What is a Website Mockup?

Mock-ups are the key aspects of web visual design. They are typically the mid-to-high fidelity representation of products’ visual appearance; mock-ups dictate the product’s typography, color schemes, iconography and also hint at the basics of product functionality. Mock-ups are usually confused with wireframes and prototypes. Wireframes are low-fidelity blueprint with placeholders & gray boxes for detailed content while prototypes demonstrate how the design works. The functioning of a prototype is more complex; they explore a combination of interactions and help refine usability.

Mock-ups are quite relevant in any web design since they give users a hint on how the final product will appear. They also help in the implementation of some interactive elements like icons & buttons and usually have an advantage over wireframes & prototypes; mock-ups offer a friendly-user interface and you need not rely much on imagination. Generally, Mockups are more complex than wireframes but less functional than prototypes, they fit perfectly as a transitional step between the two.

Creating the perfect Website Mock-up

A properly planned custom and structure design of your website increase company awareness & customer loyalty. It also improves conversion rates, maintain a positive image and raise sales. A website mock-up is the most vital index for a business, especially for a startup. To design the best mockup of your site, you need to precisely describe and define the goals, tasks and target audience.

When working on the design of the homepage and inner pages, here are some of the basic principles:

• Target audience– this is necessary for you to consider certain preferences and the type of content for your audience.

• Branding– the shape and size of the company logo, color and brand style should be taken into account.

• Grid- this helps to keep a good structure of elements that sticks well on the visual grid.

• Development- involves the capabilities of a web-based platform used. The development process goes all the way from the creation of UI mockup samples to design of preliminary mockup for 1-2 pages.

• As a rule, one of the pages created is Homepage. Development of website design concept includes 3 different considerations which are based on; the vision of designers, client’s wishes, and the bold/alternative choice. The next step is finalizing the UI mockups and making correct according to clients choices and preferences.

3 ways to create website mockups

Benefits of using website mock-ups

The use of mockups encourages purposeful design. With a visually reliable impression, you are able to envision the designs, organize the details and bring the pieces of puzzles together.
Building a mockup of that screen you are designing helps unmask the unwanted visual components before proceeding to the development process.
Another importance of mockups in the design process is the enhancement of Collaboration which is the best way of handling big & complex projects while increasing productivity and saving time.
Mockups bridge the unnecessary gap between cross-functional teams, acting as a communication device. It also serves as a disconnection medium between team members. With the digital UI mockups; you can comfortably create personas and perform some usability testing.

Wrap Up
Presenting a digital mockup is an easy and convenient way to go. Using a flat design can be confusing and cumbersome; it’s difficult for clients to fully understand the final results simply looking at the flat graphic file. This makes the use of website mock-ups a relevant and professional solution that is time-efficient and user-friendly. With this in mind, always ensure you fully utilize your website mockup for better results.