Developing a corporate website is a significant undertaking that requires careful planning, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by businesses. While many people might think of a website as merely an online storefront, corporate websites often serve broader purposes, such as enhancing reputation, establishing credibility, and providing essential information.
Website development for security: A non-negotiable priority
One of the most critical aspects of corporate website design and development is website and cyber security. Unlike smaller websites, corporate websites often handle sensitive data, whether it be proprietary business information, customer data, or financial transactions. Ensuring the security of this data is paramount, as a breach can lead to reputational damage, legal liabilities, and loss of customer trust.
During the development process, expect your team to prioritise robust security protocols. This may include integrating HTTPS protocols, employing advanced encryption methods, and using secure authentication mechanisms to prevent unauthorised access. Security doesn’t end at development; it must be maintained through ongoing monitoring, regular software updates, and timely patching of vulnerabilities. This is why ongoing website maintenance is important: it ensures that your site stays protected from emerging threats, remains optimised for performance, and continues to deliver a reliable and secure experience for users long after the initial development phase.
The importance of 99% uptime availability
In the corporate world, a website must be always available. Most corporate websites aim for at least 99% uptime, meaning that the site is available to users almost all the time, with minimal downtime. Availability is crucial because even a brief outage can lead to significant reputational damage and loss of trust. In industries where services are provided 24/7 online or through digital platforms, downtime can directly affect operations, leading to lost business opportunities.
During the website development process, you can expect to work with our developers to ensure that your site is built on a robust infrastructure designed for high availability. This typically involves choosing reliable cloud website hosting solutions, implementing load balancing to distribute traffic evenly across servers, and employing failover mechanisms to automatically switch to backup systems in case of a hardware or network failure.
Moreover, a corporate website should be equipped to handle surges in traffic, such as those that might occur during a product launch or major company announcement. A scalable website architecture is essential to prevent the site from crashing during these high-demand periods.
Reputational risk of website downtime
Reputational risk is one of the biggest concerns in corporate website development, especially when it comes to unexpected downtime. When a corporate website goes offline, it doesn’t just inconvenience users – it can seriously damage the company’s credibility. Customers, partners, and stakeholders might view the outage as a sign of instability or poor management.
In some cases, the consequences of downtime can be financial as well as reputational. If a company relies on its website for client communication, service delivery, or transaction processing, any period of unavailability can lead to lost business or a decrease in sales.
To minimise the risk, it’s important to have contingency plans in place, including disaster recovery plans, backup servers, automated alerts, and a dedicated support team to resolve issues quickly.
Development and website design: More than just visuals
The design of a corporate website is integral to its success. While the technical aspects of development – such as security and availability – are essential, the visual and functional design of the website is what engages users and shapes their perception of the company. In the context of corporate websites, success is often not measured in sales but in reputational improvement, user engagement, and the seamless delivery of information.
A well-designed corporate website should reflect the company’s brand identity, values, and professionalism. It needs to offer a user-friendly experience that allows visitors to easily find what they are looking for, whether it’s information about the company, contact details, or services. If a site is difficult to navigate or unattractive, users may leave without interacting further. Conversely, a clean, polished, and intuitive website can leave a lasting positive impression on visitors. Following best practices on how to design a corporate website can ultimately support your long-term growth and success.
Designing and developing website features to meet KPIs
During the development of a corporate website, it’s essential to integrate features that align with and help track key performance indicators (KPIs). These features not only measure the success of the website but also contribute to the company’s broader business objectives.
Analytics tools, such as Google Analytics or custom-built dashboards, should be incorporated to track user behaviour, including page views, time spent on site, bounce rates, and conversion funnels. Additionally, features like contact forms, live chat, or inquiry submission systems can help measure engagement and lead generation, which are critical KPIs for many corporate sites. Optimising for search engine performance through an SEO-friendly website design and structure is another important factor, as it drives organic traffic and visibility.
Other things to consider in a corporate website development
Other things to consider in a corporate website development project include how to design a scalable website, accessibility, and ongoing maintenance. As your corporate presence and customer base expand, so too should your website’s capacity to handle increased traffic, new features, and more complex integrations. This may involve choosing cloud hosting options that allow for on-demand scaling or designing with modular components that can be updated or expanded easily.
Accessibility is also a vital consideration. This means adhering to web accessibility standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which ensure that the website is navigable via screen readers, has appropriate colour contrast, and includes alternative text for images, among other best practices. Ensuring accessibility not only widens your potential audience but also demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity and social responsibility.
The website must also reflect your brand identity, values, and professionalism. Consistent branding builds trust, fosters recognition, and ensures that users have a seamless experience, whether interacting with your website, social media, or other marketing materials. Moreover, the dynamic nature of how best to integrate branding in a corporate website allows businesses to incorporate elements such as animations, interactive graphics, or even video, providing a richer and more engaging user experience that resonates with your brand’s personality.
A corporate website isn’t a one-time project – it requires regular updates, security patches, and content management to stay current and relevant. However, by planning for these considerations during the development process, you can ensure that your corporate website remains a valuable asset to your business for years to come.