12 Things To Think About Before Building Your Website
Thinking about creating a website? Here are 12 important questions to ask yourself before you get started (or hire a web designer).
Whenever I get a new website client, they always want to know exactly what’s needed to build their website.
Most of them are surprised at how easy and simple it is… once we get started.
You don’t actually need that much to create a great-looking website.
In this blog post, I’ll break down the 12 most important things you need to think about & have before building your website.
Let’s jump in!
The first thing to think about…
The first thing to think about is the website itself.
Here are 3 questions I always ask my clients before we begin any web design project:
Website Goals: What’s the main purpose or objective of this website?
Website Features: Do you need an online shop, blog, gallery, membership, etc?
Website Audience: Who is this website for? Who is your target audience?
It’s important to be clear on these three things before you begin, because it will be difficult to change later once you start designing the website.
For example: If you decide that you just need a simple blog website, but then later you want to add a shop page … you could run into additional costs for adding features that weren’t included in the original scope of work.
Nobody likes to deal with unexpected costs and delays, so it’s crucial to have a clear understanding of what you want and need from your website before you start spending.
The second thing to think about…
…is the LOOK & FEEL of the website, also known as branding and design.
Just like with people, every business is different.
Your business has a unique look, voice and style … whether you’ve discovered it yet or not.
Adding branding to a website brings it to life and gives it warmth and character.
Without good branding, your website could end up looking (and feeling) basic and forgettable.
A website without branding is like a person without personality.
If you want your website to stand out (in a good way) with potential clients … you need to think about these 3 questions:
Brand Logo: Do you have logo or brand that matches your business?
Brand Style Guide: Do you have brand colors, fonts and images for your website?
Domain Name: Do you have a custom domain name for your website? (i.e. yourname.com)
Even if you already have a logo and brand style guide, it’s worth taking a second look at your branding before starting the website.
Branding (like people) can change over time.
The third thing to think about…
Once you have branding sorted, it’s time to look at the website content.
This is the stuff that actually goes on the website for customers to look at, click on and engage with. The primary content to think about is your products or services, because most likely, this is the main reason for having a website.
Products & Services: What is the main product or service that you want to sell on this site?
Testimonials: Do you have customer reviews, testimonials or other social proof related to your products & services?
FAQs: What questions will customers have about your products & services?
Normally when I create a website, I like to go deep in order to truly understand the product or service that I’m helping my clients to sell on their websites.
Here are 3 additional questions you can use for your service/product pages:
What’s the no.1 PROBLEM that you’re solving for your target audience?
What makes your product or service DIFFERENT from the rest?
What are the top 3 BENEFITS of your products or services?
It also helps to imagine yourself as a customer visiting your website for the first time… what do they want to see or feel? Put yourself in their shoes to better understand what content you need to showcase and in what order.
The last thing to think about…
… is your Marketing Strategy.
Before I became a web designer, I worked for 6 years in a digital marketing agency. During that time, I learned how to create and manage paid advertising campaigns for small business owners on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
I also learned the importance of having a solid marketing strategy because there are millions (maybe billions?) of websites on the internet and you can’t expect people to find you if they don’t know you exist yet.
You will need a plan and a method for getting your target audience to visit your website.
And once they land on your website, you’ll need a marketing message or story that resonates.
Here are 3 questions to consider:
Lead Magnet: Does your website have a freebie? (PDF download, webinar, quiz, etc)
SEO: Is your website optimized for online searches? Do you have content (blogs, resources, videos, etc) that will bring your target audience to your website?
Call-To-Action: What action do you want people to take? (Book a call, Purchase now, etc)
Marketing is a very important (but often overlooked) part of website design because most web designers don’t specialize in marketing strategy or lead generation.
Don’t overlook the importance of giving the people what they want.
Conclusion
Here are the 12 things to think about before building your website (or hiring a web designer):
Website Goals: What’s the main purpose or objective of this website?
Website Features: Do you need an online shop, blog, gallery, membership?
Website Audience: Who is this website for? Who is your target audience?
Brand Logo: Do you have logo or brand that matches your business?
Brand Style Guide: Do you have brand colors, fonts and images for your website?
Domain Name: Do you have a custom domain name for your website? (yourname.com)
Products & Services: What is the main product or service that you want to sell on this site?
Testimonials: Do you have customer reviews, testimonials or other social proof related to your products & services?
FAQs: What questions will customers have about your products & services?
Lead Magnet: Does your website have a freebie? (PDF download, webinar, quiz, etc)
SEO: Is your website optimized for online searches? Do you have content (blogs, resources, videos, etc) that will bring your target audience to your website?
Call-To-Action: What action do you want people to take? (Book a call, Purchase now, etc)
Once you’ve collected the necessary answers and content… you’re ready to move forward with your website project.
If you have any questions, drop them in the comments and I’d be happy to point you in the right direction. 😊
