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When you create a website for your business, you want it to do more than just inform prospective customers. While your website should educate, it should also actively help visitors achieve their goals. Your customer will visit your website with unique intentions, and you must consider how they’ll experience your site. To shape your site to create the best outcome for both you and visitors, user journey maps can tremendously benefit the design process. In the following guide, we’ll look at what a user journey map is and the benefits of using them for your website design—plus we’ll detail the steps you need to create one. What is a user journey map? A user journey map, also referred to as a customer journey map, is a diagram that depicts a user’s interactions with a product over time. Typically represented by a flow chart, user journey maps are a common UX design research and planning tool. Anyone designing a website can create journey maps to improve their site’s user experience. Typically, UX designers complete the research and planning involved in user journey mapping before they design a website for the following reasons: It’s a strategic exercise: User journey mapping gets you thinking about who your visitors are, their goals and what they want and need from your site to accomplish them. Helps visualize the user flow: By visualizing your visitors’ steps throughout the site, you’ll understand their thought process as they work to achieve their goal. What are the benefits of creating a user journey map? Designing a website with user journey mapping is a user-centered method that will help you empathize more with the user when designing your site’s content and information architecture. Because user journey mapping allows you to anticipate visitors’ behaviors, your design will result in a more positive user experience. User journey maps will also help you with: More confident decision-making Journey mapping allows you to remove inefficiencies and mitigate risks as you visualize your customers’ experience. Website optimization Business owners can use user journey maps to influence visitors to click on CTAs and increase site conversions. It can also help them build an intuitive website structure that people feel comfortable navigating. How to create a user journey map With user journey mapping, you should understand who your visitors are, why they’re on your site, and what’s going to help them achieve their goals. The steps below will enable you to create a user journey map that anticipates your visitors’ needs and how they browse it: Get an app to help you map out your user’s journey Figure out who your ideal users are Create user personas Define the scope of the user journey map List the key phases and touchpoints Think about user goals and actions at each phase Make an empathy map for the user journey Anticipate problems along the journey Think about opportunities for optimization Collect data, review and revamp your journey maps 01. Get an app to help you map out your user’s journey While you could use a spreadsheet or a flow chart maker to create a user journey map, it’ll take more time than using a UX tool built specifically for user journey mapping. Use these tools to add and remove fields to your map, rearrange the steps and edit its visual appearance. Many times, you’ll have the option of starting from scratch or using a pre-made user journey template that suits your needs. 02. Figure out who your ideal users are When starting a business, you usually have a general idea of your target audience. User journey mapping goes further to discover your niche. Typically, you’ll find your ideal segment of users at the intersection of what you’re good at, what you’re passionate about, and where there’s a growing demand for what you do. Go ahead and fill in the blanks: Experience: _______________________ Passion: __________________________ Demand: _________________________ What sits at the intersection between all three? That’s your ideal customer. 03. Create user personas Once you’ve identified your ideal user, research them to better know who they are. Use your insights to create user personas that realistically communicate the people most likely to visit your site. User personas are fictional users who represent the needs, personality and goals of a larger archetypal user group. In addition to adding a “real” name and photo to user persona profiles, you’ll fill in details related to: Basic demographics Interests Professional or personal details Motivations Core needs Pain points Quotes that describe what they think or how they feel Many brands have numerous user personas. Create profiles for each of your target personas. When you’re done, choose one to start with and include them in your user journey map. If your brand is new or yet to launch, you might not have much existing data to pull from. You can use tools to learn about your ideal user, even if they’re not your current user: User interviews: Round up interviewees who represent potential users, and ask them questions related to your brand. Keep in mind that this information needs to help you learn more about your average or potential user, as well as what kind of online experience will encourage them to sign up. For example, What do you do for a living? Why did you start your business? Have you ever considered using a service like ours? Why? What would convince you to work with our services? Rank your top 3 reasons. Social media listening: Social media is a powerful tool when creating user personas, since it helps you know potential users more personally. By gathering data on what your target users talk about, you’ll understand what motivates them to engage with other brands and can apply that to your site as well. 04. Define the scope of the user journey map The more granular your user journey maps, the more precise your web design. You can (and should) create user journey maps for the different interactions customers have with your brand and your website. When mapping out the user journey for new visitors, focus on what their first site experience should look like as they discover more about your product. Once you have an initial interaction with a target user, build on it. With returnees, for example, think more about what long-term loyal customers want when they enter the site, such as checking out new products or rewards programs. Break down the scope of each interaction with the following details: User: This is a segment of our user persona. For example, “it’s a lead we targeted on Facebook.” Goal: What is the user’s goal during this particular visit? If the user found an ad advertising a discounted course, for example, their goal is to find out more about it. User Flow: Provide a basic summary of how you expect this interaction to go. For example, you anticipate that a user who landed on your site through a Facebook ad will want to first read more details and then purchase your product. What follows in the user journey map will help you figure out what’s needed on your website to increase the likelihood that they will complete their purchase at the end of the visit. 05. List the key phases and touch points By defining certain phases of the user journey, you’ll start visualizing in detail how users get to your site, why they arrived and how they’ll interact with it. Each phase outlined in your map should include the various touch points where these interactions happen. You can also think of these phases as your goals for their visit. Discovery: Visitors find your brand and site through a targeted Facebook ad. Video: Visitors are brought to a landing page of your site featuring a video that introduces your brand. Learn: Visitors read more information about what you do and what they’re going to get from your offering. Purchase: Visitors pay for your services with a simple two-step checkout process. Email phase: Visitors receive a “thank you” email with relevant details to get started and stay in touch. As you fill in this part of the user journey map, consider the following questions: What is the source of this website traffic? In other words, what lured in these users? You can optimize these off-site touch points to increase not only your quantity of traffic, but the quality of it, too. What is the first page they’ll see on your site? For this particular user journey, does it make sense for them to enter through the home page? Or is it better to take them to a dedicated landing page where they can focus on a specific product or service? Where should they end their journey? When considering the best (and most realistic) ending point for visitors, think about both their needs and your own goals. For example, after visitors learn about your brand, you probably want to take them straight to a purchase page with the goal of converting. However, what if a visitor isn’t ready to purchase? You can still hold on to that lead by leading them to sign up for your weekly newsletter. 