There are some important things to think about BEFORE you start the web design process. If you work these out before you begin, you might save yourself a lot of time and money.
1. FUNCTION
The first step to developing a web site is to figure out exactly what the function of that web site is going to be. By function, I mean what do you want your website to do for you, and how effortlessly or intuitively will it do it. You need to have thought out what role you want your web site to play in your business in order to have a good design developed.
For example: Is it to sell a product? Is it an on-line catalog? Does it tell a story? Is it an educational tool? Are you using it to support a cause? Is it entertainment? Do you just want it to answer a bunch of those questions that people are calling and pestering you with: hours you’re open, contact info etc.
A web site can have more than one function, however it’s critical to have a clear idea of what those are before you meet with your web designer.
2. WHO IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE?
It is important to start researching who your target audience is, how they are going to find your site, what will make them stay on your site, and what you want them to do when they arrive at your site. The answers to these questions effect every step of the web design process.
3. SEO and INFRASTRUCTURE
Search engine optimization plays a critical role in how the website will be designed and programmed. The names of files, the type of coding, the directory structure all add to that mysterious algorithm of how well your site will be indexed by the search engines.
Before programming a website, some research needs to be done on the keywords you would optimize with to attract your target audience.
I always design my content management systems so that my clients can update their content and meta tags, but beyond this, I can name the very files and directories that make up the site with keywords.
There are different options in how to code a website, and these will need to be discussed in relationship to search engine traffic (css, flash, html). Even if you opt to use a blog platform for your website, the research you do on keywords will help you when you create your categories, tags and name your posts.
4. USABILITY
Marketing and usability should play a role in the website design and structure.
The graphic design isn’t just pretty, it’s usability. It is important to be clear about what you want visitors to do when they get to your site. There is lots of research on what parts of a web page people look at the most, how colors effect behavior, how to write effective content for your target audience. The graphic design and layout of content is a balance between visual branding and persuasion. Here are some good resources on usability.
If you plan on working with an SEO specialist and/or marketing specialist, my advise is to have them meet with you and the website programmer/development team so that everyone is on the same page.
The last thing you want to do is build a website and after it is built, have an SEO person or marketing person tell you it needs to be redone in order to attract and keep visitors.
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Heather Goff has been programming and designing websites since 1997. On this blog she posts tutorials and useful information gleaned from her day to day experiences that she hopes will help both her clients and her colleagues.
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