Website Creation Tips for Games Developers

There's a lot of stiff competition on the internet between brands and businesses for attention. Ranging in depth from aesthetics to sheer substance, businesses compete for the attention and loyalty of consumers in a number of different ways.

With the internet being so pervasive globally, brands are able to make impressions on people they'd otherwise never find through traditional means. While this is great news for anybody seeking to gain attention for their products and services, first impressions truly matter in the age of the internet. With so much competition, people can easily look elsewhere.

Game developers in particular have a lot of competition. From MMORPGs to mobile gaming apps, there are virtually an unlimited number of choices available to players. A game developer's website will make or break the opinion of a player about a particular game. Below, you'll find several tips for game developers to consider when creating their websites.

Consult with Game Artists

Most developers wouldn't trust themselves with the aesthetics of their game if they only had a background in programming. Why should the website for your game or company be any different? Visual consistency and simplicity are essential to pleasing visitors and eliciting the right reactions. You want to be sure that visitors are focused on the right elements (for instance, where to download an app, how to subscribe, etc.). This is where your game artists can be helpful.

While you'll likely want to consult with a web designer for the final product, determining how best to incorporate various elements from your game(s) into the website's design can dramatically increase the number of desired interactions you receive via the website. Online bingo companies use vibrant colours such as red and yellow to draw attention to and focus the attention on each particular online game option. For your website, however, this may include the use of particular characters from your game or relevant, intriguing lore.

Use Widely Available CMS

Your game's website needs to have its own personal touch, but many developers will find that standard content management systems can provide this – all while making it easy to edit and configure both design and functionality. The most popular CMS by far is WordPress: nearly one in three websites globally use WordPress, which makes it an ideal choice for developers who value both accessibility and ease of use. While you may be a skilled game developer, your knowledge of website development may not be as precise. Whether you lack the skills personally or wish to employ the services of others in times of need, having a widely-used CMS as the backbone of your website makes it easier (and cheaper) to build, design and maintain it.

Integrate Seamlessly with Social Media

In order to promote your game in an effective way, you'll want to maximise as many paid and organic marketing strategies as possible. From an organic perspective, this means that your website should be built with social media in mind.

There are many unique social media website plug-ins and widgets that can be added to multiple elements of the website, making it easy for fans and visitors to share stories, announcements and other important details they love. You'll want to make sure that sharing options are included on every page and post, and also be sure to integrate your social media pages and profiles in both the header and footer of your website's design. This will make it easier for you to get the word out, and will also increase the number of fans who connect with you on social media.

Offer Bonuses, Discounts and Specials

In the process of creating your game or company website, you'll want to be conscious of the fact that people expect value. There are a number of ways to offer this, but one easy way to do so is by providing promotions and special deals to subscribers and fans. You should consider creating a specific element on your website where these deals and specials are easily visible. When fans check in, they'll be able to easily see the latest promotion or special. This can be anything from deals on in-game currency purchases to free subscriptions for a particular action. By prominently featuring value in the design of your website, you'll attract more valuable traffic and loyalty.

These four tips can help you formulate the basis for a successful game web design. The foundation of your website's design is crucial to your game's chances for success, so be sure to carefully consider how you position, feature and include each element.