06. Think about user goals and actions at each phase Now that you’ve mapped the various phases, write out the user's specific goals for arriving at this touchpoint and what actions they’ll take to achieve it. Objective-setting will help you understand what drives your users forward and anticipate what most visitors want to happen when they get to each stage. For example: Discovery: If I click this ad, I’ll see if this offer is as legitimate as it seems. Video: If I watch this video, I’ll get a high-level overview of this course. Learn: If I read through this page, the coach will address any doubts I have about this course. Purchase: If I click this “Buy Now” button, I’ll be directed to checkout. Email: If I open up my email, I can get started on the course right away. 07. Make an empathy map for the user journey A user’s emotions heavily influence their journey. If your website doesn’t elicit the right kind of emotional reaction—be it relief, joy, excitement, or something else—visitors might not end up where you want them to. A user journey map should reflect potential shifts in the user’s mood, behavior and thought process as they continue through each phase. This information allows you to determine the best way to use or influence that emotional state to help them accomplish their goals. An “Overall Sentiment” section can depict your user’s mood. You can describe these using text or visuals, including emojis and colors and descriptions to show how their feelings transform over the course of their journey. Additionally, a “Think & Feel” section is where you can write out quotes that represent how your users feel during each phase. To complete this part of the map, go back to the research you did earlier. Through user interviews and social listening, you should have some helpful soundbytes. Familiarize yourself with your users’ language so you can craft feelings that sound just like them. 08. Anticipate problems along the journey No website is flawless. Even leading brands that have been online for decades must consistently work on refining the user experience. Knowing this, add a “problems” section to your user journey map. This section helps you anticipate where your users may encounter friction, so you can solve these issues in the future. In some cases, it could relate to your web design. For instance, a lengthy checkout form might lead users to abandon your site. In other cases, the problem could be something larger—like a lack of brand reputation. Writing the problems that may keep users from moving to the next step, will help you critically consider and solve how to design your website around them. 09. Think about opportunities for optimization The “Opportunities” part of a user journey map is where you’ll hypothesize ways to optimize the user experience. Treat this section like a brain dump for all the things you can do to improve the user journey. Once you’ve got a list of ideas, you can look around for case studies and research to back up your hypotheses. Tap into what’s worked for others and load up your “Opportunities” section with data-backed ideas to improve your own users’ journey. 10. Collect data, review and revamp your journey maps Your initial research helped you get to know your users and how you can optimize your site for them. However, your live website’s data unlocks the next phase in designing the ideal journey. Once your site goes live, start monitoring traffic to measure your initial user journey mapping’s effectiveness. Identify the following data: The most visited landing pages on your website Which pages users most commonly visit next How the subsequent flow throughout the website looks Which areas of the site experience the greatest loss of users You can use website analytics or visualization tools to watch your user journeys play out in real time and historically, plus see what happens when different users enter your website. One last thing you can do at this stage is get feedback from actual users. By conducting user interviews, adding a feedback form to your site or running online surveys, you can gain real input about your site experience Once you’ve identified the problems along your designed user journey, return to your map and update it accordingly. This real user data can help highlight new opportunities and revamp your user journey, making solid, data-backed redesign decisions for your site far into the future.

When spearheading a new or updated content strategy initiative for your clients, it’s vital that you help them understand what’s driven their success in the past. That’s why content audits are such an important part of the content strategy process; it’s an opportunity to assess the value of each piece of content you currently have in your arsenal. Armed with this information, you can discard or revise outdated content, or craft a plan to fill gaps in your current content marketing offering. Looking to understand how to start a blog? Get started with the Wix blog maker. How to run a content audit for your blog or website Focus on performing content Locate all the content and prioritize new work Catalogue by desired KPI and key topics Asses whether the content needs updating Use analytics to find out what is (and isn’t) performing on search Determine where new content is needed Build a plan for outdated content Schedule regular content health checks 01. Focus on performing content A content audit helps illuminate content that’s already working in your client’s favor, giving agencies the potential to improve the site’s performance before new content is even created. In fact, more than half of marketers say that repurposing existing content can be one of a brand’s most efficient content marketing tactics, according to a survey by SEMrush. It also singles out pieces of content that are cluttering up their website and SEO ranking so you can take immediate steps fix or remove them. Cleaning out a site’s low-performing content helps Google recognize it as a reputable, authoritative source which can lead to improved SEO and traffic. For example, when Ahrefs cut 31.7% of their content in a recent audit and saw a 7.57% traffic increase in just 60 days. 02. Locate all the content and prioritize new work Depending on your company's content marketing journey thus far you might have just a few years of content to audit — or they might have a decade or more of material to wade through. Tackle the content from the past three-to-five years first, since it will likely be most relevant. See what content within that window best serves your key metrics. Prioritize those items and use them to model future content creation. When you look through the entire content inventory, you may find articles from before that five-year window that are still drawing traffic. Those pieces merit prioritizing along with the newer material. 03. Catalogue by desired KPI and key topics Identify which metrics matter most to your client’s audience, such as audience engagement, sales conversions or SEO. Then focus on the content that is best suited to boost those metrics. Some of it may already be performing well, and other content that’s currently underperforming might have the potential to become a success with a simple refresh. Once you solidify the type of data you are collecting why, use your audit to improve your client’s labeling and archiving process. Content should be easy to find and access by anyone on the content team who needs to use it. Create your audit spreadsheet with tabs that clearly label each data point. 04. Assess whether the content needs updating While some outdated blog posts will need to go, odds are there are plenty that can serve your goals — they just need a bit of sprucing up. Save your clients time and money by repurposing pieces of content that were prescient or performed very well and just need a few updates to keep them relevant. You may need to update stylistic aspects as well, in case your company's brand voice and terminology has evolved or shifted in the past few years. A few copy edits will ensure that older but still helpful content doesn’t sound dated or in the context of your brand's newer messaging and verbiage. 05. Use analytics to find out what is (and isn’t) performing on search Improve SEO by updating out-of-date internal links, optimizing your metadata and URLs, and tagging your client’s content. Look out for pieces that might be overstuffed with keywords or too short. This sort of content can still be very informative and beneficial to your client’s audience; it just needs a quick copy edit or expansion to perform better. Learn more about how to use Wix Analytics to audit your content. 06. Determine where new content is needed Are all key topics represented in your current content mix? Once you have a comprehensive inventory of your content and have made sure that their existing pieces are set up to best help them, you can structure your content strategy around the type of content that organically performs the best for them. For example, a developer of enterprise technology certainly should feature content that illuminates the need for the company’s products. At the same time, the company’s acquisition strategy will benefit from content that solidifies its industry expertise. To achieve that goal, your content plan might include a blog series that features company leaders’ take on the significance of recent news in enterprise tech. 07. Build a plan for outdated content For every piece of content you audit, ask yourself: Is this piece bringing traction? Should it be? If the answer is no, trash it. If it has potential, see if it would benefit from trimming away the excess, or if certain parts of the blog post might be beneficial in a different piece altogether. Revise, trash, or replace each piece of content with a fresh piece that can live under the same URL and capitalize on the SEO standing of the outdated piece. 08. Schedule regular content health checks While a thorough content audit will set you up to improve your content strategy, remember that it’s worth briefly analyzing any content library about once a year to make sure that an organization’s content strategy continues to align with its business goals. The best content in the world only works if the right people read it and it delivers the desired results, so set your clients up to ensure that their content is always working for them.

