Whether crafting a new site for a friend or family member or during the courting stages of attempting to land a new client, all web designers have to create small or micro sites from time to time. The real problem with these sites -especially in the case of building them for close relations- is that the amount paid (if any) is generally not even close to being adequate compensation. That being the case, every web designer out there should have a few tricks up his or her sleeves that will help pump out a small site in no time flat. These suggestions are by no means all-inclusive, but everyone should consider what’s mentioned here to help maximize output quality while minimizing time invested.
Template-Based Site Creation
Often looked down upon by “real” web designers, template websites can go a long way in making the entire site creation process super easy, especially for those already comfortable with most aspects of building a new domain up. These are perfect for one- or two-page sites that nearly need to convey information and/or offer up some kind of online form that will allow a small level of user interaction. To further elaborate, these kinds of creation sites are perfect for those looking to make something highly personalized like setting up a wedding website for example, a central location for familial history or for promoting an online event of some sort.
These tools are best for those who only want to invest an hour or two while getting a great-looking site up. The only real downside here is that deep personalization can often make for layout problems, but the templates are usually attractive enough to not require any kind of further modifications.
Using a CMS
Content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla or Drupal will take more time to create a site compared to using a template-based site builder, but they have added benefits that are well worth discussing. The vast majority of special site needs are readily available through the use of add-ons or components, which means sites built using CMS tools and their numerous downloads can still be a relatively quick process. Nevertheless, sometimes add-ons can conflict with each other or simply not display properly, which can lead inexperienced users down a path of dozens of frustrating hours attempting to relieve the problem.
A designer who is experienced in CMS usage can often get a full site up and running in as little as a few hours, assuming he or she has graphics readily available. For someone who is fairly new to CMS site building, the time to create a simple site can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
Hand-Coding Tips
While there are some people who believe all websites should be hand coded, sometimes that just isn’t viable or efficient enough for the project. However, that doesn’t mean a few tips aren’t in order for those looking to omit all CMS from their lives; here’s our tips for this situation:
First and foremost, small projects don’t need to use any kind of CSS or front-end programming, which should cut down on development time dramatically.
Second, use graphics with transparencies to create visually dynamic sites with minimal layout code.
Third, consider using a CMS or template site, they come highly recommended.
