Website Design for Businesses
Website designs for businesses is an important service that I provide. Businesses have many reasons for wanting a website, but usually, the reasons are to establish an online presence, showcase their goods or portfolio, or to do commerce online.
Understanding the project is important. With every website design project inquiry, I make sure I ask a lot of questions and talk with the business owner to understand what goal they hope to achieve with the website. I then put together a detailed proposal (typically 4-8 pages) that covers my proposed plan to achieve that goal.
I work with the client to get them the website they envision. Design is subjective — what I think looks good may not be what my client thinks looks good. Because of this, I use my 3-Step Design Process when designing websites. The Mockup stage is to present a visual representation of what the site will look like. The Test Site stage is when I transform the mockup into an actual site where the client can interact with it. And after approval from the client, the site goes live.
Website Redesigns
Many businesses have existing websites which are either outdated or their company needs have grown past what their site builder provided. When this happens, I step in to do a website redesign. The results can be quite dramatic.
Aside from aesthetic changes, I also enjoy focusing on other important things during the redesign, such as branding, making the layout intuitive, making websites mobile-friendly, adding functionality (calendars, social media, Youtube) and incorporating a content management system.
Content Management Systems (CMS)
I like to use a CMS with every website that I develop. A CMS is a system that allows a person to edit a website without needing to know web languages like HTML. Although a CMS will not give you the same level of power that a web developer like myself has, it can give you the power to do simple tasks like editing text, adding images, and changing menus.
I work with the following CMSs: WordPress, Drupal, Concrete5, Zencart, WooCommerce, Get Simple, Cushy CMS. Have another CMS you need help with? Contact me to see if I can help you.