At ProfileTree, we don’t just design websites that look good.
We design websites that perform well, engage audiences and rank on search engines.
We are a Belfast web design agency, with a wide range of in-house skills in web design, web development and content marketing. We’ve been delivering top-class website projects for clients across Belfast since 2011. Now, we want to do the same for you.
We believe that creating and maintaining an influential and engaging digital presence must begin with web design that is secure, stable and user-friendly. We bring together a multi-faceted team of web designers, developers and digital strategists who possess the knowledge and expertise to showcase your brand in the way it truly deserves.
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Business Landscape in Belfast
When you are designing a website for a Belfast-based business, you need to know what you are up against. Because a website is’nt just a pretty home for your brand, it needs to reach your local target audience in order to provide any type of return on investment.
Did you know that there are 11,300 businesses operating in Belfast alone and over 79,000 business operating in Northern Ireland? That’s a lot of competition, and the majority of them most likely have their own websites to! So you’re not only striving to be seen amongst local competition in Belfast, but also at a regional, national and for some businesses – worldwide level.
So for us, website design doesn’t stop at an attractive layout – it encompasses a lot more in order to make it a profitable source for your business and reach the audiences that matter. That’s why we build websites with SEO in mind, backed up by content marketing practices and strategic data-driven analytics.
Or in other words, we don’t just make websites that look good – they perform well too.
Are you searching for Web Design Belfast?
For businesses in Belfast and beyond, we design sleek, secure and visually appealing websites that translate perfectly on the devices your customers use.
Whether you are a Belfast-based SME or a multinational corporation, launching a strong website is the first step of your digital journey. ProfileTree can bring your presence to the next level, implementing proven SEO strategies that rank your site on the world’s top search engines.
ProfileTree’s holistic approach to web design holds your audience’s attention for longer, driving increased engagement and sales to your online business. Our work has been celebrated for its special focus on user experience (UX), security and stability. This is achieved by our meticulous approach to usability testing, informed by the very latest trends in industry-leading UX research.
Let us design your site while you run your business – it’s what we do.
Why Choose ProfileTree?
For web design in Belfast, we’re proud to do things differently.
We’re a Belfast-based digital agency with customers across Northern Ireland and Europe who trust us to make sure they’re seen online by the right audience PLUS drive the right traffic and the right conversions for their business needs.
Why? Because we built our own company on content marketing, SEO and web design FIRST. We offer proven methods that we know work – because they have worked for us.
We have all have seen ‘quick fix’ web design companies, and maybe you have been presented with the wrong digital solutions in the past. That’s because they’re not experienced in building and running their own websites and hence present an ineffective strategy or solution – but not us. We do this everyday and we are passionate about maintaining and growing your website – for everyday that it’s live.
What is Web Design?
Web design is the process of planning, creating, and maintaining websites. It encompasses a wide range of tasks, including:
- Visual design: This involves creating the overall look and feel of the website, including the layout, typography, colours, and graphics.
- User experience (UX) design: This focuses on making the website easy to use and navigate so that visitors can find the information they need quickly and easily.
- User interface (UI) design: This involves creating the elements that users interact with on the website, such as buttons, menus, and forms.
- Content creation: This involves writing and editing the text and images that appear on the website.
- Search engine optimization (SEO): This involves optimizing the website to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Web designers use various tools and software to create and maintain websites, including web design software, content management systems (CMSs), and programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Web design is an important part of any online business. A well-designed website can help to attract new customers, build brand awareness, and generate leads and sales. It can also help to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Here are some of the key elements of a good web design:
- Clarity: The website should be easy to understand and navigate. Visitors should be able to find the information they need quickly and easily.
- Visual appeal: The website should be visually appealing, with a clean and consistent design.
- Functionality: The website should be functional and easy to use. All of the links should work, and all of the forms should be easy to submit.
- Mobile-friendliness: The website should be mobile-friendly so visitors can easily view it on their smartphones and tablets.
