Are you thinking about building a website but feeling overwhelmed by the process? No worries; our team at JP Marketing is here to help!
Over the course of this four-part series, we’ll discuss the top four elements of building your new website:
- Planning
- Branding and Design
- Development
- Launching
Let’s jump right in!
Start with a Strategy in Mind
Building a website needs to be thought of as a strategic decision. Your website is an extension of your brand, a tool for your business, and should serve a direct purpose aligned with your mission. Like any other big decision, we encourage you to take your time to plan for it.
A website can help you generate customer leads, serve as a storefront, or function as a sales tool. As a matter of fact, your website could be a combination of all three if that’s what you’re looking for, but you must determine this early on. One of the most essential parts of planning is deciding where you and your team want to go with this new resource. For example, where do you see yourself in five or ten years? And what role does your website play in helping you accomplish those goals? Knowing that destination will help lead to the design and development processes.
Be Yourself
Taking this next step in your business is exciting! A website shines a spotlight on your mission and your products or services. We encourage all of our clients to pour that passion into their website content to make your business stand out among the rest. From our experience working in website design, users can feel that passion through your marketing and will, in turn, get excited to support you.
Know Your Target Audience
Your website is also another opportunity to connect with your consumers. To do so, it’s important to know what piques their interest and resonates with them. Taking the time to learn more about your audience will speak volumes when they reach your website for the first time. By then, they’ll be able to clearly understand who you are, why you care about your niche, how you plan to help them, and ways to get in touch with your team.
This understanding is also helpful in the development stage when considering the page layout, navigation buttons, content creation, accessibility, and design elements. Guiding viewers through the user journey will give them the courage and confidence to make that call or send an email to engage your services or support. Since your website will be a reflection of your business, when they reach out, it will be like they’re contacting an old friend for assistance!
Webmasters at Work
It’s important to know who will manage this website after it launches. Ideally, that individual will be involved in the process from the start. Walking the webmaster through the process will make the entire process smoother once launch day approaches. After all, they’ll be up to speed on the website functionality and maintenance requirements needed moving forward. They call it a web “master” for a reason! Nevertheless, this person plays a vital role in the longevity of your investment. And the earlier you can identify that team member or partner, the better off you will be.
Planning and preparations require a lot of early decision-making that will make the rest of the process much easier. But the journey doesn’t stop there! Stay tuned for our next blog post on branding to learn more about infusing personality and character into your strategy and design.
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Pablo Ruiz de Chavez, Web Developer
