Web Development Johannesburg
Web Development in Johannesburg looks at the tools used in developing the websites. The objective of the web design is for the company to reach its strategic objectives. Creating websites has become quicker due to the advancement of technology and inclusion of Artificial Intelligence.
To help you get your new site up and running in no time, we will simplify the complexity of website design.
What You Need To Design a Website
We shall explore different factors that affect website design.
Generally, we use the website builder, a domain, hosting, SSL certificate to secure the site, Payment Gateway for ecommerce websites, a search engine optimization (SEO) tool to ensure that people find you. Moreover, the content that you should prepare beforehand as to speed up the process.
An overview of what is needed to design, build and maintain a website:
- Web hosting: Your website content requires physical space and that is what web hosting platforms do—they store your texts, images, videos and databases so that users can access them when the search for the website or click on the website url.
- Domain name: Your domain name is the address visitors see in their browser bar when they search for you. To avoid confusion, we incorporate your name; and if it’s not available, we choose something close to it. It is always advisable to get a domain as quick as possible for SEO and ensuring that someone else does not buy the domain.
- SSL certificate: For your business’s security and reputation and the safety of user information, obtain a secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate from an SSL certificate service provider. All our websites come with free SSL.
- Web builder or Customized Solutions: For web builders, we use Content Management Services (CMS) platforms like Wordpress, Drupal, Webflow, etc. as they are easy for content management and best suit beginners. Also, the design can be chosen from basis or premium themes. Customized solutions require coding skill set, this is for advanced solutions.
- Search engine optimization tool: From the start, we use SEO tools to create an SEO strategy so that the content follows basic SEO practices and techniques and starts being ranked on search engines.
- Payment Gateway: If you’re offering services or selling products that require processing and accepting payments, we need to incorporate a Payment Gateway (e.g. Paypal, Payfast, etc.) into the ecommerce. Choosing a payment gateway is determined by the currency used by your users.
Process we follow as web development in Johannesburg
This is the guide we follow and it ensures a successful delivery of the project.
- Define the Website’s Purpose
To design a website that yields expected results, we spend a lot of time in defining the business requirements. What is the purpose of the website design? Who your audience is and What you’re targeting. Are you trying to get downloads, sales, reservations, appointments booked, providing information about your organization, engagements or even a larger audience?
It’s crucial you know crystal-clear the purpose of the intended website. Knowing it will help you adopt the right content strategy and guide you through choosing the right platform, theme and page architecture.
- We select the right platform
Once the objective of the web design is established, we need to get the right platform that best delivers on the objective. CMS platforms include customizable templates for adding text and images. During this period, we take care of domain registration and hosting. The chosen theme should have the features required for the objectives (Blog, Ecommerce, Basic Website, etc.). The purpose of the website, will guide us on the theme or customized solution.
- Guided by Corporate Identity
Elements are details, such as colors, fonts and images, that bring your website together. So, in designing your site, we consider your corporate’s identity.
We start with the color scheme, working with a primary color and one or two complementary colors. Chosen colours should look professional and appealing to the audience. Then, we choose a text style that aligns with your brand. For example, serif symbolizes formality and authority, sans serif, modernism and script, creativity.
Also, we add images to capture the users’ attention, but make sure they are relevant and of high quality so they can make the right impression on users.
Images are optimized for seo.
- Map Out Your Site (Website Structure)
To make designing easier, we visualize the pages that will appear on your site and how they are linked to each other. For example, knowing how many pages will be on the website, their content and the general layout means that we will have a guide to work with when we start designing each part. This is done with directing the users’ expected behaviour. We do not want the user to get confused while the on the website.
- Design Each Site Element
Now, we start off designing each block of the website. We look at each site element, such as your menu (or site navigation), header and footer, search bar and any additional elements you want. site to have. Using elements, such as the following will structure your website, making it easy to navigate.
- Menu: This element displays the items featured on your website. We make sure it is accessible on every page and displays only a few items—the website should not cluster visitors’ screens as that does not improve user experience.
- Header and footer: These elements enhance user engagement. The header should include features, such as the navigation menu and your logo, which you want visitors to find quickly. A footer should offer more information, such as contact information, terms of service, privacy, etc.
And, links to pages or subpages of the website for ease of use.
- Search bar: We use a magnifying glass or a box, but place it at a prominent part of every page. The top-left or top-right corner is often the best.
- Customize Your Web Pages
Depending on the requirements, these are the basic pages that each website may require:
Home page: Every visitor lands here, so it’s a good place to provide executive summary of the website. We include your logo, business name, what readers should expect from you and a navigation menu that makes browsing your site easy. Make sure this page is organized and eye-catching.
- Product or service page: This page should tell visitors what you’re offering them and allow them to make a purchase. For an e-commerce site, create a page for catalogue display and another to show each item in detail.
- About page: This page should introduce you to visitors, we tell your story in a very appealing and professional way, communicate your values and highlight what makes you different from other brands.
- Blog page: If you intend to use blogging as a content marketing strategy, then we create this page, which will display snippets of published blog posts. Users can then click on one that interests them. This page is very important for SEO technique.
- Contact page: Let website visitors know how they can reach you. It can be via phone calls, emails or social media platforms. Also, you can include your physical address, a live-chat widget and a contact form. A lot of companies consider including whatsapp contact icon as many users have whatsapp app on their phones.
Other pages we add:
- Custom 404 page: When visitors go to a page that doesn’t exist on your website, you should direct them to a page displaying “404 Error.” You can further customize yours to include your logo, a link to your home page or a lighthearted message—“Congrats! You found our error page!”
- FAQ page: This page is dedicated to answering common questions that may be on the minds of visitors. That way, website visitors won’t need to reach out to you. Research is required to see which questions that users might have.