- Accessibility: The website should be accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
Why is Web Design Important?
Web design is important for a number of reasons.
First, it is the first thing that potential customers will see when they visit your website, so it is important to make a good first impression. A well-designed website will be visually appealing, easy to navigate, and informative. This will make visitors more likely to stay on your website and learn more about your business.
Second, web design can help to build brand awareness and trust. A consistent and professional design will help to establish your business as a credible and reliable source of information. This is important for attracting new customers and keeping existing customers coming back.
Third, web design can help to generate leads and sales. A well-designed website will make it easy for visitors to contact you or purchase your products or services. It can also help you to collect valuable customer data that you can use to improve your marketing campaigns.
Finally, web design can help to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. A website that is easy to use and navigate will provide visitors with a positive experience. This will make them more likely to return to your website in the future and recommend it to others.
Benefits of Web Design
Here are some specific benefits of having a well-designed website:
- Increased website traffic: A well-designed website is more likely to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs), leading to more website traffic.
- Improved conversion rates: A well-designed website is more likely to convert visitors into customers.
- Increased brand awareness: A well-designed website can help to build brand awareness and trust.
- Improved customer satisfaction: A well-designed website can provide visitors with a positive experience, improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.
If you are serious about your online business, then it is important to invest in a well-designed website. It is one of the best investments you can make for your business.
Web Design Trends
Just as you can’t buy an ‘off the shelf’ website from a web design company for your unique needs, you can’t treat a website as a ‘fix and forget’ purchase. The right support for your questions, combined with making the website integrate with your business (online AND offline) plus a helping hand with changes in the digital world – is what’s needed.
We’ll ask how often – and to what degree – you’ll need to change the content on your website, if online selling or e-commerce will be a core part of your business and if any special functions are needed. We create websites that are built for your business needs now and scalable for future growth.
Website Creation in Partnership
Think about the goals your website should achieve now AND in the future. More leads? Better engagement with your customers? An online resource for sales colleagues?
Something you don’t need now, such as an easily editable blog section, may be needed for a sales campaign before long. Or an attractive, well-performing landing page could boost social media conversions before you know it.
By looking at your digital needs as a whole, both in the present and from a strategic view, every element can be integrated and future-proofed properly to produce lasting results. We love building lasting relationships with our returning clients because we know we can help keep the elements of their online world performing in harmony to keep their sales team busy!
We have returning customers from across Belfast who come to us for web design, which truly changes as their business grows. That’s because we work hard on web design for YOUR business.
When you choose to engage with a local web design company, you’ll receive support from a business that will:
How to Choose a Web Design Agency in Belfast
When choosing a web design agency in Belfast, it is important to consider a number of factors, including:
- Experience: Choose an agency with a proven track record of designing and developing successful websites. Look for an agency that has experience working with businesses in your industry.
- Portfolio: Review the agency’s portfolio to see examples of their work. Make sure that their work is consistent with your design aesthetic and that it is of high quality.
- Services: Make sure that the agency offers the services that you need. Some agencies specialize in web design, while others offer a full range of digital marketing services.
- Communication: It is important to choose an agency that you feel comfortable communicating with. Make sure that the agency is responsive to your questions and concerns.
- Price: Get quotes from multiple agencies before making a decision. Be sure to compare the prices of the different services that each agency offers.
Here are some additional tips for choosing a web design agency in Belfast:
- Ask for referrals: Get referrals from other businesses in your industry. Ask them about their experiences with different web design agencies.
- Read online reviews: Read online reviews of different web design agencies. This will give you an idea of what other businesses have experienced working with these agencies.
- Interview potential agencies: Once you have narrowed down your choices, interview the potential agencies. This will give you a chance to learn more about their process and to see if they are a good fit for your business.
Once you have chosen a web design agency, it is important to work closely with them to ensure that your website meets your needs and achieves your goals. Be sure to communicate your vision for the website clearly and to provide feedback throughout the design process.
