Websites are, in many ways, at the heart of successful digital marketing. They are your home on the web, a shop window over which you have full control, and often the first place people stop to find out more about you. Web development and design apply to more than just websites, the principles can be used for any digital assets you create, from mobile platforms to social media profiles. Creating online assets involves three key processes: planning and design, which create the appearance, layout, and style that users see; and development, which brings this imagery to life as a functioning web tool. The fundamental principle of good development and design is to understand your users, they are the people who will actually be using and interacting with your website. What are they looking for? What are their objectives? Your offering must have user experience central to the process.

Web design is the process of creating all the visual aspects of the interface. This covers the layout, color scheme, images, logos, type, design elements (such as buttons and links), and anything else that you can see. The web is a visual medium, so the design is an important part of creating assets that are both engaging and effective. Designers need to keep in mind the technical aspects of design while prioritizing the human factor. Digital properties shouldn’t just be beautiful. They need to create a good experience for the visitor and meet business objectives, such as increasing sales, creating brand ambassadors, as well as encouraging signups and, ultimately, conversions. We need to ensure that their websites render acceptably across all of them. Perfection is extremely difficult as each browser and device renders a website slightly differently. To ensure compatibility, developers write cross-browser code. If a feature is not supported, a fallback must be in place to ensure that it degrades gracefully.