products can be showcased online at any hour (day or night).
- They can be viewed by anyone with internet access, from anywhere in the world.
- The number of potential customers is significantly higher than that for a physical, local store only.
MobilFox can be taken as an example. This business distributes phone cases on an international level, through a website with an online store functionality.
b. Example 2: Let’s consider a medical clinic whose primary service is providing medical consultations for patients. Through a presentation website, the following benefits can be achieved:
- A highly efficient system for scheduling these consultations
- An automatic confirmation process
- More satisfied patients because they no longer have to wait for long minutes or make phone calls.
These are just two small examples of fields where a professional website can be easily utilized. The areas of application are practically limitless.
2. How do you “reach ” more people with the same website?
At present, more than half of all users accessing the internet do so via a phone (more precisely, 56.6% in 2023). Therefore, a website that is not designed to look and function properly on a phone screen can only result in losses for its owner.
This is where the idea of „Responsive Design,” or „adaptive design,” comes in.
What exactly does this mean? Quite simply, the same site that looks sensational on a computer/laptop screen has a different appearance on a phone screen.
The information and visual elements on it automatically arrange themselves differently, so that its content remains just as easy to understand on a phone as it is on a computer.
The same idea applies to a tablet screen as well.
Just imagine what it would be like if you could only access the site you need from a computer because if you try to access it from a phone, it’s very likely you won’t understand anything on it, or the images are too disproportionate. In short, „it’s not right.”
3. A website easy to navigate “retains” more users
You’ve likely encountered at least once a website where you wanted to perform a very simple action, like checking the status of an order.
But, when you started looking, you found yourself scratching your head because it wasn’t visible anywhere. You kept staring at the webpage and couldn’t find any way to access a contact page, and eventually, after several minutes of searching, you managed to find a search field, after navigating through all the web pages you could find on this site, only to realize that in fact, that search field was in the last place you would expect.
Naturally, such experiences can only lead to frustration.
How could this situation have been avoided? Well, it should have been impossible from the start. A professional website has all the necessary elements (contact forms, phone numbers, search fields, etc.) in places that are easy to see and very intuitive.
Precisely, to avoid situations where users must start a real search on the webpage to find the information they want.
In short, a website that is easy to navigate is much more likely to provide more satisfaction to its users, instead of more frustration.
4. What does a fast website mean?
It’s easy to understand why a website that loads very quickly is likely to have fewer people leaving immediately after they arrive.
If a user enters a website and it takes, say, about 10 seconds to load, there’s a high chance that the user will leave after a few seconds and look for another source that moves faster.
Today, all internet users are literally bombarded with information from all sides, so both the information and the way it is „delivered” to users are absolutely essential. Speed falls into the category of information „delivery.”
Even the official representatives of Google recommend that the maximum loading time should be no more than 3 seconds.
So, the next time you think about a professional website, one of the first things that should come to mind is „It should be fast.” The faster, the better.
5. "Do you feel safe on my website?”
A hugely important aspect, especially today, is Security.
Many websites that are heavily used by users can contain a lot of personal data or sensitive information, such as: phone numbers, personal identification details (social security numbers, ID numbers), home addresses, and banking details, like card numbers.
Normally, these confidential details are not accessible to the public (for obvious reasons).
However, for instance: If the website in question does not have proper Security measures in place, it becomes much more vulnerable, meaning it’s easier to „break into”. This means that users’ data can relatively easily end up in the wrong hands, causing users to suffer.
A professional website has the following aspects very well addressed (precisely to protect users’ data):
Features an SSL Certificate
- What does this mean? Essentially, an SSL certificate acts as a kind of „mask„, which, for simplicity’s sake, we’ll say „transforms” users’ sensitive data (among others) into forms of data that are impossible to understand or decipher.
- So, essentially, anyone trying to access them through illegal or unauthorized means would not be able to extract any important information, simply because the data are indecipherable by anyone other than the person managing this website.
Is up-to-date
- When we say a website is „up-to-date„, it means that all the software programs used in its construction, and which continue to be part of its structure, are updated to their most recent version.
- Any software program that is released on the market is immediately „taken for inspection” by various people on the internet, who begin to study and analyze it from all angles in hopes that somewhere in its core code a „backdoor”, or rather, a mode of operation that was not intentionally introduced by the program’s manufacturers, can be found.
- Once such a „backdoor” is discovered, it can be used for accessing or using the program in unforeseen ways, which often can result in causing damage and harm.
- Since we are referring to a website in this case, it means either the site itself can suffer damage (which in turn requires time and effort for repair, meaning interrupted operation), or that the data of users stored on the site are at risk of being stolen (and users might suddenly find themselves with suspicious financial loans, for example).
- Precisely to avoid such scenarios, the manufacturers of these programs have specially formed teams to analyze their own product and find these „backdoors” before those with malicious intent do;
- This is also why there are frequent updates available for any maintained software program, called „Security updates„.
