(512)993-9993 info@adaptingonline.com

Imagine you are looking to buy a home.

But the minute you walk inside, you notice something different.

Everything is a complete mess. Nothing is where you would expect it to be. The rooms are missing key features. The kitchen is on the second floor. There are stairs that don’t lead anywhere. And the roof itself is completely missing.
Building a Website is Like Building a Home
Planning is absolutely necessary or else you end up with the example above.

The same also applies to building a website. As it turns out both have a lot in common. Fail to plan and you have a site that looks like it was hastily put together. The result is a site with a high bounce rate and low conversions, both of which ultimately affect your bottom line.

Here we look at how building a site is like building a home. The analogy helps to better illustrate all the components involved from start to finish.

Foundation

Before a single brick is laid, architects work together to create a blueprint for the home.
Similarly, designers create wireframes that act as a visual guide for the entire web development process. This is an important step as it defines the information hierarchy of the site and the layout of certain elements. The initial planning stage through wireframing is the key to a successful project.

Another important part is the construction. A home built of bricks is much more durable than a home made of mud.

A content management system (CMS) is critical to the success of some of the most popular websites in the world. Examples include WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla! which all allow users to easily edit and manage a website. Now the next step is to build the rooms.

Content

Every home is broken down into clearly marked rooms with a specific purpose. You have the kitchen to prepare meals, the bedrooms to rest in, and the living room for relaxing. Building a website is similar in that each page serves a specific goal.

Here are some examples:

Home page: The first areas you notice when entering a home are typically the living room and kitchen. Most online visitors land on the home page. Everything should be clearly laid out so visitors can easily navigate through the rest of the site.

Supporting pages: Then you have the bedrooms and bathrooms in a home. Examples of supporting pages include the About, Contact, and Privacy Policy pages.

Landing pages: A landing page is essentially any page a visitor lands on. However, these are useful in that they help to increase lead generation.

Articles: Guests might visit a home for a party or simply to be with a friend. Articles are similar in that they give a reason for online visitors to click through to a website by providing information.

Content is essentially like filling the rooms of a home and serves a critical function.

Security

You wouldn’t leave the doors to your home wide open. That only makes you an easy target for theft. Likewise a website that is not secure is vulnerable to hacks. Attackers could steal information or wreak havoc on the entire site.

Keeping a site secure involves staying up to date on new software updates and implement measures to improve network security. Failure to implement such measures means that hackers could access sensitive data and even bring sales to a complete halt.

Design

How do you make a home even more appealing?

With renovations.

Design is an important component for websites. If the fonts are barely readable and the interface is difficult to navigate, visitors will quickly leave to a competing page. Appearance is absolutely important to the success of any success.

The construction of a home and a website share similar attributes. Both require a strong foundation and certain elements to be successful. Neglecting any of these can result in an unappealing look or even compromise security.

Get the AO Newsletter

Your business can't afford to fall behind.

You have Successfully Subscribed!