Designing a Website: What to do Beforehand

For those who have never worked with a web designer, knowing the proper steps to take before meeting with one can be difficult to decipher.

Written Feb 06, 2008, read 941 times since then.

When starting any project, you must first define the scope. Knowing how and what to plan will ensure a good working relationship with your future designer and help produce a high-quality product. It all starts with defining your preferences. By doing so, you will better understand your needs and assist your future designer in better serving you. In short, you need a business plan that addresses what you’d like your site to be. Here are several suggestions to aid you in developing and defining the scope of your website.

What is my business all about? Use descriptive words to capture your business's personality and objective. Reflect on your mission statement (if applicable) and how you would like to portray your business.

What will be the purpose of my website? Creating an informational site versus creating a social networking site are two very different things. Your website’s purpose is one of your first decisions.

Who am I trying to reach? Outline your target audience. Are they professionals? What is their age range, demographics, interests, technical ability, etc?

What specific features do I want? This question goes hand in hand with the last two. For more informational sites, a blog could be a very useful tool. But if you sell items online, you will need to direct people to a “buy” button, not a blog.

Will the information on my website need to be frequently updated after it is built? Think about the information you are giving to your users. For example, if you have a product whose specifications change weekly, consider whether you want to edit the website yourself (i.e. online or utilizing web editing software) or if you would rather pay someone else to manage it (contract with a maintenance service).

Do I need a database? Very simply put, a database is a place where information is stored. Some companies have many job opportunities or products which require frequent updating. The upfront costs may be greater, but in the end a database can be very advantageous in terms of both time and money. If you decide you need one, be as detailed and specific as possible when you plan it out.

What is my budget? Be reasonable. Remember that a website is a passive marketing tool, working for you when you are not working. Think of it as an expansion of your company’s services and hours. Many people misperceive the cost of a website. It is important to keep this in mind: the price can vary anywhere from $1,000 to more than $50,000. Features such as blogs, databases, Flash elements and photo galleries, as well as labor time and creativity, determine the price you will eventually pay.

What other sites do I like? List five sites that you have seen, either in your industry or in general, which you believe are well-designed. Examples are always very helpful for designers to get a better idea of what you are looking for.

How do I want to organize what I want to say? Create a site map by outlining every major section and subsection with the items you would like to include on those pages. A simple example would be:

Home (+ Flash intro)
About Us
- History
- Mission Statement
- Staff
Services
- Products (Photo Gallery)
- Pricing
News
Contact (with online form)

When referring back to these questions, take notes. In the end, your goal is to minimize the chance of miscommunication and optimize the quality of the end product. Put together a Word document that clearly answers each item. From this you will have a strong starting point for meeting with a web designer.

Learn more about the author, Erin Pierce.

Comment on this article

Posted by Bruce Colthart, Paramus, New Jersey | Feb 08, 2008

Nicely done. I could see this turning into a mailer to small businesses so they could think ahead, then speak more confidently to a web designer/developer.
Posted by Erin Pierce, Seattle, Washington | Feb 08, 2008

Thank you Bruce. That's a great idea :-)

Erin

SaySomething Creative
Posted by David Berkey, Edmonds, Washington | Feb 25, 2008

Good idea Bruce. It's another way of marrying web and print marketing to create stronger follow through.

David
Posted by Robbin Block, MBA, Seattle, Washington | Feb 26, 2008

This article does a good job of encapsulating many of the key elements, from marketing strategy to look and feel of the site. That's not an easy task when it comes to Web dev. In fact, a lot of this information should be put on paper before it ever gets to this point, as part of a business or marketing plan for example. But I'm going to shake things up a bit by suggesting that you may not always need a site built from scratch. That is, there are some great new tools out there that your designer can use to build the site without having to reinvent the wheel. For example, no developer builds their own ecommerce backend (the behind the scenes code that makes the whole thing work) anymore. Mostly, it's a matter of leveraging existing tools to build the site. Granted, this may limit the design to some degree, but it's a whole lot cheaper that way. Don't get me wrong -- I love great design and appreciate it. But for a small business, it's a very big investment of money and time that may be better utilized elsewhere. One last comment. These days, content and interactivity are king. Be sure you understand who will be writing all the text, sourcing the images (and paying for them), and strategizing on what will make your site worth visiting in the first place.
Posted by Lise Jorgensen, Seattle, Washington | Feb 26, 2008

Very thorough and easy to follow for someone new to the game. I've seen this article in action, and it definitely helped that team gain perspective on the process of redesigning their site.
Posted by Erin Pierce, Seattle, Washington | Feb 26, 2008

All good things Robbin. Yes, it is true that most developers utilize pre-existing tools in order to create things such as online shopping carts. These are wonderful and can be very advantageous. Another point to make in regards to "not always need[ing] a site built from scratch" is that the back end of things is usually methodical...most will develop some sort of step by step process that they can apply to every project. The design is usually what is most custom or "from scratch", at least in my experience.

Thank you for the comments Lise & Robbin.

SaySomething Creative
Posted by Cathy Goodwin, Seattle, Washington | Mar 20, 2008

Good article..I would just add that organizing content is often harder than it looks.
Posted by Erin Pierce, Seattle, Washington | Mar 20, 2008

Yes, very true!

SaySomething Creative
Posted by Gautam Chaudhury, cuttack, OrissaPunjab India | Apr 05, 2008

I a intersted to learn, Gautam India