Creating a Complex Website:
10 Tips for Developing a Complex Website

A personal, professional website is a must for every business today. But more and more individuals are choosing to have their own online presence for various reasons. However, to ensure that your homepage becomes a success and to avoid any unpleasant surprises, you must pay attention to certain details and adhere to some rules. In the following text, we have summarized the ten most important tips for website creation for you. Furthermore, we inform you about everything you need to know about having an online presence.

Which Online Platform Would You Like to Create?

What Exactly Is a Complex Website?

At first glance, this question might seem self-explanatory. However, times have changed. A few years ago, a website was nothing more than static text displayed on the internet, but a modern online presence is now much more than that. Technological advances have led to websites becoming complex structures. They can display videos and images, play sound, and allow visitors to interact with the homepage. A modern website consists of contact forms, newsletter systems and, in many cases, includes forums, an online shop, or additional extras such as cost calculators, etc.

This means that nowadays a website rarely consists solely of HTML and CSS. Scripts—written in PHP or a comparable language—are used. In addition, other programming languages such as JavaScript are employed, enabling visitors to interact directly with the website and, consequently, with you as the operator.

The Costs of a Professional Website

The costs for a website vary greatly. While simple websites can be professionally developed for just a few hundred euros, complex websites usually require a significant investment. Costs here often range in the four- to five-digit area. What a website exactly costs also depends on the structure and system of the online presence. How many pages will there be? Should an online shop be integrated? What functions do you need? The creation of the website itself has a significant impact on the costs. Is it based on a content management system or must it be completely programmed from scratch? All these questions need to be answered. Additionally, costs may arise for creating content, photos, etc. Moreover, there may be usage and licensing fees for software and programs as well as costs for extensions, website design, and so on.

If you have programming skills and can develop your website yourself, or at least partly on your own, you can save a lot of money here. In any case, however, you will also incur costs for the server or webspace as well as any necessary licensing fees.

The development of a complex website is always associated with considerable costs.

Where Can You Have a Website Created?

Websites are created by a professional web designer or web developer. For this work, you can hire either a freelancer or a professional agency. Freelancers are generally the more affordable alternative. On the other hand, agencies often offer a more comprehensive and far-reaching service. They can, for example, also take over the subsequent maintenance of your online presence, handle online marketing, and assist with technical issues.

What Should Be Considered When Creating a Complex Website?

In the following, you will learn what is important in the development of professional and complex websites and what aspects you should pay attention to. The goal is to raise your awareness about the topic and give you an idea of what to consider to ensure that your website is successful.

Tip 1: The Name of the Website

No matter how complex or simple an online presence is, you always need a name. This is usually the name of your company. It is important, however, that a visitor associates your website—or its name—with the services or products you offer. Therefore, it should be a meaningful name. If this is not possible, you should create a connection between the name and the services or products by other means, for example via the meta description or keywords.

Tip 2: The Sitemap

Complex websites usually consist of many subpages, forms, and documents. For this reason, it is important that you consider the sitemap in advance. Think of it as a kind of map of your website. The sitemap lists all pages, subpages, etc. It not only serves the user for orientation, but is also used by search engines to analyze the content and purpose of your website and to index your online presence accordingly.

Tip 3: The Content of Your Website

Even before you begin, you should think about the content of your website. What content should it include? What photos do you need? Should documents be offered for download or should an online shop be integrated? All of these questions are important for proper planning. If you have an idea of the content and structure of the website, then you know from the start what to expect. Furthermore, you can already begin to create or have the corresponding content created during the construction phase of your website. Especially when photos or videos need to be produced, a lot of time is required.

Begin early with the planning and the work, so that the content is ready at the same time as the website—or ideally even before.

Tip 4: The Programming of the Website

If it is a completely newly developed website, then the entire code must be written. If you decide to use a content management system like WordPress, then this work is eliminated.

In any case, however, you must adjust the CMS to your needs, configure it, and, if necessary, create the required integration options and purchase extensions or necessary software.

Furthermore, the design is also part of the programming. Whether you create your own website or use a CMS system, the design is the showcase of your company and must not be missing under any circumstances. Here, too, you have the option of choosing from a range of ready-made templates or programming the complete design yourself.

For the programming and design of a complex website, at least HTML and CSS skills are generally required. Additional programming languages such as PHP may also come into play.

