Top 5 website planning essentials & tips

You’ve heard the saying “think before you act”.  The same applies for when it comes to revamping an existing or developing a new website for your business.  Without properly planning a website it often leads to a failed website, or disappointment in performance and results.  With some time invested in brainstorming ideas it is certainly possible to achieve a successful website the first time around.

Take the time to brainstorm ideas to truly identify what it is that your business really needs and wants.  This will go a long way and will save both you and your website designer valuable time, effort and frustration and will help you avoid that dreaded “hindsight” of realising the mistakes you might have made.

Once you have brainstormed a few ideas and have thought about all the different elements, the last and most important factor to consider is your customer.  Ensure that your website is designed and built for your customer.

When it comes to creating an online platform for your business, a website designer and developer works under a lot of pressure to create and deliver a website that is fit for purpose.  Functionality, design, coding, user-friendliness, navigation and creating an attractive appearance are a few of the factors that a website designer has to consider.  It will certainly help if you have had a brainstorming session before you instruct your website designer to proceed with the design and before your website developer builds your website as you will have a clear idea of what it is that you want to achieve.  You’ll not only save a lot of back and forth, but you’ll keep the costs down too.  You’ll thank yourself later.

Here are a few basics to help you with your brainstorming session:

1. Website Planning Tip 1:  Your business

Whether you run a swim school, a busy restaurant or perhaps you’re an entrepreneur who works from home, your website should reflect your brand and the business that you operate.  If your business has an established brand, keep your website experience consistent with your brand.  Use your logo and colour scheme as a guide to designing the artwork elements of your website.  Use high resolution professional images that have been taken in and around your business or purchase stock images that will represent your business as accurately as possible.

2. Website Planning Tip 2:  Your customers

Consider who your existing and potential customers are.  Would a corporate or creative look and feel be more appealing to them?  Your website could be the first impression (and experience) that a potential customer has of your business.  If they engage with your business, your website would have certainly set the tone and the expectation of what they can expect from your business.  Furthermore, what experience to information are they looking for and how can you design your website in such a way to deliver this experience.

3. Website Planning | Your content

Does your content indicate that you are an expert in your industry?  Does the content provide adequate and the necessary information that your potential customers will be looking for, just enough to convince them that your business is the one they should partner with?  Content is often the main reason for generating organic traffic to a website, so ensure that you offer high quality content that will be useful and relevant to your visitor.  This will afford you an opportunity to influence and convince your visitor; create and build trust and credibility for your business which will lead to converting a visitor into a paying customer.

4. Website Planning | features & functionality

Do you run an online store?  You’d need an e-commerce website with a shopping cart linked to your website, or perhaps you run a busy doctors practice and would need a real-time appointment booking form.  Consider your business and the unique features that your website needs that brings functionality and user-friendliness to your online platform.

5. Website Planning | objectives

Whilst the website must be designed and created with the customer in mind; you website is also a marketing tool and a business asset for your organisation.  How would you like your customer or potential customer to navigate through your website?  What actions would you like them to take and how could you encourage them to take that action?  Think about how your content will be structured, consider the F-pattern layout and 3 click rule.  Read our previous blog on 6 critical elements to transform your failed website into a successful website where we discuss the F-pattern layout and 3 click rule.

Whether you creating a brand new website or revamping an existing one, a lot of thought and planning has to be invested to achieve a successful website.  

 

Over to you

What is or has been the most frustrating part of website planning?  And are the above brainstorming ideas helpful?

Head on over to our website development page and download our complete website planning guide to help you save time and costs and get your website design and development done right the first time.

About Ignite Media

Ignite Media is a marketing consultancy specialising in digital marketing.  With our experience and insights into what strategies perform best – increase conversion rates, rank higher in search to reduce cost per click for paid advertising, we’ve come to see that a well-thought-out, properly designed and developed website is crucial for long-term success and optimal performance.  

Feel free to contact us to discuss this in more detail.  We’re always ready to help.

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