As a nonbinary trans person, I navigate an internet that isn’t designed for me. When the websites I use everyday weren’t made for me, I feel less engaged. It creates an uncomfortable experience, like an itch, making the web feel impersonal and hostile. Determining the right target audience is an integral part of making a website. Can designers intentionally choose to make nonbinary people part of that specificity? If we design with the aim of tearing down barriers, we can create an internet that’s useful, relevant, and safe to as many people as possible, including nonbinary or gender nonconforming individuals. Why gender and pronouns matter I should probably back up and define some terms for people who aren’t familiar with nonbinary people. Gender is distinct from biological sex. A gender like “man” or “woman” is a role we play in society. Some people feel profoundly uncomfortable with the role they were assigned at birth, and are happier playing another. As a nonbinary person, I’m not strictly comfortable as either a man or a woman. There are many ways to be nonbinary or gender nonconforming, and pronouns are a good example of that. There are nonbinary people who use “they/them” pronouns, but others use “she/her” or “he/him” or neopronouns (for example, “xie/xer”). There are “he/him” lesbians who were assigned female at birth and are still women. Gender is highly personal and central to who people are. An internet that’s designed for people with a broad range of gender identities and expressions would honor that. If gender is treated as a deeply personal aspect of every individual’s humanity — one you can recognize and speak to with design — you can use that to make your designs more specific, exciting, and engaging for everyone. Designing a gender-affirming web Since there are lot of ways to be nonbinary, we need to avoid the pitfall of going from imagining there are only two genders to only three. At the same time, we shouldn’t approach design as if there’s only one gender — the human gender — and flatten all diversity entirely. Broadening your voice as a brand or service provider so much, would mean that you end up speaking to nobody. If, instead, gender is treated as a deeply personal aspect of every individual’s humanity, and one you can recognize and speak to with design, you can use that to make your designs more specific, exciting, and engaging for everyone. Here are some ways we can do that: Creatable World by Mattel aspires to make playing dolls more inclusive. Rethinking our use of UX language Create gender-neutral navigation: When collecting information on gender and honorifics is sometimes necessary, it would be wonderful to have options outside the binary. The typical layout for an online clothing store, for example, has “men’s” and “women’s” sections. Some websites avoid this trap. Rather than organizing by gender, organize by type of clothing (like pants, shits, skirts) and cut. They can also have their clothing modeled by trans and gender nonconforming models. For other brands, simply including a wider variety of gender expressions in their use of photography and visuals — doesn’t have to be every photo, even! — makes the experience of using their website more friendly. Allow users to identify as they wish: Companies that gather medical information often need a user’s legal name and sex. However, changing names is a very common trans experience (including among nonbinary and gender nonconforming people). That’s a long process. The best websites I’ve used permit people to list their gender identity as well as their sex assigned at birth and also lets everyone choose a nickname. The websites who do this avoid “dead naming” trans people, which is respectful of both their identity and health. Many trans and gender nonconforming people experience gender dysphoria, and addressing them by the wrong name can be a trigger for that. Q, the First Genderless Voice Assistant. Treating user safety and consent with care There are, unfortunately, hate groups whose members try to harm trans folks, including nonbinary people. I hope that websites will look out for the safety of trans people. Be conscious of the data you collect: That means not collecting data on gender at all unless it’s vital, transparency about why collecting data is necessary and how it will be shared, and good moderation of discussion forums. Allow personal info to stay discrete: Websites that commission or feature different creatives should not require those individuals to be easy to contact. We want a friendly web, but not so friendly we forget that the web can be dangerous for minorities. Swedish underwear company KÖN offers one fit for any gender. An internet for everyone A design experience that is consciously inclusive conveys an expectation of inclusivity that people will learn from and follow. When we take the time to design with gender nonconforming and nonbinary people, it’s more than a cosmetic change. We’re using design to think about and respect human beings and care about their safety. That mindset carries into our other work. It benefits other minorities. It benefits cis users, who need safety and respect in their own ways. When we build an internet for everyone, it really does benefit everyone.

At the start of every year, we see article after article telling us what the big web design trends are going to be for the next 365 days. And, for years now, augmented and virtual reality have held a pretty firm place on those lists. But how often do you actually use AR or VR in your website design projects? And when was the last time you remember interacting with a website that used one of these immersive technologies? While AR and VR have mostly made a splash in the mobile app space until now, with apps like Pokémon GO and Google Lens, I do think there are many reasons why web designers should more seriously consider using these technologies in the years to come. So, today, I want to look at some of the challenges that might be holding designers and web creators back from adopting these trends as well as some examples to show you how effective they can be when learning how to make a website. AR vs. VR: An introduction Before we look at why AR and VR are taking so long to catch on, let’s briefly review what these technologies can do and what the key differences are between them. Augmented reality, or AR, is a technology that enables us to place a device between ourselves and the real world before us. Only, when we look through the device, we have the ability to alter what we see. You’re probably most familiar with AR thanks to apps like Instagram where filters can be applied to alter your appearance. Or you may recall the Pokémon GO craze from the summer of 2016. Virtual reality, or VR, is a technology that enables us to interact with simulated experiences or objects. Unlike AR that works with our everyday devices, like smartphones and computers, VR traditionally required users to purchase dedicated VR headsets. However, both web and app developers are finding more and more ways to integrate these simulations — big and small — into their digital experiences, so headsets aren’t necessarily required anymore. Challenges to using AR and VR GlobalWebIndex recently conducted a study on AR and VR. There are a number of interesting findings that I think will help us understand why AR and VR haven’t really caught on on the web. Let’s start with awareness versus engagement. 90% of respondents were aware of virtual reality while only 65% were aware of augmented reality. That said, only 23% of those surveyed had engaged with VR or AR in the last month. So, despite consumers knowing what these technologies are (VR more so than AR), they’re not using them all that much. The lack of awareness of AR can be attributed to the low levels of engagement, but what about VR? According to the survey, it’s the perceived cost of VR devices that’s keeping consumers from engaging with these immersive experiences. Here’s the thing though: VR isn’t strictly dependent on viewers having a headset. VR websites are proof of that (which we’ll see below). So, again, it seems to come down to a lack of understanding what the technology is and what it’s capable of doing — both by owners and creators. There’s also the perception issue. According to the survey, consumers see VR as having the most potential in the following five industries: gaming, film and TV, sports viewing, classroom education and social media. AR’s perceived potential looks similar, with consumers seeing the most potential for AR in gaming, film and TV, social media, classroom education and navigation: With the exception of navigation (like Google Maps street view), AR and VR are expected to do the same kinds of things. What this chart doesn’t reflect, however, is the fact that GlobalWebIndex also found that roughly a