A Better Way to Build Websites

Websites designers approach building websites in many different ways – some are easier than others and some more efficient. In this post I’d like to share why we like to build websites using an Agile design method, and then share how this approach benefits the clients who work with us.

Traditional website designers work on a technical model that uses requirements upfront to develop a site. It’s generally based around what they think you need – and it will deliver you a site that is functional and according to what you specify.

This works for people who have a very good idea of what they want, or who are happy to be steered by their developer down a path they know nothing much about. The process works to deliver you a website, but how does it fit with your overall business plan?

We think there’s a better way

We feel there’s a better way than fulfilling the demands of a requirements document – and it’s about putting our clients at the centre of what we do.

At Asporea we work in an Agile way. You may have heard about agile before, but what does it mean and how does it apply to websites? For our clients it means starting with a conversation. We listen to our clients, about their aspirations and hopes for their business and their future.

Understanding where a client wants to go in the future helps us plan for that future today. For our clients it means that whatever we suggest for them now, will continue to fit them in the future.

Our development process revolves around our client

This means that we develop websites differently too. After listening to what our clients have to say (and generally us asking lots of questions along the way), we start to build a prototype of what we think a website might look like for that customer. And for each customer it will look different. Unlike some web companies who start with a template and then try to make that template fit your needs, we build with tools that allow us to design flexibly.

We build with tools that allow complete flexibility – at the core is WordPress, one of the world’s most popular content management systems. This is like our engine room. Depending on the requirements of our clients we may then introduce other plugins like Toolset or Elementor to provide enhanced functionality.

Toolset allows us to fully customise the way WordPress behaves. For some users it can transform a standard WordPress site into a fully functioning travel website including a booking engine. For other customers it can create custom input fields for horoscopes, again for another client collect all the information on house sales and rentals to produce a real-estate website.

We then overlay a tool like Elementor which offers great design features, using a building-block design. With a tool like Elementor we can add or subtract features in a blink, allowing customers to work with us, to finalise a custom design.

 

Elementor allows you to add Amazing features like this!

Normally when we work with customers we will produce a home page layout and a standard web page. These pages will be filled with features we think would work for our client. We then present it to the client, to understand more about what they like and what they want to lose. We work together to settle on the final design, bringing the client into the middle of the design process. The end result is a website that our customer’s love because they’ve been integrally involved in the design.

During the process of building many websites over the last twenty years, tools like Elementor have transformed the design process. Rather than presenting a design that you hope the customer will like – we can present ideas that the customers can then shape into their own customised website. It’s an engaging and interactive experience for our designers and our clients.

The other great feature about Elementor is that it can be used to give any WordPress website a facelift. With a suite of building blocks at your fingertips transforming your website from dull-and-dreary to interesting and interactive can be done with a minimum of expense.

Our team are most proficient in working with Elementor and WordPress. Contact us to today to chat about your website requirements. We’ll be happy to talk to you about your next WordPress project.

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