How to create a website mockup in 2025?

Faced with the increase of websites and fierce online competition, having a website that is both attractive and functional is essential.

However, a key step is often forgotten before starting to create a site: the development of a model.

A website mockup provides a visual and interactive view of the project, making it easy to visualize architecture, design, and functionality before coding. It is vital for defining goals, anticipating the user journey and facilitating collaboration.

This article written by our Webflow agency explores the creation of a model in 2025, detailing the steps, elements to include, tools to use, and pitfalls to avoid, aimed at both novices and professionals who want to improve the user experience.
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What is a website mockup?

The website model, located halfway between the initial outline and the final prototype, is an essential step in the process of creating a website. It allows you to visualize the architecture, design, and functionalities of the site before the start of development, including graphics and coding, ensuring that the final vision is well translated into the website model.
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The advantages of creating a web model

Creating a web model offers several advantages. First, it facilitates informed decision-making by making it possible to visualize and test ergonomics, visual identity, and intuitiveness of navigation. This helps to anticipate and avoid costly changes once the site is developed.

In addition, it ensures global consistency and maintains a professional image by optimizing the integration of dynamic elements and user interaction. Finally, it accelerates the development process by reducing the cost and time for improvement.
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What is the purpose of a model in the process of creating a site?

The model plays a pivotal role in the process of creating a website. It allows designers and developers to collaborate from the very first stages, to adjust the essential elements while respecting the graphic charter and to collect feedback from customers or users to ensure that the site meets their expectations and needs. This is a key step for optimizing ergonomics, managing SEO, and integrating interactive features.
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Starting with a blank slate: an essential or optional step?

Starting the design of a website mockup with a blank slate is essential to clearly define your vision and goals. This approach allows you to freely explore different ideas and functionalities, thus promoting the innovation and customization of your project without being limited by existing designs, which is the first step in creating an effective and original website mockup.

Building the site tree

Elaborating the site tree is fundamental. It defines the structure and architecture of the site, organizing pages and content hierarchically for an intuitive user journey. A well-designed tree structure improves user experience, navigation, and contributes to SEO optimization.

Understand the difference between wireframe and graphic design

It is important to distinguish the wireframe from the graphic model. The wireframe, a basic schema, describes the structure and functionality of the site, focusing on the layout without visual details. A graphic layout, or mockup, is a more elaborate representation that includes specific visual elements such as colors, fonts, and images, offering a more accurate preview of the final site.
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The essential elements of a web model

A successful website layout is based on key components that ensure a smooth user experience and a unified visual identity. Let's discover the fundamental elements to consider for the development of a website model.

Develop a coherent graphic charter

The graphic charter, an essential document, establishes the visual standards of a brand or a company. It ensures a consistent brand image across all media, digital and printed. A well-defined charter includes guidelines on colors, fonts, logos, and other visual elements, ensuring a harmonious and professional visual identity.

The role of the logo in visual identity

The logo, a central element of the visual identity, must be simple, memorable and true to the brand. It is generally at the top of each page and should be in line with the graphic charter. An effective logo allows immediate brand recognition, projecting a professional and reassuring image.

Choosing the right colors and fonts

The choice of colors and fonts is decisive in the design of a web model. The colors must respect the graphic charter and the image of the brand, while being aesthetically pleasant and consistent with each other. Fonts should be legible and consistent across the site. Tools like Adobe Color CC can be valuable for finding complementary color palettes.

Design attractive action buttons

Action buttons, such as “Click here” or “Download,” should captivate the user while remaining intuitive. They should stand out visually, be of adequate size and of a color that contrasts with the overall design. Well-thought-out buttons enrich the user experience and promote targeted actions.

The importance of quality illustrations and images

High-quality illustrations and images are essential to improve the look and feel of your website. They must correspond to the content and goals of the site, while being optimized for fast loading without sacrificing their quality. Images and illustrations play a key role in boosting textual content, making your site more engaging and engaging for visitors.
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Design a website mockup step by step

Study and be inspired by the competition

Before diving into the design of your website mockup, a thorough analysis of the competition is essential. This sheds light on the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors and gives you valuable information to create an adapted and competitive website model.

Examine the sites of your main competitors, paying attention to their ergonomics, design, navigation and functionalities. For easy comparison, use a table in Excel or Google Sheets. This will guide you to adopt best practices and identify areas of differentiation for your site.

Define a list of needs and contents

Identifying needs and content is an essential step in the development of your website model. This involves defining the objectives of your site and the functionalities necessary to meet the expectations of your customers and users, and thus ensuring that your website model is perfectly aligned with your targets.

Make a list of essential pages, content, and features, including menus, action buttons, login areas, and other key elements for an optimal user experience.