- Therefore, a professional website has all updates made in time („is up-to-date”), thus protecting both its users and itself from such dangerous risks.
6. A website is a long term project
Let’s take a moment to analyze the search section on Google.
- If you perform a search, among the first results (most of the time), you can notice that they are labeled by the search engine as „Ad”.
- This means that whoever owns any of those websites has paid for a Google advertising campaign to ensure that their website appears among the top searches, obviously to attract more users
The basic idea from this brief analysis is that these advertising campaigns cost money, and often they can be quite expensive.
Now, that wouldn’t be a problem, because, hypothetically, ads can bring a lot of profit to the site for which they are made and promoted. However, in any case where they are not done properly, they can just mean wasted money.
Even more, when the advertising budget runs out, the ad inevitably stops, and the web page from the first place (previously promoted) instantly falls to a much lower rank in the website rankings.
Now, let’s compare one of these websites that are categorized as ads with another one from the same Google results page that is highly SEO optimized.
SEO optimization is not exactly a simple process, but, for the sake of simplicity, it can be said that it is configured in such a way that it’s „seen better” by the search engine.
For example, a user performs a search. At that moment, the search engine „takes a quick look” on the internet, with the purpose of choosing the most suitable result for the user’s search, among very, very many existing websites (for context, in 2023 it is estimated there are more than 1 BILLION websites existing).
Here is where the search engine will choose the most „suitable” results, depending on what the user has searched for.
That is, if someone searches for „Training Pants” on Google, then the search engine will provide as results the websites that have been best SEO optimized for this search.
The SEO optimization process is one that can take a while. A website cannot reach the number 1 spot in searches overnight, but, if it is consistently optimized, then it will achieve a high rank in searches for a smaller budget, and for a longer period.
7. A "good looking" website
Anyone who has heard of the term „UX” („User Experience„) already understands that when a user accesses a web page that is „pleasing to the eye”, they are much more inclined to spend more time there.
When a website considers the experience a user has while navigating, it means that emphasis is placed (at least) on the following aspects:
The overall appearance of the website (just a few aspects mentioned):
- It doesn’t look outdated, as one might find, for example, on a forum from around 2010, but rather adopts a more modern style that, upon first glance, might give someone a “WOW” impression. This approach is a hallmark of pro web and B2B website design, where making a strong first impression is crucial.
- The colors used in the visual construction, if chosen appropriately and in correlation with each other, make the web page much easier on the eyes – there are countless examples of sites where either the color combination is jarring, or the text is very poorly visible against the background. A site pro or pro web designer knows the importance of color theory in creating a visually harmonious website.
- Visual consistency, meaning the style and colors are used consistently throughout the website, rather than having one section of the page in a certain color palette, which then abruptly changes to an entirely different and mismatched palette.
Performance
- as mentioned earlier, the faster the website itself moves, the more pleasant and frustration-free the user experience will be. This is a critical aspect for a pro web designer focusing on B2B website design, where efficiency and speed are often key considerations for professional users.
Organization of information:
- Any information presented on a web page must be structured in a way that is very easy for users to read and assimilate; for example, information should not be in a single “block” of text, which at first glance does not provoke any positive reaction from users. Effective information architecture is a cornerstone of site pro design, ensuring that content is accessible and engaging.
8. What "do you see" on this website?
A professional website, integrating pro web and B2B website design principles, not only structures information in a way that is easy to understand and assimilate, as mentioned in the previous point, but also incorporates various visual elements, be they pictures, videos, or GIFs.
Fundamentally, it creates a visually pleasing environment for users. The rationale behind the „need” for a website to include visual elements is quite straightforward.
Nowadays, most people have developed a relatively short attention span, considering the vast amount of online content accessible across a plethora of platforms.
Therefore, a web page must appear „interesting” enough and seem more interactive, both to capture users’ interest the first time they access it and to maintain it for a long enough period.
This ensures that users can browse the information without quickly becoming bored and leaving the site for another source that presents its information in a more engaging and captivating manner.
Interactive elements can also be utilized. These can be anything from a cursor to some arrows, and they don’t even need to serve a practical purpose. But, as long as they keep users’ interest and „encourage” them to spend more time on the page, they are absolutely beneficial.
9. A website for everybody
As one can likely observe, there are numerous means of accessing resources and content in the online environment.
An important aspect to consider is the search engine used.
Some examples of other search engines (or in more popular terms, „browsers„) include:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Apple Safari
- Opera
- Mobile versions of the aforementioned search engines
- Other older search engines
Given the large number of users, there is an equally great chance that they are „divided” across these browsers, meaning that certain groups use Google Chrome, for example, while others use Opera, and so forth.
