English translation of a Persian article from the WebTarget archive. The date above is the original publication date. Some advice, especially technical details, may be outdated.
A website can introduce a service, a product, or someone’s skills. Many people and organisations recognise the value of having one. But do they understand how to use it? Does their website meet its audience’s needs and follow the basic principles of web design?
Creating a website involves several connected stages. Think of them as links in a chain: a weak or missing link can affect the whole result. Each stage deserves attention, and the work should follow a deliberate plan. The sequence below can help you decide on the goals and process for your own website.
Stage 1: Goals and strategy
Begin by deciding what the website is for, how it will present your services, and who it should serve. Consider the audience’s needs, your competitive strengths, and how visitors will communicate with you. Careful thinking at this stage can improve both the website and its promotion. Questions to consider include:
- The overall plan for the website
- Your reason for having a website
- The people you want to reach
- The services you provide
- What your audience needs and expects
- The competition and what makes your offer different
Stage 2: Content
Content is the heart of a website. It should clearly explain your activity, products, or services in a way that fits the audience and the site’s goals. Accurate information, simple explanations, and appropriate writing can answer visitors’ questions and help them decide whether your offer meets their needs.
Stage 3: Information structure and access
After defining your goals and content, decide how visitors will find and understand that information. If you provide a specialised service, some visitors may not be familiar with it. Your job is to explain it and answer likely questions. Confusion usually comes from two problems:
- Information is missing or unclear.
- Information exists, but visitors are not guided to it.
When people cannot find an answer about your service or product, they will look elsewhere. Clear organisation and navigation help prevent that loss of attention.
Stage 4: Visual design
Visual design helps visitors form their first impression. If a website loads slowly and offers little visual guidance, people may leave even when its content or services are valuable. In our design work, we favour creativity combined with simplicity. Colours and imagery should fit the subject and make the site useful as well as attractive. Web graphics also have their own constraints and conventions; they are not simply print graphics placed on a screen.
Stage 5: Web standards
Standards help more people access the information we publish and make development easier to maintain. They provide a shared foundation for browsers and other tools to interpret a website. Following them supports more consistent behaviour and helps us build pages that are easier to understand and extend.
Stage 6: Website management
Dynamic websites use programming and, often, databases to manage their content. Knowledge, experience, and thoughtful implementation affect how well they work. A management area lets the owner update articles and other parts of the site. It should be easy to use, provide the necessary features, and protect access. Ordinary visitors do not see this administrative area, but it can be central to the site’s day-to-day operation.
What are static and dynamic websites?
The distinction is about how information is generated and managed, rather than whether a page contains animation. A dynamic site can generate pages from application data and provide an online editing interface. A static site serves prepared files. Technical clarification: static sites can still be edited and updated, for example by changing their source files and rebuilding them; static does not mean permanently unchangeable.
Stage 7: Search engine optimisation
Search visibility should be considered during design and development, rather than added as a separate task at the end. A clear, accessible website makes it easier for search engines to discover and understand its content, and can help attract people looking for the services you provide. Choose sound methods carefully: attempts to manipulate search systems can work against the site’s interests.
Visitors ultimately come for useful content, suitable design, and good services. These parts are connected, and a weakness in one can reduce the value of the rest. A practical sequence for thinking about search visibility includes:
- Use well-structured HTML and CSS.
- Create a site structure that makes pages easy to discover.
- Study competing websites.
- Understand the words people use when searching for your subject.
- Improve the clarity and usefulness of your copy.
- Build relevant connections with other websites.
- Promote the site to an appropriate audience.
Stage 8: Promotion
A useful, attractive website still needs to be discovered. Consider how your audience will find it and choose suitable ways to promote it. Keep promotion focused on the people the website is meant to serve. As with the other stages, unsuitable tactics can undo the benefits of otherwise good work.