Tip 5: SEO and Responsive Design

The most beautiful and professional website is completely useless if it is not found by visitors. In order for your online presence to be discovered on the World Wide Web, you rely on the help of search engines. Every user who searches for something typically starts with Google (or another provider) and enters their search terms. Since there are usually many thousands of websites for every topic and every company, it is not so simple for your business to appear. After all, the space on the first page is limited, and if you think about how often you check the results on the second page during your own search, you know that only page 1 counts for you.

To achieve this goal, search engine optimization—also known as SEO—is necessary. Search engines consider various factors when ranking and listing websites. In addition to keywords, aspects such as page load time, placement of advertisements, etc. play a role. SEO is a complex topic, which is why there are professional agencies that focus exclusively on search engine optimization.

Furthermore, development with responsive design is of great importance. More and more users go online via mobile phones or tablets. Responsive design refers to compatibility with mobile devices. This means that the website is not only displayed correctly on small smartphone screens or tablets, but also functions properly. Websites with responsive design are not only user-friendly but also please search engines. They penalize websites harshly in rankings if they are not optimized for mobile devices.

Tip 6: Legal Matters and Disclaimers

As a website operator, you are obliged to inform your visitors about various matters and procedures. For example, an imprint that includes the complete contact details of the website operator is legally required. The same applies to data protection provisions and information regarding the right of withdrawal, provided you sell goods or services on your website. In many cases, it is also necessary to disclose the so-called terms of service or usage conditions of your website to the customer.

This is especially true if you wish to offer goods or services, as well as online games. The terms of service clarify under what conditions your visitors can use your products, goods, and services, and to what extent.

If the corresponding information is missing on your website, it can lead to warnings that incur high costs and a lot of hassle. In addition, customers generally view websites skeptically if they are not thoroughly informed about their rights and obligations.

Tip 7: The Homepage

The first point of contact for visitors when they come to your website is, in most cases, always the homepage. As the saying goes: “First impressions count.” This is equally true on the internet. This means that you need to design your homepage accordingly and make it appealing.

In addition to a greeting, the visitor should receive current news and important information here. They should be able to quickly get an overview of what your website offers. Ideally, a search function is also included, allowing your visitors to quickly search for desired services or products.

If you want to integrate banners, advertisements, or features such as newsletter signup, you can do so. However, you should ensure that these elements are placed discreetly so as not to disturb the user. Otherwise, they may leave your site. Moreover, search engines severely penalize disruptive banners and pop-ups.

If you offer information on a specific topic or sell products and services on your website, then it is important and sensible that the homepage already provides the opportunity to contact you. A live chat is ideal, but at the very least, a link to a contact form should be included. Many users come to your website with a specific question in mind. By providing a clearly visible contact option, many visitors can be encouraged to reach out to you directly with their inquiries. This is your chance to speak with the prospect and establish initial personal contact.

First impressions count – and technically too: if users leave the website within a few seconds, the so-called “bounce rate” increases, which has a negative impact on your rankings.

Tip 8: Intuitive Operation and Simple Functions

In general, your website should be easy to use and clear. Most visitors have only limited PC and internet skills. The most important things should be easy to find. The menu should be designed logically and clearly. If there is an online shop on your site, it should have a good search function. The products should be accompanied by images and the product description should be particularly informative.

Many visitors leave a website after only a few seconds if they are not satisfied or if they do not immediately find the information they need. Your website may be functional, but it should be neither too complicated nor too simplistic. Always put yourself in your visitors’ shoes and consider how they view your website.

Tip 9: Update Your Website Regularly

A website requires constant and regular work. In other words, a website is never finished. Even if you are online and can convince many customers of your products and services, it is important that you update your website regularly. Create new blog posts, change the product descriptions, or write a new welcome text. What might seem like a small detail at first immediately catches the eye of many visitors. This is especially true for existing customers who shop with you more frequently. Such changes are immediately noticed by them – as well as by search engines.

Tip 10: Improve and Expand

There is always room for improvement. This could not be more true for your own website. Often, you only learn over time where the strengths and weaknesses of your online presence lie. Ideas that initially seemed promising may turn out to be a flop, while other ideas unexpectedly become a success. In addition, there are technical improvements and updates.

Therefore, you should always strive to improve and further develop your website. Start small and grow slowly. Particularly important are the software updates. New PHP versions, a new update of the CMS, or even a new software update for your CRM should be implemented promptly. Not only do you often gain practical new functions in this way, but the patches also close security gaps and fix errors that could otherwise cause significant damage to you or your company.

Conclusion

Free Consultation