At it’s most simple a webpage can be just a HTML5 document with a picture. Not fancy but it does the job.
To this we can add CSS3 to make it look better and a bit of Java Script will animate things and hey presto we have a modern webpage!

Enter the Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla! or TYPO3. They took these technical and specialised web development tools and democratised them making web development in an instant cheaper, more available but fragmented. Anyone can design a website now and that’s a good thing. However if you are a company looking for a new website here are a few things we recommend you keep in mind:
- Avoid drag and drop (modular web design) platforms. A free website is practically impossible to optimize thus a website with no traffic is in practical terms useless and waste of time.
- Take the time to plan what the website should look like with particular attention to the navigation menu. Keep it simple and avoid confusing the user and search engines. A visitor should be able to get a quick overview of what a website offers in the first few seconds.
- Talk to a professional web designer and consider that even a 10 page website can take at least 2 weeks of full time work.
- Forget the idea of everything online is free, all professionals in the digital landscape know this. Only amateurs bring it up.
- Don’t underestimate the power of good text and the difficulty of writing it. For everyone’s sake don’t leave it to your partner nor the office junior.
- Consider using original photos and graphics. Not only is it more interesting for the user, legally there are no issues with copyright law plus you wont get a bill in the post for the picture you bought and posted on Social Media. Yes, you may have bought the picture but the rights for Social Media were excluded in the small print. The seller then waited a few years until the bill is substantial and then sends you an invoice. Ouch!
- A CMS like WordPress may not be the best option for your business. A more secure website requiring no updates nor maintenance may be far better than a neglected CMS and Plugins that gets hacked. Your website goes offline without you realising and customers think you have gone out of business.
Interested in a WebDev consultation? Contact us today.