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Website Design Basics All Business Owners Should Know

Whether you plan to create your own website or hire a designer to do it for you, it's important that you understand at least the basics of website design.

Learning the basics of web design helps you...

  • Know if your website built for success.
  • Create a site on your own or with a professional using the right tools.
  • Avoid costly mistakes.

Why learn anything at all if a professional designer is going to do it for you?

Man Working on laptop

Just think about it... When you first got your car, didn't you learn a little about how to maintain your vehicle so that it would perform at its best.

Knowing the basics like checking the brake fluid, anti–freeze, and oil proved to be very beneficial for your car long term.

The same principle applies to learning the basics of web design. You should want to know enough to ensure your website is on the right track for success.

I'll cover a few aspects of website design that I feel are the most important for you to know.

You should know things like common terms used, and what elements can be implemented into your website to make it effective.

Understanding Commonly Used Terms

Here's a list of terms you are bound to come across whether you're researching topics or discussing web design when creating a website.

By the way, this is just a short list of terms. If you want more, please check out my other article about web design basic concepts and terms. 

Web Hosting - This is the power source of your website. Without some type of web hosting, your website wouldn't exist online. Web hosting is paid for monthly or yearly depending on your plan. 

Domain Name - A domain name is like the physical address of a house. Without a domain name or web address one will know how to locate you on the worldwide web. An example of a domain name is Yahoo.com. Once you pick and register a domain name, it's an ongoing expense like web hosting to keep the name which is paid monthly or yearly.

There's so much to know about domain names here's 5 FAQs about getting a domain name.

HTML - Which stands for Hypertext Markup Language is a programming language used to build websites. You can build a simple website without knowing HTML if you use a CMS like Squarespace. But it helps you more so if you want to create a design that goes beyond the basic look. 

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) - This is a coding language used to style HTML. It's like the paint and decorations you can put on the walls to beautify the look of your site in an organized way.

CMS (Content Management System) - This is the platform on which your website is built. It can be liked to the foundation of a house. All your website's framework, images and content are built on a foundational platform like WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, or some other website building platform.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) - It is a strategy used to grow the amount of visitors to your website through organic search engine results. Or, in other words, search engine results that are not paid for - which is the best kind.

Other Terms

Responsive Website Design

Setting Your Website Up For Success

Your website can be a powerful marketing tool that works for you day and night. Many people assume that if you build a website the visitors automatically start flowing.

Wrong! 

What makes a good website is a mix of great content, a well-functioning site, Search Engine Optimization, and a great design.

Are You Doing It Yourself Or Using A Web Designer?

Still on the fence about whether you want to create your own website or hire a web designer? On another page, I discuss three questions to ask yourself before deciding to design your own website.

If you're thinking about using a professional, I also provide tips on how to pick a good website designer. 

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