Any successful business needs a website and it may seem like a simple process at first, but there are a lot of things that go into creating a successful website. A website requires strategy, efficient planning, and attention to detail. It is very important to know what your company is about and what you are looking to achieve. Before starting on any project, there are a few things that you need to know.
What is your story?
What do you want clients or consumers to know your business for? Knowing what makes your business differ from other companies is important.
- What message should your business communicate?
- What are your core business values?
- What is your business trying to achieve? What does it stand for?
Remember, everything on your website is sending a message to your visitors.
Who is your target audience?
Get to know who you are selling to. Who will visit your site and why? Remember your website is for your audience, not for you. You want a message that resonates with that particular group of people.
To learn more about your target audience, you’ll want to know a few things about them.
Demographics – What is their age, gender, location, and income?
Interests – What does your target audience like to do? What TV shows do they watch? What other businesses do they interact with?
Stage in life – Does your target audience include college students? New parents? Parents of teens? Retirees?
When designing a website, keep these things in mind when creating your copy and design.
What actions do you want users to take?
Your users must always be at the front of mind.
- Why are they visiting your site?
- What are their goals? Motivations? Frustrations?
This helps you understand why your site exists; who and what value you bring. It also helps you understand what action you want your audience to take. A clear call to action will help guide users through your website.
Next you need to determine what your goals are.
- Are you trying to inform?
- Are you a non-profit looking for donations?
- Do you sell a product? Or a service?
Websites without a clear call to action can lead to a bad user experience and first impressions.
What content will you need?
Your content should highlight your brand personality and inform your audience. What content would your target audience enjoy? Your content will help your business or organization stand out within the market.
Content you may need or want to include:
- Text
- Photos/Images
- Logos
- Video
It is important to ensure that all of your content aligns with the message you want to send to your visitors.
Who are your competitors?
Chances are you have several competitors. It is important to know how you rank against them online. While there’s many ways you can research your competitors, here’s a few suggestions.
- Google Search – Type in keywords related to your business and write down the top ten.
- Products and services – How do their products and services compare to yours? Prices? Sales?
- Social Media – How active are they? What channels do they use? When do they post?
Once you’ve finished collecting information about your competition, you can build a strategy to get a leading edge over them.
Conclusion
By having a better understanding of who your business is and what you are looking to achieve, you increase your chances of having a successful website project.
Want to get the most out of designing your website? Let us help you. Take a look at some of our previous work and contact us today to get started.