There are a lot of innovative and attractive websites hosted around the web, and you can be assured these sites don't just take a couple of days to make. Some of the most talented web developers can create a website from scratch all by themselves if enough time is dedicated. Other websites are created by groups of people where individuals rely on their best skills in certain areas and work together to make a high-class website.

No matter who is involved with the project, a website design process will always be followed to ensure that the final output offers the very best solution. It is divided into four stages to make it easy for designers to map their structure and plan all of the important elements that are expected in the final output.

Planning Stage

Like other design projects, website designs must always begin with some planning. Some of the key things that need planning include the colour scheme, theme, navigation concepts, link placements, layout types, and call to action. Plan what elements are to be placed on the homepage as well as the sub-links and how other key files like the robot.txt and .htaccess files will be made. The more time that is given in this stage, the less revisions are needed and the faster coding will be done. It is better to plan if the content is identified in advance so that the next stage is easy to execute.

Content Building Stage

Now with a sure plan in place, the content needs to be prepared in such a way that the content fits the planned design perfectly. This means that any pictures should blend in with the design and text should balance everything out. Content should be organised in their relevant areas and pages in this stage to make the designing stage smoother. Any multimedia elements and widgets that will make it to the page should also be considered.

Designing Stage

With the plans set and content ready for deployment, early designs can be created. This should be done using pencil or paper or any graphics design software that is good in making site mock-ups. It is best to make several mock-ups of the homepage that obey the colour scheme and other planned rules as well as implement the content of the site. If there are other pages with different layouts, these pages must be designed as well making sure that they follow the template of the homepage. A lot of possibilities of a good design can be made, but always make sure that the focus stays on the target audience.

Development Stage

The development stage mainly involves coding and is usually done by other members of a web design team. The development stage should meet several objectives for it to be a presentable design. First of all, the website must resemble the mock-up design made in the designing stage. Second, the site should validate with the latest web standards to ensure browser compatibility and comfortable viewing experience. Finally, any other codes and scripts should be implemented and optimised so the site runs smoothly meeting the planned objectives.