Companies who launched websites several years ago may be considering a website update or even a total re-design. Web design and development has changed dramatically over the past few years creating web re-design a critical aspect of a marketing strategy.
If your company is considering social media as part of your marketing plan, be sure your website supports your brand. All interactive tools – website, emarketing, social media – need to have to work together to boost the customer experience.
Before you begin a website design or redesign consider these 5 factors and talk through all points with your web designer.
1. What are the goals & objective for your site?
How will you measure success – by traffic or leads or contacts or sales? Need your site to inform only or do you want readers to interact online? Do you want them to take immediate or email or purchase? How significant are search engine results and analytics for your company? How will your site work with other interactive tools? Is e-commerce be a part of your strategy now or in the future?
2. About Content
How does your site content fit into your company marketing strategy? What type of content do competitors offer? You want to improve around the typical site not copy it. Who is going to be responsible for developing the content? Web rich content is critical for SEO. Will there be updated data added on a regular and timely basis? Who will be responsible for adding content in the future?
3. About Reader
Who is the target audience? What are audience expectations from a site within your industry? What experience do you want to offer web users when they visit your site? Do you expect repeat traffic from customers and readers?
4. About Your Team
How many people will have input into the design and development Who is the final decision maker and how involved will they be in the process? Who will likely be the project manager or go-to person now and later? Who handles your IT functions and are they readily available? Will site maintenance be a staff function or outsourced?
5. About The Investment
What is your initial spending budget for design and development? How about maintenance, updates and SEO? How much time do you want to invest in developing the site? What ROI do you expect?
Establishing expectations and guidelines early in the process can help every project succeed. Take the time to plan and use the expertise of one’s designer to ensure an excellent outcome.