third of consumers believe that AR has some potential when it comes to marketing and eCommerce. This suggests that people are starting to catch on to the fact that AR and VR have some worthwhile applications online. What web designers need to do now is identify these use cases and start applying these technologies to them. The best use cases for AR and VR in web design When done right, businesses can reap a ton of benefits by using AR and VR on their websites and as part of their web design efforts. For example: By creating more immersive and interactive content, engagement rates increase, which tends to boost conversion in parallel. AR and VR experiences are more memorable and can help a business stand out from the competition. Consumers that are empowered to virtually explore a product or an experience can make more confident buying decisions. This then reduces the returns, refunds, and dissatisfaction a company has to deal with. Here are four use cases and some examples of how AR and VR are positively impacting experiences for website visitors today: 01. Virtual try-on for beauty and apparel Retail data indicates that online shopping is heavily preferred by most consumers (with the exception of older generations). However, that’s not always the case. There are certain circumstances that lure consumers to the store, like the chance to earn exclusive discounts, avoiding shipping fees, and picking up items the same day as purchased. But one of the main reasons why online shoppers will ditch their digital devices for a trip to the store is the tactile experience. A 2018 survey from Valassis actually found that 70% of female internet users preferred to go to the store in order to see or touch items. So, when you’re in the business of selling things like clothing, makeup, or accessories, you could potentially be losing sales if you don’t have a brick-and-mortar alternative available. And for those of you who do, you could still be putting yourself at risk of lost revenue by not giving online shoppers a way to “try on” your products (which can increase the amount of returns and refunded orders you see). Augmented reality solves this problem nicely for both parties. Sephora Virtual Artist, for example, is an app that enables Sephora shoppers to try on beauty products online. What’s nice about this is that it’s also available on the web, so shoppers aren’t required to install an app to their phone just to try on products. When a customer enters the web app, this is what they see along with a browser pop-up asking for access to their camera: Customers have various options for virtually trying on products: Live mode so they can see the products applied to their faces as they move around. Model mode so they can see how products look on the model’s photo. Upload or photo mode so they can take a picture with their device’s camera and apply the products to it. Garnier is another company using augmented reality to help shoppers pick out the right products from the comfort of their homes. Only, this particular tool can be accessed from any product page via the “Try It On” button: The try-on tool then enables shoppers to apply hair color products to themselves using their device’s camera or by uploading a photo of themselves. This allows people to experiment with a new hair color, something they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do in the real world without trying on a wig or using a temporary dye. So, in this case, the virtual try-on goes above and beyond the typical hair coloring experience. It’s not just makeup and hair color products you can use AR/VR technologies with either. Glasses USA, for instance, has a Virtual Mirror tool that shoppers can use to try on glasses before buying them. 02. Interactive 360-degree product views for vendors When a website sells tangible products, shoppers are going to run into a similar issue as our first use case. However, an augmented or virtual try-on solution isn’t really going to fit the bill for this. So, for websites selling products, interactive 360° views can be useful. Of course, uploading pictures of each product angle has worked fine until now, but there’s something special about allowing customers to take control and virtually explore a product on their own. Kind of like going to a store or showroom where you’re allowed to browse at your own pace. There are a number of website types that would benefit from this. For instance, eCommerce companies can use this technology to help shoppers get a better sense for the look and feel of a product . Lowe's is one such company that currently includes virtual 360 degree views of its inventory. The view is included within the traditional photo and video gallery. But unlike those images that shoppers have to passively look at, the 360view is interactive, and customers can drag the refrigerator around to see it from all angles. This is a pretty basic example of this type of VR in action. Let’s look at one that’s a little more complex. In the Volvo virtual showroom, customers can spin the car around and examine the exterior. They can also get a closer look at everything going on inside it. It definitely gives them a better feel for what it would be like to drive the vehicle. 03. Virtual or self-guided tours for arts, entertainment, and travel There are a number reasons why this particular use case is helpful to include on your arts, entertainment, or travel website. Normally, virtual self-guided tours are a good way to give visitors and travelers a taste of what’s to come. They can also be useful for getting visitors invested in the venue if they’re given up-close looks at their programs, exhibits, and so on. There’s another reason why you should be entertaining the usage of VR for this and that’s Covid-19. Just because people have to isolate or social distance, they still crave exploration and socialization. And while VR won’t give them the latter, it will certainly help them fulfill their wanderlust and need to be entertained, even when they’re stuck at home. There are many different kinds of websites with self-guided interactive tours right now: The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has an entire section of its site dedicated to virtual tours. Visitors can peruse various exhibits, walk around the museum, and jump from floor to floor with ease. The European Southern Observatory also has a variety of virtual walkthroughs. The website makes them available both for VR headset users as well as those using their computers or mobile phones. Visitors can explore things like the Supernova Planetarium from the interactive window or expand it so it fills their screen. And just like the natural history museum, they can use hotspots to quickly move around to view exhibits and highlights. 04. Virtual experiential tours for sales purposes Virtual tours aren’t just a good idea for arts and entertainment organizations. They can be used as sales tools for colleges, realtors, or even travel hosts (like for Airbnb-type sites). By allowing prospects to do walkthroughs ahead of time, they can more effectively vet their options. This also saves salespeople and recruiters time showing them around to bad-fit locales. So, everyone wins in the end. And, again, because of what transpired with Covid-19, this kind of virtual reality allows businesses and consumers to keep doing what they’ve always done, even if in-person transactions aren’t kosher. Let’s look at some examples. Stanford University has a 360 degree video tour of its campus. What’s cool about this example is that the video actively takes visitors around the campus, with various student guides speaking up and pointing out things along the way. All the while, virtual visitors can drag their mouse around and inspect different views of the campus as they’re taken along. Real estate companies and apartment communities can use virtual tours in a similar manner. Provenza at Plum Creek, for example, provides visitors with apartment models they can tour online — and they look just like the ones they’d see if they visited in person. Unlike photos which can only paint part of the picture about what an apartment unit is like, this walkthrough lets interested renters explore every nook and cranny. Why you should use AR and VR in web design AR and VR are more than just overhyped trends. In fact, they’re not being hyped enough. Or, rather, it might be more that they’re not hyped to the right audience or in the right way. Because while designers are well aware of these technologies, clients and employers might not realize they can enhance how they design their websites with them and in turn, their businesses can reap the benefits. If the budget is there, the context is right, and the desire to create more immersive and interactive experiences exists, why not explore what these powerful technologies can do?