Create a simple and functional menu

The simplicity and functionality of the menu are key to ensuring easy navigation on your site. Limit the number of categories in your main menu to avoid overwhelming users with too many choices.

Opt for specific and direct titles, making it easier to understand the content or services offered. Make sure the menu is easily accessible and readable on all devices, from PC to mobile.

Structure the main pages (content and layout)

Structuring key pages requires web zoning and wireframes. Zoning allows you to segment the page into areas that meet different user needs.

Wireframes are used to organize these areas, by defining the layout and arrangement of elements such as menus, buttons, and text blocks. This phase is essential to preview and optimize the user experience before proceeding with the visual finalization.

Optimize the footer for navigation and key information

The footer, also known as the footer, plays an essential role in navigating and sharing essential information. Make sure it includes links to important sections such as terms of use, privacy policy, and contact information. Also, add links to your social networks and details to easily contact your business, thus promoting interaction with visitors.

It is important that these elements are easily found and visible on all pages of your website.
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Tips for a successful website layout

To design an effective website mockup, start by using recognized mockup tools such as Mockflow, Figma, or Adobe XD, which help you build the foundations of your website layout by creating high-quality wireframes and mockups. Having a Webflow expert in Paris can be a real asset, because he can provide you with webflow review informed on the best way to integrate your model into this platform. Conduct frequent user testing to get feedback and make adjustments as needed.

Ensure visual consistency by respecting a precise graphic charter. Simplify navigation and ensure that important items are quickly accessible, improving the overall user experience.
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Mistakes to avoid when creating a web layout

When designing a website layout, it is essential to avoid certain frequent mistakes that may harm the user experience and the overall quality of the site. Let's discover together the most common pitfalls to avoid for a successful website mockup.

Too many colors that distract the user

Excessive use of color can create visual confusion and distract users. Selecting a restricted and consistent color palette, in line with your brand's visual identity, is essential.

Limiting yourself to three or four main colors helps maintain a balanced aesthetic and prevents visual overload. Make sure that the colors chosen harmonize and do not interfere with the readability of the texts.

Leave fictional text on a final model

Including fictional text, such as Lorem Ipsum, in a final layout may reflect a lack of professionalism. While Lorem Ipsum is useful during the design stages to assess the layout, it is essential to replace it with final content before the final presentation.

Using real content allows a more accurate assessment of the readability and visual impact of the text on the page.

Do not use grids to align items

The absence of grid systems can lead to a messy layout that is not visually appealing. Grids are fundamental to ensure the consistency and alignment of elements on a page, thus facilitating navigation and improving the user experience.

Neglecting action buttons in design

Action buttons, such as click or download buttons, should be easily visible and intuitive. Their carelessness or an overly discreet design can frustrate users, who will struggle to find the calls to action. It is important to make these buttons clearly visible and accessible on all screen resolutions.

Ignoring the user journey in design

Failure to take into account the user journey when developing a web model can lead to confusing navigation and worsen the overall user experience. It is essential to adopt the user perspective and to structure the site so that the journey follows an intuitive logic. This involves testing user paths and soliciting feedback to refine the model based on observations.
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The tools to create website mockups

The creation of website models is essential in the development of web projects, requiring specific tools to be carried out successfully. Let's discover together the most popular tools by web design professionals.

Google Slides

Google Slides is often associated with creating presentations, but it is also effective for creating website mockups. It offers flexible design features that allow mockups to be designed and shared quickly and collaboratively. The use of shapes, images, text, and alignment options make it easy to create interactive mockups, making Google Slides ideal for those looking for a simple solution that doesn't require advanced design skills.

Adobe XD

Adobe XD stands out for its ability to create vector mockups of websites intuitively. It provides formats adapted to different devices (desktop, tablet, mobile), and integrates advanced features such as Bootstrap grids, design systems based on UI components, and interactive prototyping options. The ability to share models via a link simplifies collaboration and real-time feedback.

Sketch

Sketch is a preferred choice among web designers for creating mockups and prototypes of websites and mobile applications. Its intuitive interface and advanced tools for UI and UX design, such as grid systems, reusable symbols, and extensible plugins, make it a very flexible and customizable solution.

Figma

Figma, an online modeling tool, is widely recognized for its ability to create interactive wireframes and prototypes for websites and mobile applications. It promotes collaboration in real time, allowing several users to work together on the same project. With its predefined and customizable elements and components, as well as its design system based on UI components, Figma optimizes the design and prototyping process.

Wireframe.cc

Wireframe.cc is a free online tool that is perfect for those who are just starting out or want to quickly bring an idea to life without going into visual details. Its minimalistic interface makes creating wireframes intuitive, using simple elements like rectangles, circles, and text. It is the ideal tool for sketching out the basics of your projects.