- Testimonials: Here’s your opportunity to blow your trumpet. Include reviews from previous clients testifying to how you’ve helped them. Also, display trusted brands that have given you awards or written about you. This improves the trust and strengthens the brand.
- Test and Launch Your Website
Before we launch the website, loading time is tested, content readability, linking and mobile responsiveness, contact form and any other element that can affect user experience and search engine optimization. Have family members and colleagues give their feedback about your website’s design. If there are no issues, go ahead and publish your site.
Also, keep updating your website based on its performance, trends and current business operations. Search engines like an active website.
Once the website is developed, we need to earn a return on the website. For this to be achieved, users must find the website. That’s where marketing comes in. You should remember that marketing is unique to the industry and the company.
- Mobile responsiveness: Most website themes are now mobile responsive—your content reformats to fit different screen sizes. However, to be on the safe side, we consider activating a mobile app. We test your website on different browsers, such as Safari or Google Chrome on iPhones and Android phones.
- Internal linking: Internal links allow users and search engine tools to see you as an authority in your industry. They also keep people on your site, so use hyperlinks to direct users to other relevant web pages.
- Media optimization: To prevent low ranking, higher bounce rates, lower click-throughs and longer load times, we optimize your media files. We make sure images are not too large and that you don’t have too many photos or videos on each page. Also, feature only relevant images and videos. And, populate Alt Text so that search engines can index the images.
- Backlinks Profile: As part of off page optimization, we need to create a backlinks profile for your website. The purpose of this, is to improve the website’s authority. This is done by having other websites i.e. high authority websites pointing back to your website.
- SEO Tools: Tools like Google Analytics, Ahrefs, Moz, Yoast, Site Kit, etc. are used to measure the success of seo strategy and research of keywords, etc.
As a reliable website design agency, we ensure that our solutions are fit for purpose and very cost effective.
Benefits Of Call-To-Action Button
What is a call to action?
A call-to-action is part of an advertisement, webpage, or content that encourages your audience to take action or do something. In most cases, they are written with action verbs because they command action in the form of a link or button. They are widely used in emails where the user will be taken to another page to complete the action.
Benefits of a CTA button in Website Development
A call to action is an important aspect on any webpage. Call to action links and buttons act as signposts telling users what they need to do next. Without clear CTAs, users may struggle to see the route to buying a product or signing up for a service.
Compelling call to action content:
- Eliminates decision fatigue: Simple directive statements tell your clients where to go and what to do next, simplifying the user journey.
- Directs your audience: With a clear call to action, you reduce the risk of your audience clicking away from your page due to confusion or feeling overwhelmed.
- Improves conversions: The more people you convince to follow your CTAs, the more leads, customers, and prospects you get.
Something as simple as a button saying “Download Report” is enough to move a customer to the next stage in their buying journey.
What does call to action content look like?
A call to action is any button or hyperlink that indicates the next step your audience needs to take in your sales funnel. Some companies include multiple calls to action on a single page. Examples of a call to action include:
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How to write a CTA?
There are a few ways to write compelling CTAs. You can use a content optimizer to help you figure out how you want to attract and engage your audience to move forward, or you can use additional strategies. When writing, you should have a traditional and digital marketing mindset. Consider your target audience every step of the way, addressing their wants, needs, and pain points.
CTA button design impacts conversion rates by guiding users to take actions supporting business objectives.
Here are a few to consider:
- Call to action button design should sync with navigation, forms, feedback elements, and content.
- Button size matters for visibility: recommended minimum sizes are 44px by 44px (Apple, WCAG) or 48px by 48px (Google). We recommend starting from 40px in height.
- Use familiar shapes (rectangles with sharp or rounded corners).
- Call to action button colours should have enough contrast with the background (at least a 3:1 ratio for accessibility).
- The placement should align with common reading patterns (F-pattern, Z-pattern). Ideal spots depend on the common reading pattern of your target audience.
- Microcopy should be action-oriented, specific, benefit-driven, and clear.
- Regular A/B testing helps identify the most effective design by testing elements like text, size, color, or placement.
- CTA button UI design should be optimized for both mobile and desktop platforms, adjusting placement and size for user behavior and device peculiarities.
- The impact of CTA button design on conversion rates is deeply rooted in cognitive psychology, visual perception, and user behavior patterns. Understand these principles to create more effective calls to action.
Other Benefits Of Call To Action:
- Encourage Visitors To Engage With Your Business
CTAs can motivate visitors to interact and engage more deeply with your brand and services. By guiding them to take specific actions, you can encourage them to explore the products or services that are most important to you, or best represent the message of your online business and marketing.
- Increase Conversion Rates
A set of well-designed CTAs can effectively convert visitors into leads or customers for your online business. When you have visitors navigating your website it’s important to help direct them to the web pages you want them to see. This is especially true if you need to provide them with a lot of information, which can obscure your regular links and navigation.
- Increase Your Database
CTAs can also encourage visitors to subscribe to your email campaigns and allow you to nurture leads and build long lasting relationships with your customers, or potential customers. An email newsletter can provide valuable content, such as:
Build a Positive Reputation and Boost Word-of-Mouth Referrals.
With the vast majority of visitors using some kind of social media, using engaging CTAs can prompt visitors to share your content or recommend your online business to others. By providing social sharing buttons or referral incentives at key points on your website, you can encourage visitors to spread (positive!) words about your products or services.
FAQs
Professional web design can enhance your brand’s image, improve user experience, and attract more customers in Pretoria.
Web design focuses on the aesthetics and user interface, while web development deals with the functionality and coding of a website.
Mobile responsiveness ensures your website looks and functions well on various devices, catering to a broader audience.
Look for experience, a strong portfolio, and a company that understands your business needs.
A mobile app can enhance customer engagement, provide convenience, and boost brand loyalty in Pretoria.
