If you have good web design skills (or there is such a familiar person), then you can create a site in Photoshop. But in fact, you create with it only a design, not the site itself. Next, you’ll need to convert it to a site using a CMS (for example, WordPress). With what to begin?
Also, learn why is WordPress good for business here.
Analyze the target audience
Before you start, you need to analyze your target audience to know who you are doing the site for. Think about what colors on the site they might like (warm, cold), which elements can annoy them (for example, not everyone, likes sliders and other elements that move without the user’s desire). Evaluate what things your audience is primarily interested in (for example, someone comes to the site to buy immediately – they can be sold immediately, and there are others that can not be sold immediately). So the analysis of the target audience is the very first and important action in creating a website design.
Analyze websites of competitors
To avoid actions and conduct research that has already been done before you, then you should analyze your competitors, which are issued in the top of the search engines. See how they attract their customers and try to do something similar, but with your own peculiarities. Only, in any case, do not copy the design of the site completely! People do not like copied designs, and you may have problems with the owner of the site from which you copied the site. Take only the basic concept and use it as the basis for your new design. See also how calls are made to the actions of your competitors, think about how they can be improved. Pay attention to this point.
Make a prototype
Create a prototype of your site, determine where will be the logo, menu, content. Make a frame where you can design in the future. Determine what will be the structure of your site.
Make a design
Then, using Photoshop, take your prototype and create with it the design of your site. Create layers and group them, and you will need this in the next step. Here’s a little about how to start creating a design:
- select the primary color or colors that will emphasize important elements, such as calls to action, buttons, links;
Read about Clear CTA (Call To Action) Buttons.
- select fonts that will look professional and blend with other elements of the site, it is also important that they are easy to read;
- find the pictures that will be relevant in the place where they are located;
- etc.
Make sure that the design is consistent with modern trends.
Convert PSD design to WordPress theme
After you have created the PSD file on the previous step, you should proceed to the next step – creating a topic from this template. Here you will need web programming skills. If you think that you can not cope with this, then hire a professional for this. Read more about PSD to WordPress Conversion.
Expertise and change the design and look at the traffic
After receiving the site is not the end. Technically, you have a full WordPress website. But you need to constantly experiment and follow the statistics:
- what can be changed;
- where to move certain elements so that visitors notice them better;
- A / B test (split test, which allows users to alternately display different pages and see which version of the conversion is better).
Remember that design trends do not stand still and are constantly changing. The fact that today was popular after a while can become not popular and you will lose your customers.
Now you know how to create a website using Photoshop.