Website Design Checklist: 40+ Items To Review Before Launch - Alakmalak Technologies

 Picture this: You’ve poured blood, sweat, and tears into your new website. You’ve spent countless hours on design, even more on web development, and a chunk of change on paid ads to drive traffic. And yet, you’re greeted with high bounce rates, low conversions, and complaints from users who can’t navigate your site. Sounds nightmarish, right? To avoid this, partnering with a top website development company is crucial for a seamless user experience.

The Emotional and Tangible Cost of Missing Out On a Website Design Checklist

• Missed Business Opportunities: Every lost visitor is a lost customer, which directly affects your revenue.
• High Bounce Rates: Potential customers leave within seconds, never to return.
• Negative Brand Image: A bad first impression can permanently tarnish your brand.
• Frustration Over Inefficiency: You’re paying a development team, but not seeing the results.
• SEO Nightmares: Poor design choices affect your search ranking.
• Wasted Marketing Spend: Your paid ads serve no purpose if your website isn’t up to the mark.
• Lost Trust: Visitors question your credibility.
• Constant Revisions: You’re always stuck in a loop of design and redesign.
• Lack of Mobile Optimization: Alienating a huge chunk of mobile users.
• Overwhelm: Simply not knowing where to start or how to correct course.

Why You’re Struggling with Your Website’s Performance: It’s NOT What You Think

You might blame poor performance on inadequate marketing, tough competition, or even bad luck. But, guess what? The real root cause is often a lack of structured planning and evaluation. Sure, you’ve been told to focus on high-quality content and SEO, but if the foundational design services of your website are flawed, even the best content and SEO tricks won’t save you.

Why Common Solutions Fail

• Aesthetic Focus: Just making it pretty doesn’t make it functional.
• Ignoring User Experience: Navigation and usability are often afterthoughts.
• Band-Aid Fixes: You tackle problems as they come, not before they occur.
• Incomplete SEO Strategy: You think stuffing keywords will do the trick.
• Lack of Tracking: If you’re not measuring, you’re not improving.

What Needs to Be Done: Meet The Website Design Checklist

To break out of this vicious cycle, you need a structured Website Design Checklist before you even think about launching. This becomes your bible, ensuring every aspect of your site is up to scratch. Partnering with the best website design company can help you create and execute this checklist effectively.

The Benefit-Rich Results of Using a Website Design Checklist

• Boosted Revenue: By avoiding design hiccups, you increase conversions.
• Enhanced User Experience: Lower bounce rates and higher engagement.
• Solid Brand Image: People will love interacting with your website.
• Cost Efficiency: A single mistake could cost you hundreds; a checklist is your safety net.
• SEO Success: Rank higher and be more visible.
• Time-Saving: No need to revisit and revise constantly.
• Peace of Mind: Knowing you didn’t miss anything before launching.

What Is A Website Design Checklist?

A Website Design Checklist is essentially your blueprint for web development success. It’s the go-to guide for web designers, developers, and even clients to make sure every step of the website creation process is accounted for. Whether you’re grappling with lines of code, setting up the layout, running tests, or navigating client expectations, this checklist is your roadmap.

Specifically, it’s your lifeline for crucial aspects like coding standards, user interface design, testing, and even dealing with client preferences. From ensuring top-notch usability to accessibility with industry standards, it covers the full spectrum—right from the first draft to the live launch.

Why Use A Web Design Checklist?

Think of a Web Design Checklist as your team’s ultimate sidekick. It’s the organizational tool that ensures you’re always on the ball, hitting deadlines, and never letting any critical visual elements slip through the cracks. When the clock is ticking and stress is high, it’s easy to forget the smaller, yet vital, aspects of a project. That’s where the checklist swoops in to save the day.

By adhering to a well-crafted checklist, you stand to gain several powerful advantages:

• Your website turns out user-friendly because it ensures that your team nails both UX and UI best practices.
• The messaging is spot-on, thanks to rigorous proofreading and formatting checks.
• You dodge legal and compliance headaches by ticking off all industry standards and regulations.
• Visitors will feel an instant connection with your brand due to voice and design elements that are meticulously researched and harmonized.
• Say goodbye to security nightmares, as your checklist ensures that all backup protocols and safeguards are active.
• Get ready for an SEO high-five, as the checklist guides you through the do’s and don’ts of search engine optimization.
• Tracking success becomes a breeze, thanks to embedded analytics that let you monitor, learn, and tweak as you go along.

