Website Planning Process: What You Need

Many moving parts go into designing and developing your website, and a big part of the project is having everything your website team needs from the get-go. While the process may appear to be pretty simple, there are many moving parts and one of the common characteristics of a smooth project is a client who comes prepared with ideas, content, and a willingness to collaborate. No one knows your business like you do, and that perspective is extremely valuable when building out your website. Here are ways you can adequately prepare for the design and development of your website. 

Find Website Inspiration 

Just like someone scans Pinterest for home décor inspiration, you should research websites that are similar to what you're looking for. Make notes of what you love about that website and what you aren't a fan of. If you can choose 2 or 3 websites for inspiration, this will help your team get a good idea of what's important to you and the common themes between the various websites.

Establish Interior Pages 

As you gather information, keep in mind that your website team can give you recommendations as we work through your ideas. It's helpful if you come in with a general idea of what pages you want on your website. Keep in mind, you want to make sure you'll have enough to say to justify an entire page dedicated to one subject. If you find that you can only come up with a paragraph of content for that one page, it may be beneficial to combine some pages. 

Choose Color Scheme 

Come to your consultation with a color scheme in mind. If you need some pointers, our website team would be happy to help you choose your color scheme based on your logo, goals, and current trends. Choose your color scheme carefully as this will likely become a huge part of your ongoing marketing campaign and branding. 

Determine Website Functionality 

Is your website just a place for customers to find information? Are you planning on selling products on your website? Will you want a blog? Will you need galleries? Do you need an interactive calendar? These are just a few of the functions that your website could have. Come in knowing what your website goals are. If all of the bells and whistles are out of your price range right now, that's okay! We can add components and expand your pages later on. 

Check Domain Name 

If you don't have a domain name, it's important to get that ready before your website is ready to go live. You need to make sure it's from a reputable provider and that it's a good, logical domain name and not something random as this could hurt your credibility and thus your ranking on search engines. Also, before you purchase your domain name, make sure the words or abbreviations you put together don't spell anything questionable. If your company provides Building and Development Services, you probably should not purchase the domain name badservices.com. 

Gather Content/Information 

Content is one of the most important things on your website. Whether you plan on writing your own content or you're utilizing our content writer, you need to brainstorm what information you will want on your website. Some questions that can help shape your content are:

• What are some of your most popular services/products?
• What sets your company apart in your industry?
• What is the common theme on your website? I.e. Trustworthiness, timeliness, quality, etc.

The nice part of utilizing a content writer is that you don't have to spend hours crafting your own content. You just have to provide the base information, be available for occasional questions, and approve the content once it's completed. To help your content writer, provide the following information:

• Keywords. Put yourself in your client's shoes. If they were looking for the service or product that you provide, what would they type into Google? This is a great starting point as we conduct keyword research to assist you with getting as many website views as possible. No one knows your clients like you do!
• Your Why. We want to tap into the heart of your company so we can accurately portray your goals to customers. Ask yourself questions like, "Why do you do this?", "What's important for your customers to know about you?".
• Pictures. Visual content is a really important piece of your website, so come prepared with some ideas. Some prefer vector graphics (see the Technical Resource Solutions website), others want to use original pictures, and some are perfectly content with stock photos. We have the tools to create graphics, purchase stock photos, and we even have an in-house photographer who can take any pictures you may need!

Be Ready to Collaborate 

The biggest part of preparing for your new website is to remember that this is a collaborative effort! As we develop your website, you become a vital part of the team. Be ready to approve designs, content, images, and more! With great communication and a willingness to collaborate, we'll have your website ready to show off in no time!