Let’s be honest: Freelance design rates are confusing. After all, every project is different. Every freelancer is different. And every client is different. That means rates vary from project to project, and from designer to designer. However, there are a few good systems to help find yours when freelancing—and we’ll cover them in this article. Looking to create a freelance website? Learn more about how to do it with Wix. The no BS truth about freelance graphic design rates There is no hard-and-set formula for finding your freelance design rates. We can spend all day throwing around different suggestions and survey statistics—but the fact is, your rate will be entirely unique to you. After all, there are many different elements that go into a freelancer’s rates. Here are a few of the most crucial deciding factors: Location Where you live plays a big role in how much you decide to charge. After all, a freelancer in San Francisco will have more of an incentive to charge a higher rate than a freelancer in cities with lower overhead expenses, such as Boise, Idaho. And it’s not just your location, it’s your client’s location as well. If your client lives in a major city, they might actually expect to pay a premium fee for your services. Whereas, a client in a small, rural community might be more inclined to charge less. Pro tip: Consider benchmarking your rate to a specific city. For example, many freelance designers charge their rates by the standard for New York City. To learn more about how to start a business across the US, check our our guides: How to start a business in New York How to start a business in California How to start a business in Arizona How to start a business in Florida Experience Your level of experience matters—to a degree. The more experienced you are, the more clients will be willing to pay for your work. At the same time, experience isn’t everything when it comes to freelancing. Beginners who create extraordinary work can still charge a premium fee for their services. As a rule of thumb, though, you can expect your rates to reflect on your level of experience. Type of work The type of projects your client requires also determines how much you charge. After all, a complete website redesign shouldn’t cost the same as a single hero image. So it’s only natural that your rate should change when faced with two very different types of work. In addition, the type of project can affect not only the total fee that you end up charging, but also the type of rate itself (more on that later). For a one-time logo design, for example, you might decide to charge a flat fee. But for a more large-scale, ongoing project like a website redesign, you might want to go with an hourly rate. Value for client Another factor going into freelance design rates is the prospect of the project potentially bringing in a lot of money for your client. For example, if you know that the product you’re designing is expected to earn the client millions of dollars, you should absolutely charge more for it. There are a few good ways to charge for high-value projects too, which we’ll get into below. Personal budget needs The last element to take into account is your personal monthly and yearly expenses. Things like mortgage, rent, utility bills and other major spendings that you anticipate, should be added up to create your monthly and annual budget. In addition, freelancers need to pay close attention to elements like insurance, taxes, savings, sick days, and long-term investments (a.k.a. the things that come with a full-time job). As a freelancer, you’re in charge of your own benefits package, so it’s up to you to make sure that those things are built into your rate. Pro tip: To start, it’s helpful to figure out your annual goal salary. How much do you want to be earning each year as a freelancer? From there, you can break down your hourly rate or project rate. While all types of rates have their pros and cons, project-based or retainers do have an obvious advantage. The 3 types of freelance graphic design rates There are three main types of freelance design rates. Here’s how to find the one that works for you: Hourly rate This rate is the most common amongst beginner freelance designers or people who've recently transitioned into freelance design—and for good reason. First, it’s incredibly simple: You charge a set amount for each hour of work. That’s it. Coming up with your hourly rate is fairly simple, too. Here’s a handy back-of-a-napkin formula to help you figure it out: Step 1: Add up all of your monthly expenses (utilities, rent, taxes, insurance, etc.), with what you’d like to save up on the side (savings, a pension fund, etc.). Step 2: Divide that number by 52, for the number of weeks in a year. Step 3: Divide that number by 40, for the number of hours in a work week. Let’s say your goal salary number is $50,000 per year. Your calculations should look something like this: 50,000 / 52 = 961.53 961.53 / 40 = 24.0 Which means that your hourly rate should be around $24 an hour. Note: This is only a rough estimate. It does not take into account taxes and other factors which are unique to each country, state, and individual. Still don’t know how much to charge? Here are a few good rates to start off with: Beginner freelance designer (<1 year - 3 years): $20 - $35 / hour Intermediate freelance designer (3 years - 5 years): $35 - $50 / hour Advanced freelancer (5+ years): $50 - $150 / hour It’s worth noting that most advanced freelance designers tend to move away from hourly rate. That’s because they don’t effectively capture the amount of work that goes into a project. Time isn’t the only resource after all. There’s also mental energy, sweat equity, and more. Project-based This rate is most commonly used by experienced freelancers. Instead of giving the client an hourly estimate, they charge a flat-fee based on the scope of the project. Unlike hourly rates, this rate takes into account not just the amount of time a project takes, but also the energy and resources. Pro tip: Double your resentment fee. Your resentment fee is the absolute lowest amount that you’d perform this project for. It’s so low that you resent it. Take that amount and double it. That’s your freelance design rate for the project. Another good way to look at project fees is by taking into account the value for the client. Are you designing a splashy landing page for a client's product? Estimate roughly how much that product will generate them, and make sure to reflect that in your rate. Better yet, you can always ask your client how much they anticipate to earn with this product. They might be willing to divulge some numbers, which can give you a better idea of how much to charge. Retainer This is the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow for freelance designers. A retainer is when a client pays you a set amount each month your design services. Think of it as somewhere between freelancing and full-time employment. Retainers offer the consistent work stream of a full-time job, with the flexibility of freelancing. To find your retainer fee, you need to discuss the finer details of the client’s expectations of your work each month. Ask them for an estimate of how many hours they want you to be on call for work each month. From there, you can use your hourly fee to come up with a good monthly retainer rate. Which rate is the best? When it comes to the best type of freelance design rate, the answer is simple: It depends. While all types of rates have their pros and cons, project-based or retainers do have an obvious advantage. Why? Let’s look at an example. Imagine you’re an experienced freelance designer who charges $70 per hour for graphic design work. A client approaches you asking for you to design a landing page for a product. Awesome! You agree and get to work… ...for 3 hours. In less than half a work day, you just finished making a great landing page that’ll make the client hundreds of thousands of dollars in leads, and you only made $210. That’s a problem. Instead, you could charge a project fee for it based on the value of the work. This would allow you to charge anywhere between $1,000 - $4,000 for that one landing page. There are still a lot of reasons you might want to go with an hourly rate instead. You might even simply prefer it. But for the majority of experienced freelance designers, project-based rates or retainers are their best bet. The most important thing about freelance graphic design rates There’s one simple truth when it comes to your freelance rates: You’re probably overthinking it. Too many freelance designers sweat over their rate, when they can just pick one and start working. Freelance rates are dynamic, so you can start to adjust yours over time. Ultimately, your rate is going to be entirely unique to you. So stop stressing. Pick a rate. And earn money as a freelance designer. Freelance design rates FAQ