Website Design Audit Checklist: 40+ Items To Check Before Launching A Website

A robust web design checklist isn’t just a list; it’s a roadmap that guides your team through the maze of tasks needed to build a killer website. To make this roadmap user-friendly, it’s smart to break it down into distinct categories, each focused on a specific facet of website design.

Your ultimate web design services checklist should be compartmentalized into these thematic sections, each containing pertinent checkpoints and tasks:

This structure ensures that every critical aspect of web design gets its moment in the spotlight, making the design process smoother and more efficient.

1. Design

1. Ensure cross-device and cross-browser compatibility.

2. Thoroughly validate HTML and CSS codes.

3. Streamline scripts for peak performance on all web pages.

4. Compress and resize images for optimal loading speed across the site.

5. Refine CSS for seamless rendering and faster page loads.

6. Upload a well-designed favicon and confirm its correct display.

7. Double-check that paragraph elements like quotes, lists, and headers are styled and functioning as intended.

2. Functionality

8. Verify that forms not only submit data accurately but also display a confirmation message upon submission.

9. Confirm that submitted form data is saved in the company’s database and automatically sent to the designated email recipient.

10. Test auto-responder functionalities for reliability.

11. Validate the integrity of all internal website links.

12. Double-check that external links are functional and configured to open in new tabs.

13. Ensure that social media sharing buttons are fully operational.

14. Verify that news feeds, social media streams, and RSS features are up-to-date and functional.

15. Make certain that clicking the company logo redirects users to the homepage.

16. Optimize the website for fast load times.

17. Implement and test 404 error redirect pages.

18. Confirm the successful integration of any third-party tools or widgets.

3. Content

19. Verify the layout and styling of headers, bullet lists, and text paragraphs for consistency.

20. Update the copyright date in the website footer to reflect the current year.

21. Ensure that company contact information is accurate and easily accessible.

22. Replace any placeholder or filler content with the finalized, relevant material.

23. Confirm that all multimedia elements like images, videos, and audio clips are correctly positioned and functional across various devices.

24. Test the accessibility and functionality of downloadable resources such as e-books or white papers.

25. Secure and document the appropriate licenses for images, fonts, and other media used on the site.

4. SEO

26. Ensure each webpage has a distinct H1 header and SEO-friendly title that incorporates relevant keywords.

27. Verify that each page has a unique meta description.

28. Insert metadata for articles or posts included in the RSS feed.

29. Generate a dynamic XML sitemap for the website.

30. Submit the dynamically created XML sitemap to major search engines for indexing.

31. Confirm that the structure of page URLs aligns with the site’s information architecture.

32. Implement 301 redirects for any outdated or changed URLs.

33. Apply a rel=”nofollow” attribute to appropriate outbound links.

5. Analytics

34. Embed the tracking code for analytics on your website.

35. Omit specific IP addresses from being tracked in your analytics data.

36. Configure conversion paths and objectives within your analytics platform.

37. Link Google Search Console with Google Analytics for comprehensive data tracking.

38. Integrate Google AdWords and Google Analytics to measure advertising ROI.

6. Backup & Security

39. Implement scripts for real-time monitoring of website performance.

40. Make a duplicate of the completed website as a backup.

41. Schedule and maintain periodic website backups for data security.

42. Safeguard all website login details and other sensitive credentials in a secure database.

7. Compliance

43. Ensure the website is accessible to users with various disabilities.

44. Notify visitors if cookies are being used on the site.

45. Ensure compliance with licensing requirements for purchased code, fonts, and imagery.

46. Display terms of service and privacy policies prominently for visitor reference.

47. Achieve PCI compliance if the site handles credit card transactions.

Conclusion

A comprehensive website design services checklist is an indispensable tool for ensuring a smooth and efficient launch of your website. Covering everything from functionality, content, and SEO to analytics and security, this checklist serves as a roadmap to guide your team through the complexities of web design and development. By adhering to this structured approach, you’re less likely to overlook critical elements that could impact your website’s usability, performance, and overall success.

