If a website redesign is on the horizon, it’s important to begin planning today. Developing a new website is an exciting process, but it is also a significant endeavor requiring forethought. It can be difficult knowing where to begin, so we’ve compiled these 7 factors to kick-start the process.
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7 Factors to Consider Before Building A New Website
1. Goals/expectations of the site
It would be safe to say that nearly every company needs a website, but the goals of each vary drastically. Are you looking to sell products online, drive leads, or simply have an informational landing page? There’s no right or wrong answer, but it’s essential to have a clear idea of what you want the website to accomplish before beginning.
2. Key Functionality:
Once you have your goals clearly defined, it’s important to determine your key functionality requirements. Keep in mind, this list is not meant to be comprehensive but encompasses your absolute must-haves. Do you need the website to process payment? Allow for secure customer logins? Is it essential for content to be easily updated by a non-tech person? Jot down a list of your top five or ten must-haves and use this as a starting point for the conversation about your new website.
3. Platform & functionality:
WordPress, Magento, Shopify, Wix…the list of available platforms goes on and on. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses and is best for different needs. Magento is great for large retail catalogs, but Shopify or WordPress with Woocommerce may be best for smaller retail. You don’t necessarily need to have one specific platform picked out before speaking with a development team, but having a basic understanding of the platforms you’d like to use and their strong/weak points will help immensely as it’ll determine the best developers to work with, your hosting environment and site capabilities.
4. Budget:
Because each website is so unique, you’ll likely have varying costs and it may be difficult to pinpoint exactly how much you need. However, a website should absolutely be viewed as an investment and it’s typically not a good idea to simply go as cheap as possible. Just like building a house, the foundation, framework, and behind-the-wall work are more important (and harder to fix) than simply a pretty design. In the end, a well-built website will save you from lots of hassle, headache, and costs down the road.
At Webolutions, we take our clients through a customized scoping process with pricing for every step, so they can pick and choose features they value.
5. Timeline:
When do you need your new site? Is it in time for your busy season or a new product launch? If so, it’s important to allow plenty of time to avoid stress (and possibly missing out on big revenue) at the last minute. A new website takes a significant amount of time. Even a simple site can take 3-4 months and a large site with many features can take upwards of a year. Back into your timeline to allow extra time, because as you know with technology, there are likely to be a few hiccups along the way.
6. Target Audience:
You’ll want to design your new website for your target audience. What converts a young, professional, urban millennial is very different than a rural baby boomer looking toward retirement. Everything from the colors used in the design to the flow of the website should be designed with your specific audience in mind.
7. Web Development Team:
Will you be handling the design internally or hiring a web development company? If your team has the resources, it may make sense to build internally. Keep in mind a new website is an extensive process spanning over several months. If you don’t have the internal resources, it usually makes the most sense to find a web development company. Look for a quality company that has experience in your sector.
You may find this article helpful: 10 Questions to Ask a Web Developer Before Hiring
About Webolutions
Looking for a partner with your new site? Webolutions is Denver’s top custom web design and development company. We’re an awarded SEO website design company and have built thousands of websites since 1994. We take a performance by design approach and work with our clients to achieve their unique business goals within their budget. Schedule a free website review and enjoy a coffee on us. No pressure. No commitments required.
