When planning your website, the best place to start is a bit counter-intuitive: zoomed out. Focusing on the bigger picture first–deciding who the website is for, what it should achieve, and what your competitors are doing–makes it easier to align any changes you might make with the most important big-picture ideas and goals of your organization.
Before building your actual website, it’s worth asking yourself these three questions before you start doing anything.
1. What are your goals for your site?
A website built around strong, clear goals can make the entire process easier–from planning your website to your audience’s end-user experience. This can also help you better understand what needs to be on your site. Does it align with your goals, or add to them? Keep it! Doesn’t align with your goals, and isn’t necessary? You can toss it.
2. Who is your audience?
To create a website that gets people to do something (whether that something is to donate, to buy your services, or simply to better understand your mission), you first need to understand who you are talking to and what they want. Your website can speak to multiple audiences as long as it addresses their needs, but the most important thing is to connect with them. One way to do this is to check out reviews on similar products, where your audience may also go. See what they are saying, what they’re looking for, and what they hope to achieve. You can also interview people who already use your services.
3. Who are your competitors?
Sometimes starting completely from scratch can be intimidating. By looking at your competitor’s sites, you can see what they’re doing right, what they could be doing better, and what you can borrow from them. By using what’s already out there and adding your own style, you can start to better understand what you want your site to look like.
Still feeling a little lost? We’d love to help! Reach out to us today to start planning your new site.