Whether you’re a seasoned developer or embarking on your first website project, keeping this checklist handy will help you stay organized, meet deadlines, and ultimately create a website that not only looks great but also performs optimally across various devices and browsers.

Need help navigating the 40+ items on your Website Design Checklist before launch? Contact us today and ensure your website is set for success!

The 7-Step Website Development Process

 Welcome to the 7-Step Website Development Process, your comprehensive guide to creating a successful online presence. At Alakmalak Technologies, a leading website development company in India, we understand that building a website is more than just coding. It's about crafting a digital experience that resonates with your audience, drives conversions, and supports your business goals. Join us as we take you through the essential steps of this journey.

STEP 1: Define Your Project

STEP 2: Plan Your Website

STEP 3: Design Your Website

STEP 4: Create Content

STEP 5: Develop Your Website

STEP 6: Test Your Website

STEP 7: Maintain Your Website

Conclusion:

At Alakmalak Technologies, we are your trusted partner in the 7-Step Website Development Process. With our expertise and dedication, we transform your vision into a powerful online asset that sets you apart in the digital landscape. Contact us today to embark on your journey to online success with a leading website development company in India.

Ready to take your online presence to the next level? Contact Alakmalak Technologies, your trusted partner in website development, at https://www.alakmalak.com/. Let's create a website that captivates, converts, and excels.

Best Website Animations: Trends, Techniques & Top Examples - Alakmalak Technologies

 You know that sinking feeling? The frustration when you land on a competitor’s site and it just feels engaging? Animated elements glide smoothly, keeping visitors enthralled, and driving conversion rates sky-high. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about delivering a dynamic user experience that translates into tangible business outcomes.

Here’s How This Problem Shows Up In Daily Lives Of Many Business Owners:

• Wasted investments in outdated design methods.
• Low conversion rates despite heavy site traffic.
• Users bounce off after mere seconds of landing.
• Tiresome feedback about the site appearing ‘static’ or ‘bland’.
• Continuous comparison with competitors having lively, animated sites.
• Difficulty in engaging millennial and Gen Z traffic.
• Loss of credibility in the digital space.
• Overwhelming confusion about where to start or how to integrate animations.
• The feeling of being technologically left behind.
• Emotional drain from not meeting your own web aesthetic expectations.

Now, Here’s The Twist: It’s NOT What You Think…

Most believe the problem lies in not having the right designers, or that animations are just too complex for their site’s structure. Others think it’s about budget constraints.

The REAL ROOT CAUSE? Many haven’t tapped into the current animation trends and techniques. Most common solutions you’ve come across? They’re outdated, or they just scratch the surface without addressing the core animation strategies that truly captivate users.

Here’s Why Popular Advice Doesn’t Cut It:

• Simply adding random animations can slow down site loading times, driving users away.
• Over-animating can confuse and distract users from the primary call to action.
• Relying on outdated animation techniques might make the site look flashy but lacks functional value.
• Not every animation style suits every brand; misalignment can damage brand perception.

Solution To These Top 10 Problems?

The world of website animation is intricate, but it’s about blending aesthetics with functionality. It’s not about adding animations; it’s about strategically integrating them.

Now, Let’s Dive Into A More Effective Strategy:

Many businesses found remarkable growth by updating their sites with top-tier animations, that resonated with their audience’s sensibilities. For instance, eScooter witnessed a 37% rise in on-site time after refreshing their animations. Hematogenix’s lead generation increased by 25% post integrating dynamic animation techniques.

What Is Animation In Web Design?

Animations in web design are all about giving your website that “wow” factor, the subtle pop and sizzle that make users stop and pay attention. It’s like the digital version of a magician’s sleight of hand, guiding your visitors from one point to another, making their journey on your website not just informational but also enjoyable.

Web animations, in essence, breathe life into static elements. They can range from a subtle call-to-action (CTA) button gently pulsating to grab attention, to a grand and captivating full-screen display that elevates storytelling to new heights. Whether the goal is to direct a user’s attention or infuse vibrancy into web pages, animations are the secret ingredient that elevates user experience like nothing else. Discover the magic with animations, brought to you by a top website design company in India.

Animations do more than just look cool; they serve a purpose. They can guide users through complicated processes, make interactive sessions more fun, and provide instant feedback, all of which culminate in a robust and rewarding user experience achieved through techniques like using CSS animation.