Moqups

Moqups is a free and popular modeling platform, designed to develop mockups, wireframes, and prototypes for websites or products. With a wide range of layouts, graphic design templates, and various elements such as icons, stencils, images, and characters, Moqups is an all-in-one solution. It simplifies the design process by avoiding the back and forth between different tools.

Why did Synqro choose Figma as a tool for creating models?

At Synqro, we opted for Figma as the main tool for creating models for several reasons that correspond to our needs and those of our customers. Here are the main ones:

1. Real-time collaboration

Figma is distinguished by its ability to allow smooth collaboration. Several team members can work simultaneously on the same model, in real time, without the need to constantly exchange files. This is particularly useful for us, as Synqro often works on projects with multiple stakeholders, and this feature promotes optimal communication and responsiveness.

2. Cloud-based tool

Being an agency that collaborates with clients remotely, the fact that Figma is entirely based on the cloud is a major asset. We can access our projects from any device connected to the internet, which simplifies our work process, whether we are in Dubai, France, or elsewhere.

3. Intuitive interface that is quick to master

Figma offers a modern, intuitive interface that is easy to use, and easy to use, even for people who are just starting out. This allows our production team to quickly integrate new collaborators or to guide our customers when they want to visualize or interact with a model.

4. Compatibility with our Webflow workflow

At Synqro, we use Webflow as the main development tool. Figma integrates perfectly with our workflow thanks to its advanced export functionalities and its plugins dedicated to Webflow. This simplifies the transition between design and integration, saving us time while ensuring a high level of quality.

5. An economical solution for maximum power

Compared to other tools like Sketch or Adobe XD, Figma offers excellent value for money. Its freemium model allows small projects to start at no cost, and its professional plans remain accessible for agencies like ours, while offering a complete range of functionalities.

6. Adaptability for multi-device projects

With Figma, we can easily design designs responsive adapted to different types of screens (desktop, tablet, mobile). This perfectly meets the expectations of our customers and guarantees an optimized user experience, regardless of the support.

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Figma is not only a tool for Synqro, it is a real extension of how we work. It allows us to design high quality mockups while collaborating effectively with our customers and integrating our designs directly into Webflow. It is a strategic choice that reflects our constant search for excellence and efficiency.

Conclusion

In summary, designing a website layout is essential to ensure an excellent user experience and maintain a unified visual identity. By respecting the key steps and avoiding frequent pitfalls, it is possible to create a model that not only corresponds to your goals but also meets the expectations of your users. To support you in this task, the Webflow Synqro agency stands out as a leader among Webflow agencies in France.

With more than 4 years of experience and holder of 3 Webflow certifications, Synqro is at your disposal to solve any problem related to the creation or redesign of your Webflow site. It offers tailor-made solutions covering design, development, and natural referencing. To improve your online presence and increase your commercial performance, do not hesitate to call on Synqro.
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FAQ about website mockups

To help you better understand website mockups, here are answers to frequently asked questions.

How to transform a model into a functional site?

The transformation of a model into a functional website takes place in several steps. Start by coding the structure of your site in HTML, using semantic tags to organize content effectively.

Then, style your site with CSS to add fonts, colors, and make sure it is responsive using media queries. Tools like Adobe XD, Sketch, or Figma can be useful for creating interactive prototypes before coding.

Then, integrate dynamic features with JavaScript or frameworks like React or Vue.js. Testing your site on different screen resolutions and browsers is essential to ensure its compatibility and performance. Video tutorials on converting mockups into websites can be particularly useful.

Can I create my site without using a mockup?

Creating a website without a model is possible, but often not recommended. Mockups work like detailed plans, avoiding costly mistakes and ensuring a quality user experience. Without a model, you may encounter navigation, design, and functionality issues that are difficult to correct after development.

However, with platforms like Wix or AI-based site builders, you can create a site without detailed mockups. These services offer templates and customization tools that make it easy to create sites, even without advanced design or coding skills.

What types of sites require a mock-up?

Creating a model is beneficial for all types of sites, especially for those that are complex or require precise navigation and user interaction. This includes e-commerce sites, business showcases, blogs, and online service platforms. The mockup helps to clearly define the structure, functionalities, and user interface, which are essential for a pleasant and effective experience.

How long does it take to make a model?‍

The time required depends on the complexity of the project:

• Basic wireframe : A few hours to 1 day.
• Full graphic mockup : 2 to 5 days depending on the number of pages and the level of detail required.
• Interactive prototyping : 5 to 10 days for projects with complex interactions.
  At Synqro, we use tools like Figma to speed up this process through optimized workflows.