There are approximately 1.88 billion websites in existence today. Considering the fact that 7.9 billion humans roam the planet, that means that one unique site represents every four people. Despite the dearth of options available on the internet, you should still carve out your own niche. Here are just a few elements to think about when you are creating a digital platform.
1. User Experience
The user experience, or UX for short, examines the interactions between humans and different products and services. It is one of the most vital concepts contained within the realm of technology. If your consumers have difficulty navigating your brand, whatever it might be, they will likely give up on it. They will also tell their friends, colleagues and family to stay away as well. It is critical to take advantage of the best UX research tools available so that you can retain customers as much as possible.
The user interface, or UI for short, goes hand in hand with user experience. This includes the relationship between end-users and their mouse, monitor or speakers to access a company’s offerings.
This is why accessibility is also crucial to consider. People who experience visual and auditory impairments deserve access to everything that everyone else does. W3C, otherwise known as the World Wide Web Consortium, can teach you how to keep your sites accessible. This may include implementing screen readers and providing content where only a keyboard is necessary.
2. Purpose
There is a reason why software applications are often called solutions: they solve problems. Before the initial launch, you need to commit to the issues you will be fixing for interested parties. This will give them the confidence to visit your site instead of those of your adversaries.
If you are presenting a blog, you should post articles that give relevant advice, tell compelling stories and offer calls to action. A portfolio should showcase all your finest work organized in a way that the audience can’t take for granted. For an e-commerce market, you must set up payment methods and deliver your orders quickly and efficiently. Just remember that whatever you put onto the web is a direct reflection of you and your identity.
3. Logistics
For many, this is often considered the most boring part of having a website. However, it is perhaps the most important. There are several questions you need to ask yourself:
- Where are you hosting the site?
- Have you registered a unique domain?
- How are you handling data storage?
- How will you deal with security breaches that may compromise sensitive information?
- Do you have a network engineer?
- How will you manage downtime and service outages?
Having answers to these inquiries will set you up quickly for success. It is imperative that you stay ahead of the curve and keep your ducks in a row.
Almost anyone can start their own website because content management systems do a lot of the heavy lifting even for those who don’t possess much technical prowess. The way to set your site apart is by providing a home that is unique and high-quality. By considering the previous aspects, you will stand out in front of many of your competitors.