You might not hang a Piet Mondrian in your living room, but when it comes to web design “less is more” serves a different purpose. I’m not referring to minimalism as a design aesthetic but as the very foundation of your interface. From purveying a clear promotional message to designing effective navigation, minimalism plays an important part in your website’s structure. Plus, if you're looking for a website that proves your in-the-know, minimalist websites are a web design trend that keeps making its way back. When it comes to learning how to design a website in a minimalist style, a website layout that embraces minimalism is a useful approach to keep in mind. First build the structure – with clean lines and a good use of white space. Once you have your clearly built interface layout you can then incorporate your personal design concept. Remember that creating a website isn’t always about fancy techniques, too much sparkle and flashes can create a chaotic messy feeling and distract the eye. To help with this we've prepared some tips to get you started and with them, some great web design inspiration examples and web design statistics too. Preparing Your Layout Wix Rulers- A Quick Easy Design Grid You can build your design grid through Wix. Click on Arrange – Rulers, you can add as many rulers that you like by dragging them out of the main ruler. When you open a new page on your website, the grid will remain consistent with the original plan. It will help you organize your graphic elements as well as keep them aligned. To close the rulers, click on the small arrow on the top right. What’s on the Menu – The Navigation Bar Your site should include a navigation bar. Whether horizontal or vertical it should always appear on the top of the page in your website header, and be easily accessible from each section of the site. Always keep it visible, and if adding sub-menus for more detailed viewing, or even a hamburger menu (which would allow for more space on your homepage), make sure the visitor can find their way home. Check out how Ben Hulse uses the menu bar on his website: Adding a Menu on Wix: Click on Page Parts – Add Mini page. Click on “Add Menu”. You can choose between horizontal, vertical and thumbnail menus. Under “Menu Settings” you can play with the menu properties. Use the “Manage” and “Format” options to edit the text. Fun Tips and Tricks for Keeping an Organized Work Space: The alignment box, Ctrl-k or “Arrange”- alignment options. Grouping – by selecting two or more elements simultaneously a small box will appear on the top left. Clicking it will connect the elements allowing you to edit them together. The transform box – under “Arrange”- the transform box gives you the option to move graphic elements around accurately by the pixel. This makes it easy to design an accurate layout. Locking elements – Once you planned your web layout, locking each element into place will create an easy work flow. Keeping your work space organized and taking time to plan your layout will allow you to build your own great accessible website. Of course, always update your website in the future to keep it relevant for users, or opt for a website redesign when you feel it is necessary. And some thinking material for the weekend: “Things should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.”—Albert Einstein Learn more about how to make a website with our extensive guide.

What happens when you ask Dribbble’s community of designers to express what goes on in their minds? Here are the results! Understanding what goes on inside anyone’s mind can be tough. But when it comes to designers, their mystery-of-a-brain really does work in weird and wonderful ways. That’s why we teamed up with Dribbble to host the Wix Playoff: Designer’s Mind. Creatives from all around the world - including freelance graphic designers, hobby designers and more - were challenged to express what goes on inside their minds, using any medium or technique of their choice – from animations, to GIFs, 3D models, illustrations and more. We were thrilled to receive a stunning array of submissions. But there can only be one grand winner, meticulously picked by a jury made up of creative experts from Dribbble and Wix. So, without further ado, we couldn’t be happier to announce the grand prize winner (drum rolls please!): Charlie, from Dinos & Teacups. This talented freelance animator and illustrator will be treated to $2,000 towards digital design products of their choice, as well as a Wix.com 2 year VIP Premium Plan and Dribbble Pro for one year. Here’s the winning piece, by Dinos & Teacups: The runner-up is designer Muhammad Sajid. A frame from his beautiful animation is featured at the top of the page. The fan favorite goes to Alexa Erkaeva, with this stunning illustration: The honorable mentions go to: Omar Elfanek, Or Eitan, Max, Ryan Vatzlavick, OtherPeter, Giga Robakidze, Den Serduke, Itamar, Olga Hashim and Tanya Suhodolska. A huge thanks to the talented crowd who took part in this Playoff! By exposing the inner workings of your minds, you absolutely blew ours. Check out the full collection of submissions here. Learn more about how to create a website with our guide.

American writer Sylvia Plath journaled about a terrifying experience of creative stagnation. “If I want to write, this is hardly the way to behave - in horror of it, frozen by it. The ghost of the unborn novel is a Medusa-head,” she accounted before going on to write her semi-autobiographical masterpiece, The Bell Jar. Creative professionals across different fields, be it fine arts or website design, often face a similar problem. All pumped up on motivation and ready to create something great, they are simultaneously unable to pursue this very same motivation. The artistic gifts, in their capriciousness, can one minute sweep us away with ingenuity, then drain us free of any speck of imagination, the next. There are many possible reasons for a creative block to surface, apart from the wavering moods of creativity. Those reasons range from the emotional (such as fear, self-doubt, and perfectionism), to personal or financial issues that get in the way of the creative work. If you’re facing an artistic recession of your own, read on for actionable (and comforting) tips for overcoming a creative block, and for getting back to the task at hand feeling inspired and rejuvenated: Take a step back Brave through a digital detox Find new sources of inspiration Allow time for self-care Work your way through it Play and experiment Surround yourself with other creatives 01. Take a step back Creative block can sometimes serve as a much-needed pause for contemplating the project, before going into the execution phase. Remember that even when you’re not producing any actual work, you might still be moving the project forward. When a project gets sluggish, you might feel inclined to distance yourself from the drawing board for a bit. This initial gut feeling has its benefits, because while you’re being seemingly inefficient, your mental wheels could still be hard at work, getting it all formulated and ready to go out into the world. In case you have a deadline breathing down your neck, you might not have the privilege of setting aside some time off. Nevertheless, feeling stuck might be a good reminder to dedicate some time, even as little as a few minutes, to think the project through before diving deep into it. 02. Brave through a digital detox There are plenty of beautiful social accounts and inspirational online resources to get your ideas flowing. And while the internet does have its ways of filling us with great insights and quality content, it also tends to feel overwhelming during a creative block. It’s therefore recommended to step away from your laptop, mute your phone and put it away for a set amount of time. A decent dose of digital wellness can help you clear your head and reduce feelings of FOMO. It can also relieve the constant measuring of your work in comparison to other professionals in your field, as we too often do. To make the most out of your time offline, consider going for a long walk outside, an activity known to boost your mood and get your mind working. Alternatively, you could opt for a mind-numbing chore that uses up very little of your inner creativity - the more repetitive, the better. Doing the dishes or cleaning the house will allow your mind to wander, at the end of which you might find yourself fresh with motivation. A visit to a design museum might also help put the fun back into inspiration for your work. 03. Find new sources of inspiration Keeping up with works by other creatives in your discipline is a commendable practice and a reliable well of inspiration. Yet during a creative rough-patch, seeing other people’s polished and completed works often results in self-criticism and frustration. Overwhelmed by too many best portfolio examples? Instead, try opening up to different sources of inspiration. You could leaf through interesting magazines, design blogs, or exquisite graphic design books, and listen to some of the best design podcasts out there. Meet up with your creative community in events and conferences, or visit gallery and museum exhibitions. Note that it’s worth to look outside of your own creative discipline, too. As a ceramicist, you might look to fine art photography for a breath of fresh air. A typographer or illustrator might turn to film, indulging in the many graphic design movies or explore design magazines. 