Here are some questions you can ask potential web design agencies:
- What is your experience in designing and developing websites for businesses in my industry?
- Can I see examples of your work?
- What services do you offer?
- How do you communicate with your clients?
- What is your pricing structure?
- What is your timeline for completing a project?
- What is your process for designing and developing a website?
By asking these questions, you can get a better understanding of the agency’s capabilities and whether they are a good fit for your business.
Our Web Development Methodology
We have cemented a successful methodology for creating websites that succeed online, promote your brand in the best light and reach your targeted audience. Check out our process for creating a website.
Planning & Research
The first step is we need to thoroughly understand your business, your business goals, your customers and their expectations and behaviour, and how your website factors into all of it.
We will begin our process with an analysis of the current site, ensuring the site performance and metrics are of a suitable standard to match current expectations set by Google for
Search Engine Optimisation.
Included in this stage will be a technical review, which will include a test on the key elements required for the modern website, inspecting the mobile optimisation on the current site and seeing how we can improve and produce the results.
We’ll also look at the competitive landscape to establish context and benchmarks for how your site should function and then improve on that. This stage will give us the foundation for moving forward with just the right recommendations for the design and development of your new responsive website.
Web Design
Once we’re armed with this information, we’ll set to work sketching out interface layouts for 3-5 different views, including the home page, subpage, blog template, and any additional templates needed.
Wireframes look like simple skeletons of your website without the visual polish of the finished design, allowing us to experiment and iterate on solutions quickly so that we have a good sense of how content should be laid out across different screen sizes.
We recommend having all of your content ready by this stage to inform the design and make it faster to load the initial content on the development server so content doesn’t hold back the launch. If you won’t be able to provide professionally written content by this stage, we recommend having our in-house copywriter create the content for you.
Next, we’ll design high-fidelity comps that show what the final designs will look like on desktop, tablet, and smartphone screen sizes, providing up to two rounds of revisions on the design.
Web Development
Next, we’ll set to work making your design a reality by building the site using standards-based technology. We’ll build the front-end templates in HTML5 and CSS and use JQuery for simple behaviour and effects like animations and form validation.
We recommend WordPress as your content management system (CMS) so you can update the content yourself. WordPress is the most popular open-source CMS in the world and has thousands of developers constantly improving it and contributing plugins to extend its functionality.
We’ll install WordPress on your server, set up the admin panel for you and then create a custom WordPress theme that will mirror the design we created for you. Your website will initially contain between 5-10 static pages (ie: pages that don’t change often), including the home page, about us, our services, our team, and contact us. You can add new top-level and secondary pages to the site navigation yourself in WordPress.
We’ll also set up a blog for you to publish posts that will be displayed in reverse chronological order with pagination, search, tagging and category filters.
The website will include a social media widget on the home page to display your Twitter feed, social share buttons on your blog posts, a simple email form on your contact page, and an email newsletter sign-up form, which we’ll look into your MailChimp account.
Plugins are a way to extend the functionality of WordPress and make the admin panel easier to manage. We’ll install a limited number of plugins for launch, including a simplified way to manage the navigation, automatically backup the database, SEO tools so you can manage the title and meta description tags, and an XML sitemap generator, which will help Google index your pages automatically.
Website Testing
We’ll test the website in various browsers, including Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer 9. We’ll also test the responsive design on iPhone and Android devices. We’ll test the site’s functionality to ensure there are no errors or broken links and then hand it over to you for review on a test server.
Website Launch
Once you’ve tested the website and are happy with its functionality, we’ll make the WordPress theme live on your website and point your domain over to the new site. Launch time!
Different types of web design services offered by ProfileTree
Web design agencies offer a variety of services; our services include:
- Website design: Creating the visual layout and user interface of a website.
- UX design: Designing the user experience of a website, including how users interact with the site and how easy it is for them to find and use the information they need.
- UI design: Designing the user interface of a website, including the buttons, menus, and other elements that users interact with.
- Web development: Building the website and making it functional.
