At Web Design Sunshine Coast
we never lose site of the web design basics. We discuss the needs of our clients taking into account their objectives.
Before creating and uploading a website, it is important to take the time to plan exactly what is needed in the website. Should the customer be located on the Sunshine Coast or Brisbane we personally visit them to ascertain their needs and all clients are communicated with via phone, email and fax. We visit our clients in New Zealand regularly.
Thoroughly considering the audience or target market, as well as defining the purpose and deciding the content will be developed are extremely important.
The web design needs of Professional Investment services Sunshine Coast are different from the web design needs of Sunshine Coast Holiday House however we can follow the same basic formula.
Website design purpose
It is essential to define the purpose of the website as one of the first steps in the planning process. A purpose statement should show focus based on what the website will accomplish and what the users will get from it. A clearly defined purpose will help the rest of the planning process as the audience is identified and the content of the site is developed. Setting short and long term goals for the website will help make clear the purpose and plan for the future when expansion, modification, and improvement will take place. Also, goal-setting practices and measurable objectives should be identified to track the progress of the site and determine success.
Accessible Web design
Accessible Web design is the art of creating webpages that are accessible to everyone, using any device. It is especially important so that people with disabilities - whether due accident, disease or old age - can access the information in Web pages and be able to navigate through the website. More on your website homepage.
To be accessible web pages and site must conform to certain accessibilty principles. These can be grouped into the following main areas.
- use semantic markup that provides a meaningful structure to the document (i.e. Web page)
- use a valid markup language that conforms to a published DTD or Schema
- provide text equivalents for any non-text components (e.g. images, multimedia)
- use hyperlinks that makes sense when read out of context. (e.g. avoid "Click Here.")
- don't use frames
- use CSS rather than HTML Tables for layout
- author the page so that when the source code is read line-by-line by user agents (such as a screen readers) it remains intelligible. (Using tables for design will often result in information that is not.)
Website Audience
Defining the audience is a key step in the website planning process. The audience is the group of people who are expected to visit your website – the market being targeted. These people will be viewing the website for a specific reason and it is important to know exactly what they are looking for when they visit the site. A clearly defined purpose or goal of the site as well as an understanding of what visitors want to do/feel when they come to your site will help to identify the target audience. Upon considering who is most likely to need/use the content, a list of characteristics common to the users such as:
- Audience Characteristics
- Information Preferences
- Computer Specifications
- Web Experience
Taking into account the characteristics of the audience will allow an effective website to be created that will deliver the desired content to the target audience.
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