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wireframing

How Wireframing Can Transform Your Site

 

wireframing

If you’ve tried to build a website on your own before, you’ve probably realized that there’s a heck of a lot more involved in it than you might have thought in the first place.

(i.e., it’s not really just dragging and dropping, no matter what people might tell you.)

Can you relate?

Here’s the thing: building and designing a website doesn’t need to be this huge, complicated thing. But, building and designing a website does need to use a blend of strategy, design, and content in order to be as effective as it could be. That means that there is more to it than the drag of a mouse and the drop of a click.

Enter: wireframing, an integral step in our process that needs to be an integral step in yours. Let me explain.

Wait… What Is Wireframing?

When it comes to wireframing, I like to describe it to people as a website blueprint that shows you where things need to go. A wireframe provides a map for you to copy and follow along with while you build your website, and it shows you exactly how you need to structure everything from your copy to your design. 

Wireframing is a key process to start on *before* you make any design choices, and it’s how you can decide on everything from your site’s navigation to its user-friendliness. There are a couple of ways to do it, too — and it’s all up to you to choose how you want to do it! At Uno Dos Trae, we tend to wireframe sites using simple platforms like Google Docs, and then build the design elements out further with a program called Adobe XD.

Why Wireframing Is Important For Web Design

There are so many reasons that wireframing is important for web design, but the most important reason is simple: wireframing allows you to structure and design your website for maximum impact. When you wireframe your website you can intentionally create room for design, you can be really strategic with your words, and you can map out a site that looks as great as it performs. 

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When you don’t start a website project with a wireframe, you’ll likely end up with a design that might look nice…with site content that doesn’t help you achieve your greater goals. That’s because when you focus on the design first, it’s really easy to overlook the features and elements that are necessary for reaching your site and business goals.

Our Favorite Tips + Tricks

Once you’ve decided it’s time to design your website, it’s time to create a wireframe first. If you’re wondering how to do it, I’ve got you. Here are 3 steps that we recommend here at Uno Dos Trae:

Define your website goals:

Before you can design a great website, you have to know what that website needs to do — which is where setting goals for it comes into play. Is your website there to capture more leads? Do you want your site to bring in more passive income? Do you want to share more about your services or mission? Do you want to do a little bit of everything? No matter what it is, make sure you write it down. Understanding and defining your website goals is absolutely essential to making them reachable. Now, as you wireframe, keep that list of goals close — and make sure that you’re building a structure that will actually help you reach those goals.

Picture the customer journey

When you’re designing a website, you want it to take your customer along on a clear journey that ends with them taking action with you (like purchasing your product!). In order to make sure that happens, you need to wireframe your site with the customer journey in mind. Step into your customer’s shoes, and start mapping it out. What’s the first step they need to take when they land on your homepage? Where do they need to go next? Is it intuitive? Does it make sense? Continue along that same thought pattern during your entire wireframing process, making sure you’re truly designing in a way that makes sense to anyone who navigates through it.

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Design!

Once you’ve built a wireframe that speaks to your website goals and creates a solid customer journey, you can get to designing! Using your wireframe as a guide, move through your site design page by page. It’s so much easier, so much more impactful, and so much less stressful to get designing when you have a blueprint at your side.

Building and designing a website is one of the most important — and fun! — steps you can take as an entrepreneur. The right website can completely transform your business, and we’re here to help you do it well. If you want a step-by-step guide for designing a professional and high-converting website for your business filled to the brim with your own personality, you are a good fit for our online course, Website Blitz. Hop on the waitlist now.

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