Build Profitable Websites Faster: A Practical Guide

After reading this article, you will be able to build better and profitable websites, plus you will make them faster than ever before.

There are multiple ways of building a website: the traditional way of building by writing code, and the other is using a website builder like Webflow or WordPress. This article applies to both groups because it's the same concept, but I will focus on writing code as it offers more creative freedom and is generally better.

Note: Every time this article mentions CSS, it just means styling options in website builders. And every time it mentions a code editor, it translates to platforms like WordPress or Webflow.

Before learning how to code, many developers use tools like WordPress to build websites and make a lot of mistakes. These mistakes often continue even after learning to code because while many tutorials teach you how to use a tool or how to write code, few ever teach you how to build a website.

Does this sound relatable? - You have to rewrite the entire code again because you hate how the final website looks and functions. - You are staring at a blank page with no idea where to start. - Your website is taking over 10 seconds to load, even on 4G. - Your client is asking for revisions after revisions, and nothing seems to satisfy them.

Here is the solution to make the best website possible with the least amount of effort and time.

Phase 1: Proper Design First

The first step is proper design. Figure out who the audience is and what problem this website will solve for them. Design also includes content. Once you have figured out who the audience is and what they want from your website, the right headings and powerful images will come naturally to you.

Not just that, you will be able to create the right structure from the very beginning. You will know whether to use cards or not; if yes, then how many cards and how big those cards should be, because you are now thinking in terms of what the users want. It becomes easier to help them.

Phase 2: Implementation

Design is only step one. Step two is actually implementing that design. Whether you use a no-code tool or write code manually, it doesn't really matter. You just have to think and plan everything in phase one itself, so implementing the design will become a piece of cake.

Just beware of the limits of those no-code tools or your own coding skill set. You don't want to design something which is a pain to implement because, most of the time, the users don't even notice the effort you put into a website.

Let's look at some neat tips and tricks that deliver a superb user experience but are very easy to implement.

Create a Repeatable Design System

The first thing you need to do is make a repeatable design. Repeating design elements makes things consistent and look satisfying. Breaking your page into sections also allows you to focus on one thing at a time.

Crafting the Hero Section

The first section will be the hero section. Some might say it's the most important part of the website because an average user spends mere seconds deciding whether to stay or leave your website. Putting a nice and powerful heading upfront will catch their attention.

Coming up with the heading is easy. Your main heading should answer this question: What problem are you solving that the user currently has?

Remember, the user doesn't care about you; they care about the solution you are providing. Once you get their attention, you need to expand on that heading with a small paragraph, ideally two or three sentences, and add an image, video, or a product demo to complement the heading. By combining a strong heading and a paragraph with the right media, you make it very easy for the user to understand your product or service.

Once they get what you are offering, you need a call to action. Whether it's a "Learn More," "Sign Up," or "Buy Now" button, whatever your goal is, put it right there.

There are two common designs for a hero section: the two-column and one-column design. Two columns are more popular because it's easier to implement for any screen size, but you can get away with one column as well. Just make sure that the design works on all screens and not just on computers and laptops.

Build Trust with Informative Content

Once you have a strong and engaging hero section, the next section should provide more information about your product or service. Once again, no fluff—just straight to the point. The more transparency, the better. You have someone's attention; now you need to win their trust.

If it's a product, explain the features and benefits. Explain the pricing and make it easier for them to choose you over the competition. Keep asking this question to yourself: What is the purpose of this section?

If it's to explain something, just do that in as simple words as you can. If it's to show off, do that with confidence. Whatever words you use, they must answer a question that a lot of your users have. To know those questions, you can talk to your users and look at your competition.

Most of the time, a good heading is an offer that the competition doesn't have. Imagine a website that has this heading:

Unlimited Downloads, Unlimited Fun

And the competition doesn't have any feature like that. You could also try to answer a very common question in your industry. Here is an example of a heading that is actually an answer:

No Ads, No Privacy Risks

Imagine a social media website telling this on their signup page. Now, if you mix headings like these with some crisp illustrations or bold images, you are golden. There are plenty of free websites out there for assets. The key thing is, you haven't written a single line of code and yet you're so far ahead in the process.

Like most things, website building also follows the classic 80/20 rule. Think and plan before building the website and save yourself from a lot of pain.

Colors and Fonts

Now, coming to colors and fonts. You need at least four colors, including black and white. You can use variations of black and white, but don't go too far. The next two are your accent colors; they will be used to add a bit of character and style. Use them to design your buttons, borders, and gradients.

The last part is fonts, and it's best to just stick with one font per website. If you have experience, then you can use two or a maximum of three fonts per website.

Use CSS Variables for Efficiency

Don't worry too much about fonts and colors initially. We will use CSS variables to build our website. In no-code tools, you can set them as global colors and fonts. The neat thing about variables is that later you can change them, and the results will apply to the whole website. For example:

:root {
  --primary-color: #3498db;
  --background-color: #ffffff;
  --text-color: #333333;
}

body.dark-mode {
  --background-color: #333333;
  --text-color: #ffffff;
}

If you are planning to use a dark mode toggle, that will also be much easier with variables. Once we have our variables, we need to assign the same classes to the repeating design because we don't want to write the same CSS over and over again.

Speaking of writing less CSS, by using the same classes and variables, it becomes very easy to build and modify the website at any stage. A common mistake is to directly jump into WordPress or a code editor and start building the website from scratch with no design or content in mind. The end result is often an ugly and useless website that needs to be rebuilt again, or worse, requires endless adjustments to colors and design until the client is satisfied.

So now, design first with all the final content and repeatable design planned out. Once you are happy with the design and content, then open your code editor.

Pro Tips for Exceptional UX

Here are several easy tips and tricks to deliver an exceptional user experience:

• Dynamic Heading Size: Use responsive font sizes that adapt to different screen widths.
• Flexible Cards: Create card components that adjust gracefully in rows and columns.
• SVG Icons: Use scalable vector graphics for sharp, lightweight icons.
• Snap Scrolling: Implement scroll-snapping for a smooth, section-by-section browsing experience.
• Scale Up/Down Transitions: Add subtle scaling effects on hover for interactive elements.

There you have it—the easiest and fastest way to build powerful websites.