10 Additional Tasks in Website Development
Optimize your website for success with key tasks: mobile adaptation, fast loading, SEO, security, backups, analytics, social media, and GDPR compliance.
The devil is in the details, right? Failing to account for a series of additional tasks during website development can limit the usefulness of your portal to nothing more than a URL on your business card. Let our list of additional tasks for developers help refine your project specifications, making them more precise and valuable.
Mobile Adaptation
If you haven't included mobile adaptation in your project specifications yet, make sure to do so.
As of the beginning of 2023, 5.44 billion people use mobile phones, accounting for 68% of the world's population (according to Global Digital 2023).
Ensure a seamless mobile experience with these key considerations:
- Simple and Intuitive Navigation: Implement familiar options like a hamburger menu for user-friendly navigation.
- Responsive Design: Avoid horizontal scrolling; ensure that content fits the screen width vertically for smartphones.
- Readability Matters: Use an adequate font size and good contrast to enhance readability on small screens.
- User-Friendly Interaction: Make buttons and links large enough for convenient finger tapping.
- Optimized Forms: Streamline forms for easy input and display a suitable keyboard for a frictionless experience.
Page Load Optimization
User engagement begins with fast page loading. Ensure your website is optimized by using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to evaluate performance.
Here's how to optimize your pages effectively:
- Compress images and utilize modern formats like WebP to reduce file sizes.
- Enhance page loading speed by loading external scripts and styles asynchronously.
- Enable caching to store frequently accessed data and expedite subsequent visits.
- Delay the loading of unnecessary JS scripts and utilize asynchronous methods for improved efficiency.
- Reduce server requests by combining and minimizing CSS and JavaScript files, minimizing overall data transmission.
- Delay the loading of videos and iframes to ensure non-essential resources load as needed.
- Use optimized fonts and incorporate a loader for content that may take longer to load, providing users with a visual cue of the loading process.
Implementation of SEO Plugins and Adding Meta Data
A well-designed website should not only be beautiful but also easily accessible to search engines.
Here's what to focus on:
- Ensure a good site structure with clear and understandable URLs for improved navigation.
- Use title and description meta tags to precisely describe the content of each page, aiding search engine understanding.
- Headings (h1, h2, etc.) should be informative and contain relevant keywords to enhance content visibility.
- Improve accessibility and content understanding for search engines by using alt text for images. This is crucial, as images from your site may appear in image searches.
- If you use a Content Management System (CMS) such as WordPress, consider using plugins like All-in-One SEO to assist with SEO tasks.
- Explore separate plugins for compressing images uploaded to the site. This ensures that your visuals are optimized for both user experience and search engine performance.
Security
Sometimes websites fall victim to hijacking, leading to frustrating redirects and unauthorized access. Unpleasant, isn't it?
Here's how to fortify your website's security:
- Establish a secure connection between your server and user browsers by installing an SSL certificate. This not only enhances security but also builds trust in your site. Without it, users' browsers may display warnings about the site being insecure.
- Utilize complex passwords for all accounts, especially administrative ones. Enhance security further by enabling two-factor authentication (2FA), adding an extra layer of protection.
- Employ security monitoring tools to detect and respond to suspicious activities promptly. Receive reports via email to ensure swift reactions to potential threats.
- Limit user access rights to the minimum necessary, including administrators. By doing so, you mitigate the capabilities of malicious actors in the event of compromised accounts.
- Stay proactive against vulnerabilities by regularly updating plugins and your Content Management System (CMS). This ensures that your website remains resilient to potential security risks.
Data Backup
Regardless of how well-designed your website is, it's essential to prepare for any unforeseen situations. Entrust developers with creating a system for regular data backups to minimize losses in case of failures or attacks.
This critical task can be efficiently executed using hosting tools or Content Management Systems (CMS). By establishing a routine for backups, you ensure that your website is resilient in the face of potential challenges, providing peace of mind and a quick recovery plan in case the unexpected occurs. Don't underestimate the power of preparedness—secure your data today to safeguard your digital presence tomorrow.
Integration of Analytics
To understand how users interact with your site, it's crucial to integrate analytical tools. Here are two indispensable tools from Google:
- Google Analytics: Gain comprehensive insights into user behavior, traffic sources, and more. Google Analytics provides valuable data to refine your website strategy and enhance user experience.
- Google Search Console: Ensure your site displays correctly in Google search results. Google Search Console offers crucial information about your website's performance in search, helping you optimize content for better visibility.
Integration with Social Media
Enabling easy sharing and interaction with social media is instrumental in spreading your content and influencing SEO. Consider these integration options:
- Incorporate "Share" buttons to allow users to effortlessly share your content on their social networks. This simple feature can significantly expand the reach of your content.
- Foster engagement by enabling comments and authorization through social media accounts. This not only encourages interaction but also streamlines the user experience.
- Showcase your audience's social media activity directly on your site with activity and subscription widgets. This creates a dynamic and interactive environment for your visitors.
- Explore integration with social media APIs for advanced features. For example, display the latest posts from platforms like VK directly on your site or automate information updates for a seamless and up-to-date user experience.
Staff Training
Most likely, you'll handle blog articles and content updates yourself, turning to developers for technical support. To ensure a smooth task transition process, consider the following:
- Develop documentation describing the site's main functions, administrative capabilities, and content update processes. This documentation should be clear, easily accessible, and serve as a reliable reference guide for seamless content management.
- Conduct thorough staff training, covering essential aspects such as working with the admin panel, adding and editing content, and user management. Empower your team with the knowledge they need to navigate and update the website effectively.
CRM Integration
Integrating Customer Relationship Management (CRM) with your website can significantly enhance customer service efficiency and quality. Even if you don't actively utilize CRM, it's advantageous to ensure that user contacts are saved in a unified database.
Here's what you can integrate with CRM for optimal results:
- Simplify the process of collecting and processing leads by integrating website forms with CRM. This not only streamlines lead management but also facilitates more efficient communication and follow-ups.
- Integrate the order processing and payment system on your website with CRM to streamline order tracking, payment monitoring, and post-purchase customer interaction. This cohesive integration ensures a seamless end-to-end customer experience.
- Capture and consolidate customer feedback, including chat interactions, comments, and ratings on the site, within your CRM system. This provides a holistic view of customer interactions and sentiments, enabling personalized and effective communication.
GDPR Compliance
Ensure your data processing practices align with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). GDPR mandates that users must be clearly informed about how their data is collected, processed, and stored. The pop-up window displaying the privacy policy during the first visit serves as a crucial step in obtaining user consent and demonstrating your commitment to GDPR compliance. If a user disagrees with your terms, respect their decision and refrain from storing their data.
We trust that this list has been insightful. May your site not only be visually appealing but also secure, optimized, and easily accessible to search engines. Wishing you the best of luck in creating a website that not only meets but exceeds your goals!
Feel free to contact us for professional assistance with your website development needs > [email protected].
We look forward to supporting your online success.
inCode Ltd.
London, United Kingdom
Palliser Road, London, England, W14 9EB
inCode Systems LLC.
Round Rock, TX, USA
Round Rock, TX 78665