Last month, we gave you a peek behind the curtain and into our website design process from discovery call to launch. Today, we’re taking you deeper into step two of the process: content preparation.
When you partner with us to build your website, there are a few bits and pieces we need from you to ensure the process is smooth and successful for everyone involved. In the beginning stages of the process (before any designing or building), we’ll send you our Website Design Questionnaire to fill out to gather all the information we need to start your project: your design tastes, how many pages your website needs, whether or not you have copy written, what your goals are, and much more.
We know you are a busy business owner that wears many hats, so we don’t do this to create extra work for you; rather, this questionnaire will make the process much smoother in the long run! If we have all the information and clarity we need before starting the project, we are much less likely to experience delays and timeline shifts. Furthermore, if you communicate your personal design wants and needs with us, we’ll be able to create a website that you LOVE!
So, let’s talk about some things to consider before starting your website build to make the process timely and successful:
Know your goals.
The first step to creating a strategic website that works for you is goal setting. What do you want your website to do for you? Whether it’s buying your product or booking your service, it helps to nail this down before you do anything else. Are you focused on audience building and growing your email list? Want to increase your podcast followers or boost enrollment in your course?
Every decision we make for your website is centered around your goals, so getting really clear about what you want out of your website is essential!
Know how many pages you need and if you need copywriting for those pages.
Next, you need to know how many pages your website needs and what those pages are. If you have an existing website, this process is a bit easier, but if you’re starting from scratch, here is an example site page structure:
Home
About
Shop
- Product 1
- Product 2
- Product 3
Blog
Contact
Other important pages may be Services, Meet the Team, Office Locations, Portfolio, and Pricing.
Once you’ve nailed down your site structure, you’ll need copy for each of those pages (when we say copy, we mean all the words on your website). Think about the main points you want to make about your product or offering. Talk directly to your audience. Tell a story – now more than ever, people want to know who they are purchasing from, so don’t be afraid to talk about yourself and your background!
Know your audience well.
Take a second to really think about the exact type of person you want to visit your website and purchase your product or service. Everything on your website should speak to your ideal customer or client: from the colors and design style all the way down to your copy, so it’s crucial to get super specific on who your people are.
Who are they? What is their age and family status? Where do they live? How much money do they make? What do they do in their free time? What are their pain points? How can you solve them?
Get clear on your design style.
In order to create a website that you are obsessed with, we need to know what your design style is. Do you like minimal and modern? Romantic and whimsical? Corporate and clean? You may not know yet, but that’s what Pinterest is for!
I love using Pinterest for site inspiration. Head to Pinterest.com, type in “Website design” and create a board for website designs that speak to your brand and your audience. The more examples you can provide, the better feel we can get for your style! It’s a win-win situation.
Building Your Dream Website
If you know your audience, goals, and design style, you’ve set yourself up for a successful design process and a website you’ll be proud to launch. You know yourself and your brand better than anyone else, and the more knowledge you can communicate to us about those things, the happier you’ll be with your new website.
If you’re ready to get started with the website of your dreams, schedule a free discovery call with us. We’ll talk all about your goals and dreams and get you on your way to launching a website that works for you!
