Not all websites are built to last. That’s the reality that many business owners have awoken to and it can be frustrating, to put things mildly. But building a future proof website is possible when you know what’s involved and have sourced a good web developer to help you make that custom built website a reality.
Without getting too complex, there are a number of things that you need to understand if you are to build a website that successfully outlasts the next Google update or algorithm change or that throws much of the online world into complete and utter disarray. The following list is therefore something to consider before you discuss your ideas with a web developer who will create a website that stands the tests of time.
Keep Things As Simple As Possible
Simplicity is a wonderful thing, especially when something as complex and complicated as a website is involved. When you keep things simple, you create a situation in which less can go wrong, break, or need amending.
Simplicity is therefore a key concept of website design, something that any web developer worth his or her salt will tell you, so keep the design of your website clean, simple, and you stand a much better chance of building a website that meets the needs of tomorrow today.
Simplicity also equates to consistency, and making everything about the design of your website consistent in turn results in better user experiences and that will help you in better promoting your products and services. Additionally, simple websites load more quickly, reducing bounce rates and keeping visitors on your website.
Make Sure That Everything Works As It Should
Before launching your website it’s important to make sure that everything works as it should. You don’t want to experience any downtime once it is up and running, so make sure everything works, for instance conduct link checks to resolved onsite issues, and you will find it easier to make changes to your website, like adding new pages, when required.
A good website developer will go through every aspect of the website that they have designed for you and make sure everything works as it should. If they don’t conduct a thorough check and problems arise as a result, it suffices to say that you shouldn’t work with them again in the future.
Use The Right Platform – One That’s Modular
With so many platforms you could use when designing your website it becomes essential that you choose the right one. When you work with an innovative web developer in Melbourne, one of the first things that you should discuss is which content management system should be used.
Community supported platforms like Drupal and WordPress are good choices, but so too are powerful platforms like Magenta. If you are new to the concept of website design it would be a good idea for you to do a bit of research on the subject in order to gain an understanding of the options you have and which would be best to pursue.
A closed-source, proprietary platform can be a great choice, but you also have to bear in mind that if they discontinue the platform or stop supporting it in any way, you stand to experience major setbacks and that can safely be said to be the antithesis of future proofing a website. Continuity is important so look for platforms that have significant numbers of users, like WordPress with its 60 million users around the world, that aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Modular platforms, like WordPress for instance, are a top choice because they allow you to make changes to your website when necessity dictates. Having the ability to add or remove something easily is essential for building a future proof website.
Favour Functionality Over Design Trends
As you no doubt know well, design trends are never future proof and what is popular today likely won’t be all that popular tomorrow. A good content management system that allows you to keep functionality at its core is the way to go, so if you want to make changes you can always keep the content on your website separate from the design.
This will allow you to, at a later date, keep pace with the latest developments that other companies are making to their websites, whether that’s a full screen video homepage or implementing a flat design interface. There have been so many changes to the way websites are presented and there will continue to be many more made as time goes by. A key aspect of future proofing is therefore possessing the ability to make design changes when required.
Keep Your Content Fresh
Nothing goes stale as quickly as poor content, so make an effort early on to develop good quality content for your website and make this a core trend. Good content will always attract visitors to your website and a good content management system will allow you to effortlessly upload new content, remove old content, and make a great impression on visitors to your website.
This is another reason to choose your content management system wisely and choose one that you can use yourself. Whilst you will naturally want to work with an innovative web developer to create your website, you don’t want to find yourself in a situation in which you are reliant upon them to make small changes, like adding or removing content, every time changes are required.
Think Ahead
And most importantly, think ahead and consider what the future might hold. This is an important point, one that encompasses all the previously made points, in that you need to be open to the idea of change and making changes to keep up to date and in-line with the greater changes that are taking place around your company.
When you have the ability to change aspects of your website in order to meet changes and the challenges they throw your way, you will know for sure that you have a future proof website.