Many times, we find ourselves in a dilemma when discussing web design or web development or both. Because this back and forth between the two, are they the same? When we talk about one, are we talking about the other? It's worth clarifying these ideas so that when hiring someone for our development, we can approach the project knowing what to expect.
So our first challenge is to clarify the difference between web design and web development. Both are closely related and often (incorrectly) used interchangeably:
Web design is the art of planning and organizing the content of a website for online publication and access. This involves selecting the type of page based on the case and the user experience (UX) so frequently discussed lately.
On the other hand, web development refers to the construction and maintenance of the structure of a web page and involves knowledge of coding systems to ensure the proper functioning of the website.
Web Design and Its Scope
People turn to web design for various reasons, and depending on their ultimate goals, it results in different web typologies, such as:
A website with a digital portfolio
An online store for selling products
A business website for managing and growing a company
A blog for sharing knowledge with like-minded individuals
A restaurant website to enable online orders, reservations, and payments
A website for scheduling appointments with new clients
Some pages designed by CKS:
Planning the design of your website is like setting your foundation, as it will determine the layout and sequence of visual elements on each page of your website. This step is critical in web design and plays a role in the visual appearance of a site, the level of usability, and the amplification of its message.
The best design for your website can be determined by a variety of factors: the goals of your website, the message you want to convey to viewers, and the type of content it will include.
Speed
Speed measures how quickly your website fully loads after a visitor enters. No one, especially in our fast-paced generation, likes a slow website. It has to operate at high speed. In fact, studies show a 38% increase in bounce rate when a webpage's loading time exceeds 3 seconds. No matter how beautiful the web design is, it has nothing to offer if it doesn't provide visitors with a smoother browsing experience.
Many factors can impact a page's loading time; some are related to the visitor's device or internet connection, while others may be specific to the website itself. Nowadays, there are proven practices and tools that assess the performance audit of your website and enhance its loading speed.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of optimizing a website to rank well in search engines. As it plays a significant role in the success of your website, we believe it deserves a place among the functional elements. The more people can find your website on Google, the more visitors you'll have.
While SEO is an ongoing task, there are steps you can take to aid your website's performance from the start. Put simply, if we want traffic and customers, there must be compatibility between web design and SEO. Both aim to enhance the visibility of websites and, therefore, should be approached as a cohesive strategy.
There are also a series of common SEO practices you can implement before publishing: include titles in your content, add alternative text to images, use meta descriptions on relevant pages, and choose a domain name that represents your brand or business.
If we want our potential customers to find us, we should rely on a designer and an SEO consultant who knows how to design a website that is tailored and optimized for it.
UX
Since the explosion of computer use in the 1980s, the technology industry has been constantly exploring how humans can better interact with technology. This is the practice of UX, or user experience, and when applied correctly to web design, it can have a significant impact on user navigation.
The term UX is often used interchangeably with 'user interface design' or 'usability,' which are actually part of the broader view encompassed by UX. While UX designers care about these aspects of a product, they are also involved in looking at the bigger picture, finding ways to refine and develop products, brand, design, usability, and function.
The UX design process is meant to ensure that a website encompasses high-quality interactions, content, products, and services by enhancing these seven factors:
Useful
Usable
Available
Credible
Desirable
Accessible
Valuable
Adaptive Design vs. Responsive Design
Today, mobile devices account for more than half of online traffic, making it crucial to adapt our websites to the small screen. There are two types of styles that allow a web design to switch from its desktop version to a mobile device: adaptive design and responsive design. Knowing the difference between the two will be helpful, especially in choosing the website builder that suits you best, as most platforms only support one of the two:
Adaptive design involves creating different versions of the same website, each able to adapt to a different screen size or browser width. For instance, with Wix, our users can arrange the design for the desktop version of their website, and they will be provided with an adaptation of the mobile website that can be customized.
Responsive design involves creating websites with a flexible grid. This creates a dynamic appearance, depending on the screen size and device orientation used to view it.
Website Maintenance
The web design industry is constantly evolving, adding new features, tools, and solutions. The downside of this fast-paced world is that it requires both you and your website to be constantly updated.
Once you've completed your initial design, you'll need to update your website periodically to ensure that the content is relevant and the design doesn't become outdated. While it may seem trivial, any outdated element on your website can negatively impact visitor interactions, resulting in an overall decline in performance and sales.
Visit your website at least once a month to check for errors, ensure everything is functioning correctly, and that your information is up-to-date. When considering a redesign, think about changes you can make to maintain the relevance of your web design, enhance its user-friendliness, or amplify its performance. This could mean adding new visual content, an additional page, a note, working on SEO, or conducting an accessibility review.
There is no second chance for a first impression.
We are sure that you don't want to create a bad impression but rather aim to impact, captivate, and give the best impression of yourself. That's why first impressions are of great importance.
