This blog will help you identify all the questions you will need answers to before creating a new website.
- What is the purpose of the website?
- Who is the target audience for the website?
- What are the main features and functionalities required on the website?
- What kind of content will the website feature?
- What is the budget and timeline for the website development?
- What is the branding and design style for the website?
- What are the competitors’ websites and what can be learned from them?
- What is the domain name and hosting provider for the website?
- What is the search engine optimization (SEO) strategy for the website?
- What are the analytics and tracking tools to be used on the website?
What is the purpose of the website?
Your business’ website is an important investment; it shows potential clients your company’s vision, your services, previous works, reviews and gives them an insight into your standards and principles. Some websites take it to the next level, by giving customers to buy their products.
Who is the target audience for the website?
Knowing who your target audience is, is crucial in making a successful website. Your target audience determines the type of language you use, the visuals, basically the entire set up of your site. It’s important to know how to approach your target audience in order to produce the best outcome for your business.
What are the main features and functionalities required on the website?
The features and functionalities required on a website can vary depending on its purpose and target audience, but here are some common ones:
- Navigation menu: A clear and easy-to-use menu that helps users find their way around the website.
- Home page: An attractive and informative landing page that provides an overview of the website’s content and purpose.
- Contact information: A way for users to get in touch with the website owner, such as a contact form, email address, or phone number.
- Search functionality: A search bar that allows users to search for specific content on the website.
- Responsive design: A design that is optimized for different screen sizes, including mobile devices.
- Content management system (CMS): A platform that allows the website owner to easily create, edit, and publish content on the website.
- Social media integration: Buttons or links that allow users to share content on social media platforms or follow the website on social media.
- E-commerce functionality: If the website is selling products or services, it may require features like a shopping cart, payment processing, and order tracking.
- Analytics and tracking: Tools that allow the website owner to track website traffic, user behavior, and other metrics.
- Security measures: A secure website with SSL certification, strong passwords, and regular backups to protect against hacking and data loss.
What kind of content will the website feature?
The kind of content that should be featured on a website depends on its purpose and target audience. However, here are some common types of content that can be included:
- Homepage: An overview of the website’s purpose and what it offers.
- About Us: Information about the website owner, mission, and history.
- Products/Services: Details about what the website offers, including descriptions, prices, and images.
- Testimonials: Reviews and feedback from customers or clients.
- Blog: Regularly updated articles or posts related to the website’s topic or industry.
- Contact Us: Information about how to get in touch with the website owner or company, including a contact form.
- FAQs: Frequently asked questions and answers related to the website’s topic or industry.
- Resources: Additional helpful content, such as guides, tutorials, or whitepapers.
- Social media links: Links to the website’s social media profiles, if applicable.
- Privacy Policy and Terms of Service: Legal documents outlining the website’s policies and terms of use.
What is the budget and timeline for the website development?
Website design and development can be time consuming; it takes time to learn about all the different features and tools, as well as how to use them. A lot of the time you will want to design your website yourself; however sometimes it is better to employ people who are experts. If you do choose to employ professional website designers or development specialists, you need to be clear with what timeline you have in place and what your budget is.
What is the branding and design style for the website?
Depending on your business, and the products or services you offer, you may choose to design your website differently. Some products or services require a more serious, sophisticated and mature approach, whereas others might need something more bubbly and playful. This is also related to the importance of knowing and understanding your target audience.
What are the competitors’ websites and what can be learned from them?
A bit of healthy competition is always helpful. We advise that you look at your competitors’ websites and see how they’re approaching their customers. It’s always helpful to see how others in your industry make their success. However, you need to be able to distinguish between a website that is working and one that isn’t.
What is the domain name and hosting provider for the website?
Domain name is extremely important in potential customers remembering your business, its what they need to find your website and investigate whether you’re the right fit for them. Website hosting is really important, you need to be sure that your website is well looked after. We offer website hosting services. We recently wrote a blog outlining the importance of Choosing Your Domain Name, click here to check it out.
What is the search engine optimization (SEO) strategy for the website?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best SEO strategy for a website will depend on a number of factors, including the website’s niche, target audience, and goals. However, there are some general SEO strategies that can help improve a website’s search engine rankings.
- Conduct keyword research: Identify relevant keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for and incorporate them into your website’s content and meta tags.
- Produce high-quality content: Develop unique, informative, and engaging content that provides value to your audience. Focus on creating content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience.
- Optimize on-page elements: Ensure that your website’s on-page elements, including title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and images, are optimized with relevant keywords.
- Build high-quality backlinks: Acquire high-quality backlinks from reputable websites that are relevant to your niche. This can help improve your website’s authority and search engine rankings.
- Use social media: Use social media to promote your content and engage with your audience. This can help drive traffic to your website and improve its visibility in search engine results.
- Monitor and analyze your results: Use analytics tools to monitor your website’s traffic, rankings, and other performance metrics. Analyze this data to identify areas for improvement and refine your SEO strategy accordingly.
What are the analytics and tracking tools to be used on the website?
There are many analytics and tracking tools available for website owners to use. Here are some popular options:
- Google Analytics: This is a free web analytics service provided by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. It provides insights into website visitors, including demographics, interests, and behavior.
- SEMrush: This is a marketing platform that offers a suite of SEO, PPC, and content marketing tools. It provides insights into website traffic, rankings, backlinks, and more.
- Ahrefs: This is a SEO toolset that provides insights into website traffic, backlinks, keyword rankings, and more. It also offers competitive analysis and site audit features.
- Mixpanel: This is an analytics tool that helps track user behavior across web and mobile applications. It provides insights into user engagement, retention, and conversion.
- Kissmetrics: This is a behavioral analytics and engagement platform that provides insights into user behavior and helps improve customer retention.
- Crazy Egg: This is a heat mapping and A/B testing tool that helps identify where visitors click and scroll on a website. It provides insights into how visitors interact with a website and helps improve user experience.
These are just a few of the many analytics and tracking tools available. The choice of tool will depend on the specific needs of the website and the goals of the website owner.
