Website design often conjures up images of eye-catching layouts, stunning color palettes, and well-chosen fonts. While these are certainly important elements, there’s much more to a modern website than meets the eye. From the security of your WordPress backend to ensuring your emails don’t end up in spam folders, website design is a blend of aesthetics, functionality, and behind-the-scenes technical setup. Below, I’ll walk you through each major component that goes into designing—and developing—a robust WordPress website.
Introduction: More Than Just Looks
When we talk about website design, we’re really talking about an entire ecosystem. It starts with understanding the goals of your site—whether you’re a small business aiming to capture leads or an online store selling products worldwide. Once the objectives are clear, every design decision should align with them, from layout choices to the type of functionality required.
Many people assume that website design is purely about visuals. However, web design also includes:
- Ensuring responsive and mobile-friendly layouts.
- Making certain the site is secure from potential threats.
- Creating logical navigation so users can easily find what they need.
- Setting up contact forms, eCommerce tools, and email deliverability.
With that bigger picture in mind, let’s dive into the specific components you should expect when engaging with a freelance designer or agency.
The Header & Footer
The header and footer are prime real estate on any website. They appear on every page and often include the most critical information for your visitors.
- Header Elements
- Logo Placement: Typically found in the top-left corner, the logo is often the anchor for brand recognition. It should be easily identifiable and linked back to the homepage.
- Navigation Menu: This is your roadmap. Visitors should be able to glance at the menu and know where to find key information. A clean, well-organised menu can drastically reduce bounce rates and improve user satisfaction.
- Call-to-Action Buttons: If your site’s goal is to prompt contact or highlight a special offer, you might place a button in the header. This could be a “Contact Us” or “Get a Quote” button—anything that moves users toward your main objective.
- Footer Elements
- Essential Links: Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, and sometimes an FAQ or sitemap link are typically found here.
- Contact & Social Media: Including a brief contact info section—like your email address, phone number, and social media icons—makes it easy for users to connect with you.
A well-designed header and footer not only look good but also serve as an intuitive framework for guiding visitors through your site.
Designed & Undesigned Pages
Not every page on your site requires the same level of design complexity. Some pages may be heavily customised, while others follow a simpler, templated approach.
- Designed Pages
- Homepage: Often the most elaborate page, combining your brand messaging, main call-to-action, and eye-catching visuals. It sets the tone for the entire site.
- About Page: Tells the story of your brand, your team, or your mission. A custom design can enhance storytelling with tailored layouts, images, and typography.
- Services or Product Pages: These pages need clear, compelling design to showcase what you offer. Including detailed descriptions, pricing, and visuals is crucial.
- Portfolio or Case Studies: If you’re showcasing past work or testimonials, design can highlight accomplishments in a structured yet visually appealing way.
- Undesigned (or Minimally Designed) Pages
- Privacy Policy & Terms of Service: While these are critical from a legal standpoint, they don’t typically require heavy visual design. A basic template is often enough.
- FAQ Page: Can be formatted with simple toggles or a question-and-answer layout, but doesn’t usually need complex design elements.
Regardless of how elaborate or minimal the page layout is, consistency in branding, color schemes, and typography across all pages maintains a cohesive feel. This not only looks professional but also helps users quickly recognise that each part of the site belongs to the same company.
Mobile Responsiveness
A vital component of modern web design is ensuring your site is responsive. This means it should adapt to different screen sizes—desktop monitors, tablets, and smartphones—without breaking or looking awkward. Key considerations include:
- Flexible Grids and Layouts: Designing with “percentage-based” or “fluid” widths ensures elements resize smoothly.
- Scalable Images and Fonts: Images should resize for smaller screens, and fonts should be legible on any device.
- Optimised Navigation: On mobile devices, the navigation menu often collapses into a “hamburger” icon, expanding into a vertical list. This ensures users can still navigate easily without cluttering the top of the screen.
Mobile responsiveness isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a must for user experience and search engine optimisation (SEO). Google prioritises mobile-friendly sites in its rankings, so ignoring this aspect can hurt your online visibility.
Website Content
Content is the heartbeat of your website. While design draws people in, it’s your content—text, images, and graphics—that keeps them engaged and conveys your brand message.
