Just imagine: you walk into a store, the decor is from another era, the lighting is flickering, and the background music seems to come straight out of the 80s... That's the impression your customers will get if your website isn't modernized. But don't panic! We're here to show you how to create a modern website that turns heads (in a good way) and makes people want to stay, click and buy.
Today, a modern website isn't just an option. It's as essential as a good cup of coffee to start the day. A well-designed, streamlined, high-performance site is a must for any business wanting to survive (and thrive) in today's digital world. So, how do you go about creating an attention-grabbing yet effective site? Follow us.
What exactly is a modern website?
No, it's not just a pretty design with trendy colors (although, let's face it, that's a good start). A modern website rests on a solid foundation, a bit like a good cake recipe: you may not see the flour and eggs, but without them, the whole thing falls apart. Here, the “ingredients” include concepts such as Single Page Applications (SPA), Progressive Web Apps (PWA), or even Headless CMS architectures. But don't worry, we won't go into too much jargon. Basically, it's all about making sure your site is fluid, flexible and high-performing.
A good modern website uses tricks like Lazy Loading (to load only what's necessary) and RESTful or GraphQL APIs to connect the different parts of your site without headaches. The result? A fast site that adapts to users' needs, whatever their device (computer, tablet, or the famous 2am consultation from a smartphone in night-time scroll mode).
Why create a modern site, and why HubSpot can help?
So why build a modern website at all? Because a good old site that takes three hours to load is the digital equivalent of a store that's always closed. With HubSpot, you're in safe hands: this platform lets you create an elegant, efficient and scalable site, without having to spend hours on technical details. Basically, HubSpot takes care of the technical stuff (like security and updates), while you can concentrate on what's really important: your customers and your products. Nice, isn't it?
The icing on the cake: HubSpot offers marketing tools, CRM functions and integrated analytics. The result? You can track every visitor, from their first arrival to their conversion into a loyal customer, while adjusting your strategies in real time. You become a kind of digital Jedi.
Choosing the right architecture for a site that packs a punch
Creating a modern website isn't just a virtual brushstroke. You need to think about how it will evolve with time and your needs. This means choosing the right architecture. If you opt for a Headless CMS, you give yourself incredible flexibility to separate the front-end (what users see) from the back-end (where all the magic happens). You'll be able to add new features like badges to a Pokémon collection without ever breaking the rest of the site.
And if you really want to boost your website, Microservices architecture is your best friend. It allows you to manage each site functionality as an independent module, a bit like Lego pieces that you can assemble and modify at will. As a bonus, updates happen faster, and security is enhanced.
The best tools for smooth (and stress-free) web development
On HubSpot, developing a modern site goes smoothly thanks to HubL, an easy-to-learn markup language for creating templates and custom modules. It's a bit like cooking in “fast food” mode: everything is already there, you just need to combine the right ingredients.
When it comes to design, we call it Sass to organize your CSS like a chef. With Sass, managing your styles becomes child's play, and your site remains responsive and beautiful on all screens (because, let's face it, nobody wants to zoom in on a poorly optimized site on mobile). And for those who want to add a little dynamism, JavaScript libraries are there to add that little “wow” effect while maintaining optimized loading times.
Security and peace of mind: why you'll sleep better with a secure site
A modern website also means a secure one. We don't mess around with security, especially when it comes to protecting your visitors' data (and avoiding getting your fingers slapped by the RGPD). With HubSpot, all sites are equipped with an SSL certificate and protected against DDoS attacks and SQL vulnerabilities. It's a bit like having a digital superhero watching over your site 24/7.
Best of all, all security updates are handled automatically by HubSpot, so there's no need to wake up in a sweat wondering if your site is still up to the latest standards.
Optimize your SEO like a pro
Creating a modern website is all well and good. Making it visible on Google is even better. With HubSpot's integrated SEO tools, you can fine-tune every detail, from page structure to meta tags. And to make sure you please the search engines, everything is optimized: loading times, page structure, even the integration of CSS and JavaScript resources.
The idea is to ensure that your site not only looks good, but performs well under the hood. All to make it easy for visitors to find and spend time on your site.
Creating a modern website: Best practices
Finally, whether you choose HubSpot or another platform, remember these golden rules for creating a modern website:
- Go for a clean but striking design.
- Prioritize user experience (because a site that's easy to navigate is always better than a maze).
- Never neglect security and performance. This ensures that your site will remain functional and protected, whatever happens.
Ready to start creating the website of your dreams? Need a little extra help or tips? Take a look at our LinkedIn page or subscribe to our YouTube channel for tons of tips, tutorials and even a few jokes (because we like to make you smile, too)!
Testing and deploying your components: the final phase
Testing is the key to avoiding unpleasant surprises. HubSpot lets you preview your components before the big roll-out. This way, you can make sure that everything is up to scratch, across all browsers and devices (because we've all seen a site that looks perfect on Chrome but looks messy on Safari).
Resources and tools for becoming a component master
You're on the right track, but there's still more to learn. Dive into the HubSpot docs, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and stay up to date on best practices. With a little practice, you'll be able to create reusable components that not only work like a charm, but also save you a lot of time on every project.
