Moqups Wireframe software review

When it comes to website design, wireframes are essential for helping the graphic designer do the job start to finish without wasting time, money and resources.

Many website ideas usually start first with a pen and paper then they go straight to a designer.

Many website designers are not well versed at things like Search Engine Optimization, online marketing, conversion rate optimization (CRO) and in general don't know much about what your website is supposed to do and care more about getting paid.

By creating a wireframe for your website you are ensuring that you are creating the correct layout of your website as well as mapping out all of the pages.

Creating wireframes at the start helps you address problems of trying to decide what content goes where and creating focus for your pages.

Last but not least, when you make the wireframes and hand them over to a designer, there is less chance for error and you can both avoid situations where they design something and you aren't happy with it and want changes. Changes usually mean more money.

Presenting Moqups.com wireframing software

There are plenty of wireframe softwares available.

Having previously reviewed Pencil Project back in 2011, this is still a great free tool to use but in 2013 with more wireframing companies available, my preferred program to work with is Moqups.com.

What I like about this program over the Pencil Project is you can use it with any computer on the browser as it is software as a service (saas).

The first few projects are free and you can pay to create multiple projects.

This program is a bit more accurate in terms of creating more precise wireframes and it is easier to make duplicates of items.

With wireframes you can use it for many practical purposes for planning your websites and if you need to create any custom backends then it will make your life easier as well as your programmer's to give them your instructions plus a wireframe of how things should work.

Next time you need to create a new website, start first with pen and paper to make notes and sketches, then before moving on to photoshop or getting a designer to do the work, take a bit of time preparing wireframes and make sure you have your layout done right.

What is a wireframe?

A wireframe is a simple yet accurate visual representation of what a website and its elements may look like, elements such as the headers, footers, videos, images and even the buttons that the site will have.

Apart from helping in developing the architecture of the whole website, a wireframe also assist you with the navigational structure of the site, making it easier and faster to finish the whole design.

Benefits of a wireframe:

Efficient and reliable changes

It is quite difficult to identify mistakes and miscues when designing a website, for sure. Sometimes it is too late to apply changes to the final design.

With the help of a wireframe, you are able to make more than just a few changes to your design in a matter of minutes or even seconds. Time is valuable, and it can be quite expensive, wireframes help you forget about those concerns.

Wireframes show you the whole architecture

Another great benefit that could make your job a lot easier is the fact that wireframes can display the whole architecture of your site.

Certainly, you may have a clear idea of what your site will look like at the end. Nevertheless, it is not necessary to imagine it all along, you can simply use a wireframe and let it show it to you to save up some effort that you could on other tasks.

Clearer definition of the website’s features

Apart from the appearance and overall visual effects that your site may have, the functionality and all the features that it has could be equally or even more relevant than the looks.

Because of that, wireframes offer you the chance to test and discuss all the website’s feature before you start building it, giving you the chance to check everything before it is too late.

User experience is a priority

The features and the looks are important, there is no doubt about that. However, the user experience is definitely all the matters, since the visitors of your site will determine how good or bad it actually is.

With that being said, it is crucial to focus on making your website user-friendly in all ways. Wireframes can surely do that for you. They allow you to test the user experience before you even get to start developing the website.

The way that your site responds

How your website responds to the device where it is being displayed is something that you always have to think about.

As of this day, users are starting to search on the internet from their mobile devices even more than from their desktops and laptops, making website developers focus on the mobile experience more than ever before.

Because of that, it is relevant that you test your website on multiple platforms before it is launched, such as tablets and smartphones from different manufacturers.

Wireframes can do that for sure comfortably. You can set up a wireframe and test your particular site on a mobile device interface as well as a desktop or laptop to notice any malfunctions or errors that could pop up.

Less money and less time

After having mentioned all of these benefits, you can realize that there is a specific aspect in common between all of them, which is the fact that they all help you save time and money as well.

The main feature of wireframes is assisting you and making your job a lot easier and more comfortable in all ways.

Designing a website can be exhausting, demanding and very expensive, so having tools such as wireframes in handy can never be bad at all.

Thanks to them, you are able to design, develop and launch flawless websites that can be displayed on any device.