Many businesses and website owners misunderstand the process of proper website development and often do not get what they need from their online presence. This is commonly because they do not know what their needs and requirements are from the outset. This is unfortunately a common occurrence that we encounter with new clients, and also with clients of other website development agencies. This has led us to start this discussion; to allow the greater community to comment and offer suggestion on what we believe to be the 6 key points for establishing an effective web presence for you and your business.
Website design is not just Website Design; there is so much more to the process. Both the website developer and the client must work together along sequential stages to ensure the process and the outcome is to be a success. In our view, there is nothing worse than wasted time.
As a result, we have divided up website design into the following 6 key points:
1. Getting started and Planning
2. Website Design and Visitor Usability
3. Foundations of Website Development
4. Your website content
5. Marketing your website
6. Maintenance and support
We will introduce the 6 key points over the coming weeks. Each week we will discuss these points, and today we will start with the first key point; Getting Started and Planning.
Getting started and Planning
You’ve identified that you or your business would greatly benefit from having an online presence, however there are some important aspects of website design that should be addressed with some simple and fundamental planning. Without website planning, it would be like building the roof of a house before erecting the walls; it is indelibly important to establish a solid foundation to work from before construction.
Securing your online identity. First thing is to always secure your domain name. This is your business name on the internet and it should be secured as soon as possible. We would start by registering your online identity with a dot com dot au, but we would also recommend registering the dot com as well. Domains are inexpensive these days, so seeking the ownership of your domain is very important.
What is your budget. You may get quotes that range from one extreme to the other, with no indication that a more expensive quote will result in a better website. At the end of the day, it is a good idea to have a budget set aside that is flexible, so that you have a wider choice of talented website designers to work with. Budget is an important issue, but the relationship, process, experience and quality of the website designer is also important.
Establish a deadline. When do you need to have your website online? Be realistic and allow time for each stage to be completed sufficiently. A time line can be, ‘whenever it’s finished’, but have a deadline in mind that can be worked towards. This gives both you and the website developer a date to work towards. Typical website design will take approximately 6-8 weeks but this time frame varies considerably depending on specific requirements.
What do you want from your website? Following this, list your key desirables and needs for your website:
- What is it that you want?
- Who is to be your intended market?
- What actions do you want them to take?
- How are they to interact with your website?
- What tone do you want your website to have?
- Is the website intended as a sales aid or sales tool?
- Do you want to market directly to your customer base?
How often do you want to update your website, and do you want the ability to do this yourself?
Your website design agency should work with you on these points and more, as well as explain your website possibilities and options.
What are you competitors doing? A thorough competitor website analysis is a great place to start. It pays to research what your competitors have done with their websites. Make notes of what you like and what you don’t like, what ideas can be adapted and improved upon. They have already been through this process, so it helps you to envisage a completed website.
Site map. Once you have your key desirables on paper and completed some competitor website analysis it is time to start looking at how your website will be structured. Begin by drawing up a site map or plan of your website structure so you can see the relationship of pages and categories of your website content.This is very similar to a family tree structure. This is a simple process and helps guide the size and requirements of the website.
Content. The site map will help you see the pages of the website, and the content that you will need to deliver to your website designer. The content can be a combination of descriptions, images, attachments, links and downloads. Use this to get some idea of the content that you need before you begin preparing all this information. The details of the content may be addressed further into the website development process with your website designer, and they should guide you on what you need to provide.
Websites of inspiration. It is very useful to reference website designs that you know and like, as well as their functionality. Typically a list of no more than 5 websites is very helpful. Breaking these websites down into what you like and don’t like and why also helps to drill down further into your key desirables and needs.
Marketing. Once your website is built it needs to be found. A website that can’t found on the internet, no matter how good it is, is as useful as having a flashing neon billboard on the moon if you are unable to get traffic to it.
- How would you like your visitors and potential clients to find your website?
- What marketing channels will you use to drive website traffic?
Search engines are the most common ways to direct traffic to your website, however you may also consider other avenues such as sponsored links and Google Adwords, or using social media channels like Facebook and twitter. Your website designer can elaborate on these methods and help you decide on the most suitable and effective method.
Ongoing support and website maintenance. A website like anything else will need maintenance and ongoing work. Your website is a living product, and as such it is recommended that you have a plan to update information and content on a regular basis. Depending on the nature of your business, we recommend that your website is updated every 2 to 3 months at a minimum. The updated information may be news, promotions, service offerings or new products. This will give your visitors a reason to return to your website.
If you implement this strategy when you embark on a new website, or even when updating your current website, it will ensure that you are off to a great start and will get you on the right path to a successful website. We welcome your feedback and suggestions and we hope this helps you to establish a sound foundation to a successful online presence.
We also welcome any enquiries and direct questions at info@magiknewmedia.com.au or 1300 353 700.
Next week, check back here to see our ‘Website Design and Visitor Usability’ discussion.