- Copy (Text Content): This might include your brand story, product or service descriptions, blog posts, FAQs, and more. As a freelancer, I often guide clients on best practices, but ultimately, the words you use to describe your business come from you.
- Images: From hero banners to product photos, images can have a huge impact on how your site is perceived. High-quality, relevant images help establish credibility.
- Graphics & Logos: A well-designed logo or custom icons can set you apart from competitors and make your site more visually cohesive.
It’s important to remember that while a web designer can advise on aesthetic choices and sometimes offer copywriting or editing services, the main content responsibility usually falls on you, the site owner. Providing final copy and high-quality images upfront speeds up the design process significantly.
Backend Setup
Often overlooked, the behind-the-scenes (backend) setup is what makes your site function reliably and securely. Here’s a closer look at the essential components in a WordPress setup:
- Security
- 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication): Beyond a password, a one-time code (often sent to your phone or email) helps prevent unauthorised access.
- Brute Force Protection: Hackers sometimes use automated scripts to guess passwords. Brute force protection tools limit the number of login attempts, reducing the risk of break-ins.
- reCAPTCHA: You’ve probably seen those little “I’m not a robot” checkboxes. They block spam comments and protect login or form submission pages.
- Email (WordPress SMTP)
- Improved Deliverability: By default, WordPress emails can get flagged as spam because they’re sent via PHP mail. Configuring SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) ensures that emails (like password resets or order confirmations) reach inboxes reliably.
- Brand Consistency: Using your own domain-based email address rather than a free email service (like Gmail or Yahoo) looks more professional and helps build trust with clients.
- Mail Logging
- Email Tracking: Setting up mail logging allows you to see a record of every email sent from your site. This is invaluable if a client says they didn’t receive a message—now you can see if and when it was sent.
- Troubleshooting: If there’s a pattern of emails not being delivered, your mail logs can help pinpoint the issue.
- Functionality
- Forms: Contact forms, quote request forms, or any other type of data collection form. Setting these up with appropriate spam protection and redirects is key to good user experience.
- eCommerce: If you plan to sell products or services online, you’ll need:
- Product Pages: Where users can learn about and choose items.
- Payment Gateways: PayPal, Stripe, or other options to process transactions securely.
- Shipping Options: If you’re shipping physical goods, you’ll need to configure shipping rates or integrate third-party solutions.
- Account Pages: For returning customers who want to view past orders or manage their details.
When all these backend elements are in place, your site runs smoothly, and you can focus on serving your audience rather than worrying about technical hiccups.
Tying It All Together
From a user’s perspective, a “finished” website is one that looks great, loads quickly, and functions without a hitch. From the designer’s perspective, the finished website includes an underlying framework that addresses security, user experience, performance, and ease of maintenance.
Why does all this matter? Because a well-structured, appealing website that operates securely and smoothly reflects positively on your brand. Visitors are more likely to trust you, engage with your content, and ultimately become loyal customers or clients.
What to Expect from Your Designer
As a freelance designer, I’ve found that clarity between client and designer is paramount. When you know exactly what’s included—header and footer design, responsive pages, content integration, security measures, and functionality setups—you can better assess project scope, timelines, and budgets. You’ll also enter the process with realistic expectations about what content you need to provide, how involved you’ll be in decisions, and how your final site will look and perform.
Key Takeaways
- Header & Footer: Provide a consistent structure for branding and navigation.
- Pages: Range from highly designed layouts (like your homepage) to simpler, templated pages for legal or informational content.
- Content: Supplied by you, with guidance from your designer, ensuring your message is on-brand and your visuals are high-quality.
- Backend Setup: Covers security, email deliverability, and specific functionality like contact forms or eCommerce features.
While design might be the most visible part of the process, it’s the behind-the-scenes work—security protocols, email configurations, and website functionality—that truly form the backbone of a successful WordPress site. Ultimately, the best websites seamlessly blend aesthetics with functionality to deliver an engaging, efficient user experience.
By understanding each aspect, you’ll be better equipped to collaborate effectively with your freelance designer and ensure the end result is a website that meets your business goals, delights your users, and stands out in a crowded digital landscape.
