Building a Website that works for you
Asking The Right Questions To Get the Most Out of Your Website
Building a website is an essential part of any business. But there are many considerations to take into account when you begin the process. From identifying user needs to creating content, some factors determine your website’s success. Asking the right questions during this process can make all the difference. In this guide, we will discuss some of the most important questions to ask before building a website.
1. Identifying User Needs
Identifying user needs is a critical first step. It’s important to understand what users expect from your site, both now and in the future. Ask yourself questions like: “Who are my target visitors?” “What do they need to access on my website?” “How often do they visit my website?” If you understand your target audience, you can develop an effective strategy to reach it.
Once you have identified the main purpose of your website, you can plan how best to meet those needs.
This would include elements that help guide users through their experience, such as:
· Creating intuitive navigation,
· Search tools, or
· Using design elements.
You must also create content tailored towards engaging these potential customers.
2. Infrastructure & Testing
The next step is infrastructure requirements. What do we mean? Having a secure platform is essential when planning your website! Ensuring smooth performance and fast loading times is also important. This will help user engagement and customer satisfaction from visitors accessing your site. Testing is essential to identify any potential issues with the website before launch. Before you sign off on your website, ask your developer some of the following questions.
- Does the website do what it was built for?
- Can your clients contact you?
- Is your portfolio accessible for clients to view?
- Is your website compatible with different browsers?
- Is all data stored within your site properly secured?
3. Working With A Budget
Besides the technical considerations, budgeting should factor into planning. You may need more resources, such as specialised software, to complete tasks.
Depending on your needs, features like e-commerce stores may cost more. Sometimes these can be offset with certain discounts. Ask your developer if you may need to pay for upgrades later to avoid any surprises down the line!
4. Planning the Design
After all the technical aspects are finalised, the fun can begin! Your website should focus on creating an engaging experience for users.
When it comes to design, start by considering what features you need to achieve your goals. How do you want visitors to interact with content? Do they need resources such as video or audio files? Knowing this can help guide layout designs and other visual aspects of the website.
It’s easy to get carried away with moving elements, sliders and videos. Whatever you decide on, you need to keep your user in mind. Design elements need to be user-friendly. This could mean making sure buttons are large enough so they are easy to tap on mobile devices.
5. Drafting Quality Content
Most people don’t realise how important the content is on their page. In the background, it helps search engines direct visitors to what they are looking for. Content from product descriptions to blog posts should speak to users’ needs.
Consider the type of information you want to include and how you can communicate this with users. If you are offering services, describe these clearly so customers understand their value. Adding audio and video into certain sections can help explain complicated topics. By doing this, visitors get more immersive experiences which help increase engagement levels!
An important question to ask your developer is, “Will the site be optimised for search engine visibility?” Good SEO practices during this stage will increase chances for higher rankings later!
6. Maintaining the Website
Most people don’t consider that once the site has launched, it will need maintenance. Consider who will manage the site. Do you have the technical ability to manage a custom-built site? Or would a system that allows you to “drag & drop” be better for you?
This could range from updating content or code to conducting regular backups. Having these plans ahead of time will help minimise potential issues down the line!
You should think about how users can access support if they have difficulties on your site. An accessible contact page with up-to-date information is essential for effective customer service. All these steps together play an integral role in creating a successful web presence!
7. Timelines
How quickly do you need your website built? Most developers will have a set timeline to deliver your site. If there are deadlines, you will need to be upfront with your developer. This may mean focusing on functionality rather than quality to get it done quicker.
If time isn’t an issue, quality over speed produces a better final product to meet user experience.
Whatever your timeline, it needs to align with your business and creative objectives. Before beginning any work, everyone must understand the process every step of the way.
Creating a successful web presence starts by asking the right questions. Doing this will help ensure that all aspects of the website are planned. Additionally, budgeting should also factor into web development planning.
Having a comprehensive plan in place after launching the website is important. Establishing processes ahead of time can minimise potential issues down the line! Working with a professional developer will help you achieve your goals.