- E-commerce development: Building a website that allows businesses to sell products and services online.
- Content management system (CMS) development: Building a website that uses a CMS, such as WordPress or Drupal, so that businesses can easily update their own content.
Benefits of working with a professional web design agency
There are many benefits to working with a professional web design agency, including:
- Save time and money: A web design agency can help businesses save time and money by taking care of all of the aspects of web design and development. This allows businesses to focus on their core competencies.
- Professional website: A web design agency can create a website that is professional, user-friendly, and optimised for search engines. This can lead to increased website traffic, more leads, and more sales.
- Peace of mind: A web design agency can provide businesses with peace of mind, knowing their website is in good hands. Experienced web designers and developers can ensure the website is secure, reliable, and up-to-date.
FAQ
- How much does web design cost? The cost of web design varies depending on the size and complexity of the website, as well as the required services. However, most web design agencies offer a variety of packages to suit all budgets.
- How long does it take to design and build a website? The time it takes to design and build a website also varies depending on the size and complexity of the website. However, most web design agencies can complete a website within a few weeks or months.
- How do I choose a web design agency? When choosing a web design agency, it is important to consider the agency’s experience, portfolio, and pricing. It is also important to ensure the agency is a good fit for your business and your needs.
Latest trends in web design
Some of the latest trends in web design include, all services that our team of experts offer:
- Minimalism: Minimalist web designs are simple and uncluttered, focusing on white and negative space.
- Responsive design: Responsive web designs are designed to look good and function well on all devices, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
- Animation: Animation can be used to add visual interest and interactivity to web designs.
- Video: Video is a great way to tell stories and engage users on a website.
- Artificial intelligence (AI): AI is being used to create more personalized and interactive web experiences.
Web Design Agencies in Belfast
Belfast has emerged as one of the top hubs for web design talent and agencies in the UK and Ireland over the past decade. Once better known for its shipbuilding history, Northern Ireland’s capital is now home to over 150 digital agencies, with web design being a cornerstone service offering. According to 2021 data from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), there are an estimated 32 web design specialist firms in Belfast alone, employing over 1,200 people. This burgeoning sector has been fueled by proactive government incentives, the availability of tech talent, and the thriving startup scene.
So, what makes ProfileTree the right selection for you? Read our Google Reviews and see what our current and past web design customers say about our design development and aftercare support.
FAQ
1. What makes ProfileTree different from other web design agencies in Belfast?
ProfileTree offers a unique blend of expertise in web design, web development, and content marketing. We don’t just build websites that look good; we build websites that perform well, engage audiences, and rank on search engines. We also have a strong track record of working with businesses of all sizes, from local startups to international corporations.
2. What is the process of working with ProfileTree on a web design project?
We start by getting to know your business and your goals for your website. Then, we develop a custom website design that meets your needs and budget. Once the design is approved, we develop and launch your website, and then provide ongoing support to ensure your website is always up-to-date and secure.
3. How much does web design cost?
The cost of web design varies depending on the size and complexity of your project. However, we offer a range of affordable web design packages to suit every budget.
4. What if I don’t know what I want my website to look like?
Don’t worry! Our team of experienced designers will work with you to create a website that you love. We can also show you examples of websites that we have designed for other businesses in your industry.
5. How long will it take to design and develop my website?
The timeframe for a web design project will vary depending on the size and complexity of your website. However, we typically complete most projects within 4-8 weeks.
Free Consultation
Your website is your digital storefront, and it needs to be more than just great-looking. It needs to be functional, engaging, and optimized for search engines. That’s why we offer a free consultation to all of our potential clients.
During the consultation, we will take the time to learn about your business goals, SEO needs, social media plans, and more. We will then use this information to suggest website types and draw up a plan that is tailored to your specific needs.
We understand that your time is valuable, so we don’t waste it with meetings about meetings. Once we have a good understanding of your needs, we will get started on developing your website. We will update you on our progress and give you plenty of opportunities to provide feedback.