Searching for a Stellar Website Designer? Look No Further!

Elevate Your Online Business with Alakmalak Technologies! Unlock Exceptional Website Development That Suits Your Budget to Perfection.

LAUNCH NOW

Types Of Website Animation

Let’s dive into the six predominant types of website animations, understand their mechanics, and explore the advantages they can offer to your business website.

1. Hero Animation: Hero animations transform the static hero image just below the website header into a dynamic, engaging visual, making the first point of contact with the user more lively and captivating.

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[Source: dribble/Roohi Koohi] 

2. Loading Animation: Loading animations serve as visual placeholders, keeping users engaged by indicating that a process is underway while they wait for their request to complete.

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[Source: dribble/Sergushkin]

3. Accent Animation: Accent animations amplify key website elements like buttons or menus, enhancing user engagement and intuitive navigation while strategically guiding attention to vital content for better scannability and visual hierarchy.

4. Interactive Animation: Interactive animations, activated by user actions like hovering, clicking, or scrolling, range from simple color-changing buttons to complex drag-and-drop features, making website navigation efficient and turning the user experience into an engaging, informative journey.

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[Source: dribble/Minh Pham]

5. Hover Animation: Hover animations respond to cursor movement to signal clickable elements, clarifying website usability while also highlighting key information and boosting overall design aesthetics.

6. Scrolling Animation: Scroll-triggered animations activate as a user navigates vertically through a webpage, enhancing engagement by adding dynamism and interactivity. These animations can take various forms, such as:

• Fade-In Effects: These animations gradually reveal or hide web elements as the user scrolls, enhancing the layout’s visual flow.
• Parallax Effects: Here, different webpage layers move at varying speeds, creating an illusion of depth and three-dimensionality.
• Fixed Elements: Features like menus or call-to-action buttons stay constant on the screen as the user scrolls, ensuring they are always accessible.
• Dynamic Backgrounds: These are animated backdrops that move or change as the user scrolls, adding an extra layer of engagement and visual interest.

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[Source: dribble/Tran Mau Tri Tam] 

Website Animation Techniques

In web design, animation techniques are the diverse strategies employed by designers to incorporate animated elements into a website. Some of the prevalent approaches are:

1. Progression 

The progression method in web design utilizes loading animations to signify the ongoing status of a particular operation on a web page. This can be represented either circularly or linearly:

• Circular indicators illustrate the progress by moving a circle clockwise, which can be determinate (indicating the time required for completion) or indeterminate (implying an unknown waiting period).
• Linear indicators employ a horizontal bar or line that fills or highlights in segments, demonstrating how much of the operation is complete.

2. Skeleton Screens 

Skeleton screens serve as a placeholder layout, giving the impression of faster content loading on a webpage. Displayed initially during the loading process, these screens are gradually overlaid with the actual content. By filling in the skeletal framework with real content as it loads, skeleton screens help minimize the perceived wait time, offering users an instant sense of progression and enhancing their overall experience on the site.

3. Visual Feedback 

Visual feedback animation offers real-time cues that guide users as they interact with a website, clarifying the site’s responsiveness to their actions. For example, it can illuminate a button when hovered over or indicate successfully filled form fields while flagging errors, thereby facilitating a more intuitive and guided user experience.

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[Source: dribble/Pranav Pramod]

4. Attracting Attention 

The “Attracting Attention” animation approach leverages motion to captivate users to focus on particular webpage elements. For instance, an entry form might subtly tilt to signify successful completion, or ‘shake’ to indicate an error, capitalizing on our natural tendency to notice movement.

5. Storytelling  

The “Storytelling” animation technique in web design employs dynamic visuals to weave a narrative or explain complex concepts. For instance, animated infographics can turn data presentation into an engaging experience, enhancing user comprehension and making the content more visually striking and memorable.

10 Leading Website Animation Examples

When animations are thoughtfully implemented in web design, they contribute to an immersive user experience without overwhelming the page or impacting its loading speed. Here are 10 instances of websites that masterfully balance animation to elevate the user experience.

1. Buddha Brands 

Buddha Brands’ consumer-focused website skillfully incorporates subtle animations that emanate a sense of playfulness and joy, enhancing the overall user experience.