04. Allow time for self-care Feeling invested and caring about the things that we do is always beneficial for getting them done right. When it comes to creativity, this truth becomes evermore pressing. The act of making things is inherently linked to our psyche, subconsciousness, sense of self-esteem, and many other things that most people reserve for the psychiatrist's couch. As a result, our artistic endeavors are hard to summon on demand. This next remedy for creative block is possibly the most fun of all: take care of you. Pamper your body and soul with anything from a soothing spa day to a good workout and nutritious meals, to an especially long beauty sleep. These acts of self-kindness can boost your wellbeing, helping you focus better and be more productive. Your graphic design portfolio and work will be better for the time you take away to care for yourself. 05. Work your way through it Despite the above mentioned claims, creative work can also be just that - work. And in some cases, you simply have to apply yourself, commit, and grind your way through it. You might also find it helpful to listen to your favorite feel-good productivity music at this point. Make as many bad drafts and dull revisions as it takes and go down endless different routes until finally reaching the one that you kind of, sort of like. Once you have that much - keep working to refine it until it’s gold. 06. Play and experiment One way to make perseverance easier is by treating your project like less of a chore, and more like a chance to play and experiment. Try to let go of the pressures of creating something amazing, and replace effectiveness for curiosity. Think outside of the box and attempt weird, silly methods of approaching the brief that you’re not accustomed to trying. Have fun and explore your own creativity in ways that would ultimately surprise you. 07. Surround yourself with other creatives For freelance designers and other creatives who work independently, work can often be an extremely solitary affair. When coping with creative block, meet up with friends whose professional opinion you trust, for advice or a brainstorming session. You could also schedule to meet with a friend to work side-by-side on your separate projects, a practice that can help inspire and motivate you both. Connecting with your creative community can also contribute greatly to your productivity. Attend events that are frequented by people in your professional circle, not only to mingle and network as you journey towards becoming a freelance graphic designer - but also to reignite the spark and remind yourself of what it is that you love about doing what you do. By then, hopefully, inspiration will be an effortless outcome. Check out our full guide to how to make a website.

What goes on inside the mind of a designer? Share your inner workings with the Dribbble community, and maybe win some hot prizes along the way. Every creative has their unique way of thinking. For some of us, our brains are a mess of never-ending trains of thought, while others resemble a meticulously organized archive, cataloging tiny bits of information. There are those who think in color and shape, those who wonder in fragmented words, and those who glide through various emotional states. Whether you're a freelance graphic designer or work as part of a broader company organization, we know that your mind works in creative and mysterious ways. Whatever it looks like – we want to see it. The Wix Design team is made up of more than 150 sizzling creative spirits, resulting in a huge variety of thought processes and artistic styles. And we believe that expressing these unique and distinctive minds at their absolute best is what it takes to achieve real creative freedom. That’s why, following the earthshaking success of our Playground contest, we’ve teamed up with Dribbble to host another exclusive playoff for creative souls everywhere – introducing: Designer’s Mind. Speak your mind Here’s your task: pick your brains and let us in on the inner workings of your mind as a designer. Express what goes on inside your head using any medium or technique you want – animation, GIF, 3D model, illustration and more. To take part, simply rebound this Dribbble shot with your creation. Submissions are accepted until May 4th, so don’t wait too long. Our part of the deal: a panel of judges from Dribbble and the Wix Design Team will pick a grand prize winner and two runner-ups. The lucky winners will get $2,000 ($1,000 for the runner-ups) towards digital design products of their choice, plus a Wix.com 2-year Premium Plan, and Dribbble Pro for a year. Additional prizes will be awarded to a fan favorite and ten honorable mentions. Ready to blow our minds? Enter the Designer’s Mind on Dribbble, now! Click here for the official rules of the contest. Learn more about how to build a website with our guide.

These designers have taken holiday greeting cards to a whole other level, using animation, illustration and other techniques to create beautiful online festive visuals. Pick your favorites to send to friends and family, or use them as inspiration to craft your own. There’s a certain thrill reserved just for holiday season. For some of us, it’s the cold breeze and kitsch decorations that get us. For others, it’s the pumpkin pie and the excuse to watch hours of TV, curled up snuggly on the couch. Whether you’re into the pretty lights, the classic snowy scenes, the office parties or the family get-togethers, we’ve created a little something for you. Here are 23 wonderfully designed (and free) online greeting cards that capture the essence of the holidays. They were created by 15 different professionals from Wix’s creative community, including freelance graphic designers, designers from our studio and Wix Design Playground alumni. Download and share the cards with your loved ones, use them as inspiration from your graphic design portfolio, or simply drool over them, along with your favorite festive snack in hand. Without further ado, let it snow (let it snow, let it snow) 23 stunning greeting cards: Classic Christmas color combinations with a twist, by Anita Goldstein: Celebrate in style with Mor Zohar-Kadosh’s sparkling illustration: Get nostalgic with this contemporary take on pop art: Spot-on lettering with a festive color palette to match, by artist, illustrator and designer David Milan: The ideal dose of heartwarming holiday love, by designer and illustrator Carissa Potter: Fresh vibrant vibes in this gorgeous illustration celebrating Kwanzaa by Or Yogev: An accurate depiction of the ice-cold, yet cosy vibes that make this season so special: A perfectly balanced Christmukkah (a.k.a. Hannumas) celebration, by Tal Shay: Here’s UX designer Miki Twersky’s take on a Jewish Christmas: Botanical illustrations with a festive touch by illustrator Katherine Quinn: Here’s one for all the animal lovers among us, by Or Dahan: Geometric shapes have never looked this good: A current-day take on traditional themes: Playful sophistication at its best: This is definitely one to get you in the holiday spirit: A mesmerizing geometric illustration by Ariel Wollek: Merging 3D objects with digital techniques, in this unique design by multidisciplinary designer Younjae Lee: Nothing says cosy like a hot cup of tea by the fireplace, accurately depicted here by Ariel Sun: A cute and colorful illustration with a handmade feel: Mixing clean shapes and lines with a grainy texture for a striking result: Past and future unite in this edgy design by Yotam Kellner: Liang Dai combines a simple color palette with a stunning and iconic illustration style: Merging classic handmade decorations with digital techniques, by Ana Khadivi: Want more festive inspiration? Discover more works by creative from the Wix design community here. Or learn more about how to build a website.

