If you’ve already come up with the idea for an awesome game, you could be forgiven for thinking that you’ve done the hard work and can now sit back and enjoy its success. Sadly, while the game might be awesome, part of the challenge in the gaming world is not just making sure the game is a winner but also getting the website the game is hosted on to be top-level as well, especially if you’re designing a site that needs to be appropriate for a wide range of different games.
Going Back to Basics
Getting the basics right is crucial, of course; you are going to need to decide who is going to host your site, with the likes of Wix.com and many others (some of which are compared here) all able to help you build the foundation for a great site, but perhaps the biggest challenge is to make sure that you use a platform that allows for the sort of interactive feature that will set you apart in the gaming world, like live chat support and the ability to add cool multimedia like video content.
“football flying through the goal post” by franchise opportunities (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Before all of this, though, are other more basic considerations.
We’re talking colour schemes, for instance. Ensuring that your design has the right colour scheme is key. Obviously, you can go back and change your colour scheme later on if you so want but, if you are designing a user-friendly site, this is the sort of thing you want to get right from the start.
Navigation is also key, especially if you’re offering one style of game with lots of variation within it. In this instance, you’ll want to make scrolling through a list of games all on one main interface slick and straightforward (and fast). Take slot-game sites as an example. You’ll want to feature as many slot games as possible within the same navigational view so that users can scroll through the many options available and find one that takes their fancy. Dynamic scrolling can be a good technique to employ for this sort of functionality; you don’t want to force users to click too many times away from the homepage, delving into deep category pages, before they feel confident that they’ll find something that interests them.
Don’t Be Afraid to See What Works for Others
If you are looking to do everything without any support, then you’re not brave; you’re foolish! Always take note of what works and what doesn’t. There are sites out there giving you the chance to compare websites that already showcase great designs, which can be great for inspiration.
“The creator” by Raxon Rex (CC BY 2.0)
The design of your site can be one you feel proud of but the key in the world of designing a gaming site is to be aware that sites change over time, as exemplified here. If you have designed a site you’re happy with, don’t think you can just rest on your laurels; it may be perfect now, but what constitutes perfection may well change far faster than you thought possible.