[Source: BuddhaBrands]

2. Wodwo 

Wodwo’s business-to-business website masterfully integrates a range of interactive and scroll-triggered animations, elevating the user experience into something uniquely engaging and delightful.

[Source: Wodwo]

3. Field Edge 

Field Edge, a company specializing in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, utilizes an interactive website design where elements dynamically appear as users scroll down the landing page.

[Source: FieldEdge]

4. Welch’s Fruit Snacks 

We employed animations to inform visitors about the various aspects of Welch’s Fruit Snacks, including their texture, health benefits, and portion sizes.

[Source: Welch’s Fruit Snacks]

5. Plenty 

Working alongside Plenty’s design team, we developed an engaging cursor animation that transforms the arrow into a dot when it hovers over a call-to-action section.

[Source: plenty]

6. Affinity 

Affinity, a consultancy focused on technology and information systems, opted for a website design rich in interactive features and eye-catching visuals.

[Source: affinity]

7. Bewagen

Bewagen, a bike-sharing network, employs scroll-activated animations to enhance the user experience on their website.

8. eScooter

eScooter, an electric scooter rental service, utilizes interactive animations activated by scrolling or hovering to create a polished and engaging user experience on their website.

[Source: eScooter]

9. Hematogenix 

Hematogenix, a clinical laboratory service, captivates visitors immediately with an animated hero image and adds an extra layer of engagement by incorporating futuristic background music.

[Source: Hematogenix]

10. Superlist 

The moment you land on Superlist’s website, you’re greeted with a dynamic array of animations, ranging from hover-activated to automated features, delivering a one-of-a-kind user experience.

[Source: Superlist]

5 Best Website Animation Tools

Interested in crafting compelling website animations similar to the inspiring examples provided? Explore these five top-notch tools commonly used by top web designers India to produce animations that captivate users.

1. Powtoon  

Powtoon is a comprehensive visual communication platform with options for free and tiered pricing: Lite ($15/month), Professional ($40/month), and Business ($120/month). It provides users with a diverse set of tools, from creating animated videos to sending video messages, and even offers a custom character-building feature alongside PowerPoint-to-video conversion capabilities.

[Source: Powtoon]

2. Adobe Animate

Adobe Animate is a leading software for crafting interactive animations for websites, as well as doodles and avatars. You can try it out with a free trial or opt for one of its four pricing plans:

• Single App: $20.99/month
• Complete Creative Cloud Suite: $54.99/month
• Educational Pricing (Students and Teachers): $19.99/month
• Business Pricing: $35.99/month per license

Key features of Adobe Animate include:

• Cross-platform publishing capabilities
• Support for frame-by-frame animation
• Creation of interactive web banners
• Envelope deformation tools

[Source: Adobe]

3. Blender

Blender is a robust, open-source 3D creation suite that caters to professionals and hobbyists alike. While it’s entirely free to use, the software offers advanced functionalities that rival those of commercial 3D animation tools. Not only is it capable of producing intricate 3D models, but it also allows for 3D animation, sculpting, and even game creation.

[Source: Blender]

4. Synfig

Synfig is another open-source offering packed with a wide array of animation features. Its core advantage lies in its capacity for 2D animation, offering capabilities similar to traditional hand-drawn methods. Though it has a steeper learning curve compared to some other tools, it’s absolutely free and offers an incredible range of features that make it worth the time investment for serious animators.

[Source: Synfig]

5. Autodesk Maya

Maya stands as a top-tier solution for creating intricate 3D animations and visual effects for websites. It has three subscription options to choose from:

Three-Year Plan: $5,625

One-Year Plan: $1,875

Month-to-Month Plan: $235

Among its standout features are:

Advanced 3D animation toolset

Polygonal modeling capabilities

Built-in Arnold rendering engine

Time and graph editing functions

Comprehensive character rigging tools

[Source: Autodesk]

Conclusion:

Website animations are more than just eye candy; they’re a critical component of effective web design. Companies like Buddha Brands and Wodwo show how well-crafted animations can elevate user experience, while tools like Powtoon and Maya make creating these animations accessible for all skill levels. When done right, animations can guide, engage, and delight users, making them an indispensable tool for any modern website.

Interested in elevating your website with state-of-the-art animations? Contact us today to discover how we can bring the latest trends, techniques, and top examples to your online presence.