Looking for a New Website? Here’s How to Prepare.


Here at Worcester Web Studio, we have a great deal of experience in building a broad range of websites, including ecommerce shops, event websites and brochure sites to cover a few. No matter what your website does though, there are some key things to think about before starting the design and development process.

What do you want your website to do?

This seems obvious, but you need to understand the purpose of your website, and what you want the user to get from it. Are you looking to encourage online sales directly from the site, do you want users to contact you, or are you using it as an information or creative portal to display yourself or your business? No matter which of these is true, or if it is something else entirely, you need to have a clear focus for the website in order to create something that meets this need.

Have you done your research?

What are your website likes and dislikes from competitors and peers? Have you got any notes or examples of design styles, colour schemes or fonts that really appeal or that you would not want anywhere near your new site? The more you can provide, the closer your website design will be to your desired look and feel.

Do you have a domain and hosting?

If you haven’t done it already, this is something to get sorted out at the beginning of the website journey. Do as much research as you can, in order to ensure that you have selected an available domain which is easy to remember and reflects the nature of your business and website. Alongside this think about other aspects of hosting like emails – will you need separate mailbox hosting?

Is your content ready?

If it is – great! That will help in the creation of a sitemap, and keep the designs focused on the type of content you will be using. However, if you haven’t decided what you want to do with the words and images / graphics on your website, think about whether you will be transferring / updating this from an existing website, or whether you want to take this as an opportunity to start from scratch.

If you are starting from scratch, this can feel like a very daunting task, especially when considering the keyword research and optimisation required. If this is the case, then consider asking for help from a content writer to support with the research and writing process.

What is your deadline?

Is there a final event or launch that you need your website up and running for, or is the timeline more flexible? Whichever the option, make sure you set a deadline so you know when to provide your content or imagery, as well as to keep the project moving and check the project is on schedule.

 

If you are thinking about a new website, whether an update or brand-new launch, get in touch with the Worcester Web Studio team either by email or calling 01905 347 400.