It’s not about just throwing some pages up! There is more that you should be thinking about even before you create any content!
This won’t be a comprehensive list of everything that is involved in the web design and development process (you would get totally bored) but I want to give you some things to think about before you make the decision to create your website (or work with us or another developer to create one for you).
I’m writing this because not everyone understands the process and so doesn’t get the best results they could.
Where to start? May seem obvious but what are you offering? Why? Who are you as a business? What makes you different from your competitors. You need to give these things real thought. What does your brand stand for?
Know the purpose of your site. What do YOU want it to achieve for your business? To sell products? To encourage people to pick up the phone and call you? To build an email list? What is the end result you want?
Who are you aiming your products and services at? Have you created ideal client profiles (avatars) so you know exactly who you want to visit your website? If you don’t understand your audience how are you going to answer their needs?
Do you understand the journey your client goes on, before during and after working with you? Do you understand the steps they take, their thoughts and feelings at each stage of the process, when they make the decision to buy from you? Why they buy from you?
You should be thinking about all of this before you get down to the ‘design’ of the website. All these things affect the design and functionality of the proposed site. I like to ask all these question in the ‘project kick off’ meeting. I need to get into your head before I start to design anything.
Have you got a logo/brand design already? Does it work across multiple media types (website, social media, business cards, flyers etc). Some colours don’t show up well on a screen but are fab in print. Think about the size the logo will be displayed at and ensure any text won’t be too small to be read easily.
Are you up to writing good quality copy for your own website? Do you even know what to write or where to start? Writing about your own business is always harder, even my professional copywriters will tell you that.
What images are you planning to use? Do you want stick with cheap and use stock images or do you want to convey your brand message further with professional photographs taken specifically for you?
Will your website feature video? A very popular (understandably) way to convey more complex messages. Do you know what content your video should contain to attract your ideal client? Will you film the video yourself on your smart phone or go for a professionally shot and edited one?
There are so many choices and things to think about already. All these things affect the design and layout of your pages.
The web developer will need to configure your CMS, domain names and hosting before the website can be started. There are so many technical things that go on behind the scenes to make sure your website is stable, secure, fast and SEO ready before a single page is created.
Each page should be thought about, crafted and focused on getting a specific result or delivering a specific message.
Are you getting the picture? I have found that the more a client wants to be involved in the whole process the better the result is. Going through every one of these steps, organising/managing time, setting realistic deadlines, regular meetings/discussions and working with different professionals along the way may seem time consuming and expensive but the results will be so very much better.
I want to create effective websites not just pretty ones. I want your website to bring you rewards, but to do that, it’s a team effort!
I hope this article has given you some perspective on the work that should go in to creating an effective website. If you are struggling with any aspect of this, even if you aren’t ready to start on your website yet, give me a call and I will make sure you get the advice you need from the right professional (it may not be me). I’m lucky enough to work alongside brand experts, graphic designers, copywriters, photographers, filmmakers and editors, SEO professionals, analysts and researchers who are all amazing at what they do.
Call me on 07986290974 and let’s get you sorted.