Creating or updating your website is exciting and it gives you the opportunity to present yourselves and your products/services in a new way. There are several important factors that you should to be planning for as you embark on this project.
Before you instruct your chosen web design team who will handle all layout and technical challenges, it is important to have clear idea of some key items that if you miss out on , you’ll be setting up yourself for lots of headaches and potentially a less successful end product.
A website is for many companies a linch pin for the business and often the first experience anyone will have with your business is via your website. Although this is an obvious point to make we have found many business owners fail to recognise the importance and value of this first touch point.
Your aim is be vividly clear on what business goals you have for your site and the improvement within these goals once the site is live will become your gauge for success. Let’s think about how and what type of new users will bring added value to your business?
This is critical for a number of reasons. The first thing we as your web agency would ask is “What specifically are you looking to achieve with the design of your website?”.
A good way to break this down and help you form a comprehensive plan for the site is to complete this statement:
“The way our business makes money is by [your input]. Our website current site is not working for us in the following ways [your input]. We provide value to our customers and are different to our competitors by [your input]. We are looking to communicate this key message [your input] and these further sub messages [your input] on the website. Ultimately our goal for the new website is to [your input] ”
Providing this clear understanding of what you hope to acheive will be a useful starting point to discuss the scope and budget for the project, so that your designers are able to provide you the best outcome.
Your desktop and mobile users are often same people and their needs will differ depending on what device they are currently using.
Once you have established what it is you want from your website, it’s now time to think about what to expect from users of different device types. This will vary widely based on what your business offers, and your audience.
Desktop/PC users: Your users may have heard of you and are looking you up to learn about who you are and what services you offer. Their first interaction with you should give this answer, demonstrate the value you offer, and a way for them to engage further. A call to action to schedule meeting or how to order a product should be on the homepage for a desktop user.
Mobile users: Often mobile device users at the website of a local business either want to call the business, or visit the business in person, so make these the prominent bits of information for this type of user.
Depending on your users level of competence online, product orders may still be an end goal for your mobile users.
Desktop users: Show these users your full site, with a well organised navigation structure and clear calls to action
Mobile users: Users on-the-go are less likely to sit and navigate their way though your entire website. Consider how users get to key information and functions in a few clicks. This may be:
Display your product images and key features in a clear way and avoid lengthy specs unless the user clicks to read them. Try to make the price and add to basket button as clear as possible
Will you be creating your content or will your web designer? This includes: media (imagery, video and audio) and page copy, as well as the number of templates / pages you’ll need, and their respective structure.
A project proceeds far better if content (and who is responsible for creating it) is decided upon before setting to work. If you don’t already have existing assets you can draw upon for content and are often busy, be honest with yourself – you should consider using another member of staff or an external copywriter. If your web design team will be responsible for creating content, that’s great, just be sure to detail when briefing them with your requirements.
Finally, your web designer is most likely looking forward building a sophisticated piece of design coupled with latest technology for your business. There is a high amount complexity required to create a website that feels simple and seamless Initial planning is paramount to the success of the project and by taking the steps above, you are setting yourself up for success when planning a new website for your business. Good luck and drop us a message if you have any questions we can help with..