Our Web Design Philosophy
An Intelligent Approach To Web Development
This is the second version of the Optillion website. It has been updated to cover the latest developments in Internet Marketing while renewing its focus on reader accessibility. The site was developed in-house and its style, design and use of technology reflect our web development philosophy, which follows these principles:
Step 1: Planning is everything
Detailed planning lies at the heart of any successful web development project. Effective planning first seeks to identify a website’s purpose and target audience, because these elements inform decisions about the site’s style, structure and the technology to be used. Then a process of exchanging ideas, weighing opinions and allocating responsibilities helps ensure that all stakeholders are working towards a common goal.
Step 2: An understated design philosophy
Optillion believes in a minimalist approach to website design. Above all other considerations, website design should:
- Recognise the needs and expectations of its target audience
- Use graphic elements that appeal to the target audience’s demographic
- Complement a website’s central message rather than conflict with it
- Unify design elements across the site
- Build trust in the website and the business it represents
Step 3: Pursue high web standards
The technology used to code a website will depend on its required functionality, with consideration also given to the future development needs of the site. Our website is coded in XHTML (extensible hypertext mark-up language), the current coding standard which ensures forward accessibility. The design is realised through the use of external Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), which allow precise positioning and styling of elements without the use of tables. The site also incorporates Active Server Pages (ASP) technology, used to include navigation and footer elements which are replicated across many pages and allow for the future incorporation of dynamic content. The resulting code is clean, compact and validates against W3C standards.
Step 4: Comprehensive SEO integration
This site was planned and developed with its Search Engine Optimisation needs at its core. Site structure, folder and file naming conventions maximise keyword exposure, while title tags/description and keyword meta tags have been individually composed for each page. The site’s content has been written in accordance with SEO copywriting principles, combining seamless integration of target keywords with accessible and engaging copy. Extensive keyword research and selection was also undertaken beforehand to ensure that our site ranks well for targeted, high traffic terms. This process reflects Optillion’s belief that a well-planned website which incorporates SEO features in its development lays a firm foundation on which to build a Search Engine Optimisation campaign.