Visual content is a highly important element in making a great website. Even if you’re not an artist or a photographer, you need to carefully consider the images you use. Once you've decided to create a website, the image options for your web design may seem overwhelming. You might be wondering what types of images generate the biggest impact. Here are a few things to help you learn how to make a website with visuals that will stand out from the crowd! Pixster Photobooth use funny, eye-catching images on the home page of their Wix website Inform Your homepage image is typically the first thing visitors see when they come to your website. What does it say about you or about your business? It’s a good idea to use large, eye-catching images on your homepage, as long as they first and foremost tell your visitors what you are all about. *Tip: Using Wix, you can add a beautiful animated gallery that tells a whole story without taking too much space. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you with that. Spotlight 3d set this eye popping picture as the background for their site Engage The images you use need to move website visitors in some way, including your website background. Parris Whittingham, founder of Parris Whittingham Studio, describes his favorite pictures as those that “Give”: the ones that invoke a state of emotion. That is the true value of a great image. *Tip: Think of the action you want website visitors to perform on your site – donate, subscribe, share, register, purchase, bookmark, etc. –  and try to envision a picture that motivates to this very act. Keys Of Change use beautiful and moving images to promote their charity Energize! Choose active over passive images – ones that have the power to make your product, message, or individuality crackle with energy and inspire your site visitors. Active photos are typically sharp rather than blurry and have a vital and vibrant color scheme. Using active images throughout your site will grab your visitors’ attention and make them want to see more. You can even find some great free stock photos on sites like Pexels and Pixabay. *Tip: If you want to add a slideshow to a website, avoid using all the images at your disposal. Filter them for those that are active. Beach Chic Photography showcase their inspiring work Faces vs. objects Humans are social creatures, and you can instantaneously connect with site visitors using an image of the human face. Nevertheless, don’t be afraid to crop or use detail to emphasize what’s important. Objects can send powerful messages and keep your pages visually interesting. Of course, when you promote products or designs on your website, presenting objects in an appealing way is one of the most important tasks in your website design process. That doesn’t mean you don’t need to use images of humans at all. A facial expression can help you in those places on your site where you wish to convey emotions or values. *Tip: If you have an eCommerce website and want to display your products nicely, try using more than one image. You can show the product from different angles or add a photo of the product in use. Jermaine Mcneal in an unforgettable photo for an unforgettable website Customize You may have found the perfect photo to add to your website and become disappointed if it doesn’t fit as well as you imagined. No worries! You can use the Image Editor on the Wix website builder to edit and customize all images, whether they are Wix images or your own. Cropping, enhancing, mirroring, brightening and many other options allow you to optimize your images and match them to the exact look and feel of your website. Enrique Morales Catering display of mouthwatering Mexican food Most importantly: Don’t be afraid to be felt and heard! Resist the urge to choose generic, ‘safe’ images. No matter what type of site you have, let your personality shine through! For text-heavy pages, use images to break up text. Visitors will appreciate the visual pauses. Keep your website’s content fresh and lively by adding new images to your website every once in awhile. (Thanks to Elizabeth Lapp, Curator at Shutterstock, Kate Lord, photo editor at the Wall Street Journal, and Parris Whittingham, founder of Parris Whittingham Studio, for your expert guidance!)

The Necessity of a Style Guide A style guide is a document that prescribes the ‘style’ or standard format for you as you create a website. It lays down common guidelines for formatting texts and images, use of color and fonts, logo variations that can be used, etc. The general idea here is to: Create consistency across your website Outline guidelines that can serve future partners taking over from you In big (and some small) design companies, a website cannot be created without a style guide to back it up. It’s a communication document that levels out the expectations of all those involved in the project. It’s also a way of making sure there are no surprises in the end. Even if you’re not working in a team, a style guide can make your life easier. It is a crucial step towards creating a successful professional website. It’s the touchstone in the process that will keep you focused and help you achieve a more cohesive design. The Wix editor offers endless possibilities - like image slideshows as just one example, making for an exciting and refreshing design process. But watch out! This wealth of design possibilities can just as well throw you off track. A style guide will always help you steer back into the right direction thus saving you a lot of time. By creating a style guide you are effectively establishing rules that will make the design process more efficient and help the final website achieve its purpose. You can find more web design tips here. How to Prepare a Style Guide Before approaching the editor grab a pencil and paper and construct your guidelines. Web guidelines keep everything consistent, from website header design to navigation structure. You can also take a look at current web design trends to find some inspiration before you get started. Points to Consider When Preparing a Style Guide Prepare a color sheet- what are the tones you would like to use in your design, and what is the color scheme of your website? A black and white concept with brightly colored text? Solid black background with neon colored elements? Lay out the colors together, when stuck or lost. It can be very handy to refer to your pre-planned guide. What fonts will you be using? Usually no more than three are needed. Find combinations of fonts that work for you. Decide what font you’ll be using for titles, sub-titles, headings and main text. Will you be using Bold or Italics for titles? Think about the grid and layout of the website. This determines where elements will be placed. Prepare some generic templates that you can use when designing. A good grid is the key to a good website and will ensure consistency. Have a look at your navigation structure and organization of relevant materials. Map out the information you want to display on your website – this is where you name the menu options. Menu options may include headings such as home, about, contact, gallery, portfolio (perhaps with sub categories), links, comments. Will you be using an intro page? Or use more than one language? This is the map of your website, it will ensure that your web design has an appropriate structure and will help you lay out all the materials you need to prepare. Prepare the text you’ll be using. Think of keywords you need to highlight. Gathering all the text at this stage including contact info and picture captions will be a huge time saver when you get to building your website. What images will be displayed? Are they ready to upload or are compression and editing needed? Decide which image goes under what tab and if captions are needed. How are the images going to be displayed? Perhaps with a consistent frame around them? If you have a gallery of some sort, plan out the image categories. Consider your use of graphic elements. This is where you decide whether and where to incorporate them, and how and where your logo will be integrated. You may find it helpful to have the editor open and play around with different options. Make sure to transfer your decisions to the style guide, so you will always be able to refer to it once you start. This is the best practice when deciding how to design a website in the most effective way. The best thing about a style guide is that it’s transferable- it can be applied to all your publications. The effort you put into the style guide will definitely pay off when you’ll see you can apply it to any other form of communication you use: email marketing, blogs, business cards – your company now has a strong unified style. Remember the document you produce is not set in stone, you can always make changes and update it. Learn more about how to make a website with our extensive guide.