A professional website, incorporating pro web and B2B website design principles, is developed in such a way that, during its construction or whenever modifications are made to it, the creators ensure that functionality tests are carried out on all these platforms.
For instance, most websites are built primarily with Google Chrome in mind. The Microsoft Edge browser officially has almost 300 million users.
If the website in question is not tested for this platform as well, then the owner potentially misses out on hundreds of millions of users because the site is not optimized for this search engine variant.
This approach underscores the importance of comprehensive testing across various browsers and devices, a hallmark of a site pro or pro web designer focused on delivering optimal user experiences in B2B website design and beyond.
10. A measurable website
It’s clear that when a professional website is created, its fundamental purpose isn’t just to exist. Rather, it aims to attract as many users as possible to navigate it, for various reasons:
- Whether the site is designed to function as an online store, thus its role is to sell products or services (depending on the case)
- It’s created to serve as a webpage for presenting an event or another type of service
- It’s designed to be a forum, thereby aiming to disseminate information and create communities of people passionate about the same subjects
The uses of a website can be limitless and vary from business to business.
The basic idea is as follows: Can it do its job?
That is, does it generate the user traffic desired by the owner? Does it keep users on the site long enough to absorb the necessary information, or to make purchases from the displayed products?
All these aspects can be seen as „performances” achieved by the website. These performances can and should normally be monitored and analyzed. If a website generates traffic below the desired threshold, it could be for several reasons, such as:
- It operates too slowly.
- It has certain flaws, which can harm (more or less) the user experience, preventing them from spending enough time on it.
- The navigation process is too complicated, and not many users want to bother with unnecessary effort.
These causes can be identified if the website’s performance is carefully monitored. When it’s noticed that any kind of problem related to user behavior in relation to the web page arises, it naturally suggests the existence of an issue, thus initiating certain „investigations.”
There are many tools for monitoring a website, but, normally, the two basic instruments that are necessary are provided by Google, namely Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Integrating these tools is a standard practice for a pro web designer or a site pro focusing on B2B website design, ensuring that the website not only meets but exceeds the pro web standards necessary for success in today’s digital landscape.
Google Analytics, by its design, offers the capability to monitor the following features:
- Traffic analysis, which refers to the volume of users accessing the website, the duration of their visits, and the most visited pages on the site.
- Conversion analysis – in short, a way to track the progress of paid promotion campaigns.
- Traffic sources, i.e., where the users come from to access the web page, whether through a social platform, directly from a search engine, or other sources
Google Search Console, in fact, is a tool through which one can analyze in detail „how well your site is seen” by search engines. Essentially, some of the aspects it can assist with in the analysis process include:
- Security Issues, which can be detected and reported to the responsible individuals by this tool.
- Search statistics, meaning, when a user performs a search in a browser, Google Search Console can analyze which is the first piece of information or web page from the site that appears as a result for the user in question.
These are just a few features (from a quite extensive list) that these two fundamental tools can offer.
Integrating Google Analytics and Google Search Console into a website’s design and maintenance strategy is a hallmark of a pro web designer or a site pro specializing in B2B website design, ensuring that the site not only meets professional web standards but also leverages these tools to optimize for search engines and improve user engagement effectively.
11. A pro website is maintained
As mentioned earlier, various problems can be identified on a website. These issues may arise during its operation for different reasons.
However, it’s crucial that when any problem occurs, there should be one or more individuals available to solve them.
What these individuals do is called maintenance services.
Maintenance services mean, in fact, „a periodic check” of the website, which has a high number of benefits, such as:
- Resolving any issues that may occur along the way, whether due to external causes
- Making modifications within the site for various reasons, whether they are seasonal changes, holiday decorations, promotional offers, etc.
- Keeping the website updated to the current day, for security reasons, which were explained earlier in this article.
Also mentioned in this article was the fact that on the internet, in 2023, there are more than 1 billion websites; in reality, a much smaller number of these are actively maintained and updated, approximately 200 million of them.
So, to form a sort of summary, a well-maintained website is a „healthy” website, capable of adapting to changing conditions and keeping both its users and owners (whether individuals, businesses, or other types of entities) happy.
This proactive approach to website maintenance is a hallmark of pro web maintenance, crucial for B2B website design and management. A pro web designer ensures that the site remains not just functional but also competitive and secure, reflecting the best practices in pro web and B2B website design.
Congratulations!
If you’ve made it this far, it means that you are now familiar with the basic principles that should be integral to any professional website. So, if you’re about to start working on your own site, or if you’re considering hiring someone else, make sure that the principles discussed above are adhered to, for your own benefit 😊
If you wish to learn more about these topics, or others similar, we invite you to take a look at our blog articles section HERE, or to get in touch with us directly HERE.
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That’s all from us for now,
Good luck to you 😊
With esteem,
ELTAND Team
Eltand, your online partner
