Before your Website Creation

1. Defining Your Website Goals

Explain Your Business:

Start by providing an overview of your business.

Describe what you do, who your customers are, and what sets you apart from your competitors. This helps the designer understand the context and purpose of your website.

Take this conversation as far and detailed as needed, your web designer should be asking you all the questions about your business’s systems, payment methods, ways to communicate with your clients, and why you need a website.

Define Primary Goals:

Discuss the main objectives of your website. Are you looking to generate leads, sell products, provide information, or build a community?

Clearly outline your primary goals so the designer knows what to focus on.

Identify Secondary Goals:

Identify any additional goals you might have.

For example, you may want to collect email addresses for a newsletter, offer online booking, or showcase customer testimonials.

These secondary goals can enhance the primary purpose of your site.

Discuss Target Audience:

Talk about who your target audience is.

Are they local customers, national, or global? What are their demographics, interests, and online behaviors?

Understanding your audience helps the designer tailor the website to meet their needs.

To know more about defining your audience please read the article “Defining Your Website Audience”

Set Measurable Objectives:

Set specific, measurable objectives for your website.

For instance, aim to increase online sales by 20% in six months or generate 50 new leads per month.

Clear metrics will help you track the success of your website and make necessary adjustments.

Determine Key Features:

Discuss the essential features and functionalities you need.

Do you need an e-commerce platform, contact forms, booking systems, clickable phone numbers (for your mobile users), a WhatsApp button for text communication, and a Gallery page?

Prioritizing these features ensures the designer knows what to include from the start.

Establish a Budget:

Talk about your budget for the project.

Knowing your financial constraints helps the designer recommend solutions that fit within your budget without compromising on quality.

Set a Timeline:

Discuss the timeline for your project. When do you need the website to be live? Setting a realistic timeline helps manage expectations and ensures the project stays on track.

2. Choosing the Right Domain Name

Choosing the right domain name is a crucial step in the website planning process.

Your domain name is not just an address for your site; it’s a key part of your brand identity and can significantly impact your business’s online presence.

Why Does Your Domain Name Matter?

Brand Identity:

Your domain name should reflect your brand and be easy to remember. It’s often the first thing potential customers see and can leave a lasting impression.

SEO Benefits:

A well-chosen domain name can improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO), making it easier for customers to find you online.

Credibility:

A professional domain name builds trust with your audience. It shows that you’re serious about your business and provides a sense of legitimacy.

How to Choose the Right Domain Name?

Keep It Simple and Memorable:

Your domain name should be easy to spell, pronounce, and remember. Avoid using complex words or unconventional spellings.

Include Keywords:

If possible, incorporate relevant keywords that describe your business. This can enhance your SEO efforts and make your site easier to find.

Avoid Numbers and Hyphens:

Numbers and hyphens can be confusing and are often misremembered. Stick to letters to keep your domain straightforward.

Check Availability:

Use domain registration sites to check if your desired name is available. If not, consider slight variations or alternative names.

Choose the Right Extension:

While .com is the most popular and recognizable domain extension, other options like .net, .org, or industry-specific extensions (.tech, .store) might suit your business.

what to ask your web designer about your Domain name?

• Brainstorming Ideas: Work with your designer to brainstorm domain name ideas that align with your brand and business goals.
• SEO Considerations: Discuss how the domain name can impact SEO and which keywords might be beneficial to include.
• Domain Registration: Your designer can guide you through the process of registering your domain name and ensuring it’s secured for your business.
• Brand Consistency: Ensure that the domain name aligns with your other branding efforts, including social media handles and offline marketing materials.

By choosing the right domain name, you lay a strong foundation for your online presence, making it easier for customers to find, remember, and trust your business.

3. Selecting a Suitable Hosting Provider

Selecting the right hosting provider is a critical decision that affects your website’s performance, security, and reliability.

The hosting provider you choose will store your website’s data and make it accessible to users around the world.

Why Hosting Matters

• Performance: A good hosting provider ensures your website loads quickly and performs well, providing a better user experience.
• Uptime: Reliable hosting minimizes downtime, ensuring your site is always accessible to your customers.
• Security: Quality hosting services offer robust security features to protect your site from cyber threats.
• Support: A good host provides excellent customer support to help you troubleshoot any issues that arise.

what to ask your web designer about Hosting Provider:

• Recommendations: Ask your designer for recommendations based on your specific needs and their experience with different hosting providers.
• Technical Requirements: Discuss the technical requirements of your website to ensure the chosen hosting plan can handle your site’s demands.
• Migration Support: If you’re moving from another host, ensure the new provider offers migration support to transfer your website smoothly.
• Performance Metrics: Talk about performance metrics such as load times, bandwidth, and resource allocation to ensure your site will run efficiently.
• Backup and Recovery: Make sure the hosting provider offers reliable backup and recovery options to protect your data.

By selecting a suitable hosting provider, you can ensure that your website runs smoothly, remains secure, and is always accessible to your customers. This foundational step is essential for the long-term success of your online presence.

4. Designing the Website Design

Designing your website is a crucial step that involves creating a visual and functional representation of your brand online. This process requires collaboration between you and your web designer to ensure the design aligns with your business goals and appeals to your target audience.

The Importance of Good Website Design

• First Impressions: Your website is often the first interaction potential customers have with your business. A well-designed site can create a positive first impression.
• User Experience (UX): Good design enhances user experience, making it easy for visitors to navigate your site and find the information they need.
• Brand Identity: The design should reflect your brand’s identity, conveying your values and message effectively.
• Conversion Rates: An aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly design can lead to higher conversion rates, turning visitors into customers.

Key Elements to Consider in Website Design

1. Branding: Your website should incorporate your brand’s colors, fonts, and logos to ensure consistency with other marketing materials.
2. Layout: Choose a layout that’s clean and organized. The layout should guide visitors’ eyes to important elements like calls to action (CTAs).
3. Navigation: Ensure the site is easy to navigate. Menus should be clear and intuitive, helping users find what they’re looking for quickly.
4. Responsive Design: Your website must be mobile-friendly. A responsive design ensures the site looks and functions well on all devices, from desktops to smartphones.
5. Visual Elements: Use high-quality images, videos, and graphics to make your site visually appealing. Avoid clutter and maintain a balance between text and visuals.
6. Typography: Select readable fonts and maintain consistency in font usage throughout the site. Pay attention to font size, color, and spacing.
7. Color Scheme: Choose a color scheme that reflects your brand and is visually appealing. Ensure there is good contrast between background and text for readability.
8. Loading Speed: Ensure the design elements don’t negatively impact your website’s loading speed. Fast-loading sites provide a better user experience and rank better in search engines.

Discussion Points with Your Web Designer

• Inspiration: Share examples of websites you like and discuss what elements appeal to you. This helps your designer understand your aesthetic preferences.
• Brand Guidelines: Provide any brand guidelines you have, including logos, color schemes, and font choices. This ensures consistency with your overall branding.
• Wireframes and Mockups: Ask your designer to create wireframes or mockups of the design. These preliminary sketches help visualize the layout and structure before moving to a detailed design.
• User-Centric Design: Discuss the importance of a user-centric design. Ensure the site is designed with your target audience in mind, prioritizing their needs and preferences.
• Feedback Loop: Establish a process for providing feedback on the design. This collaborative approach ensures the final design meets your expectations and goals.
• Accessibility: Ensure the design is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Discuss incorporating accessibility features like alt text for images and keyboard navigation.

Visual Content

• Images and Graphics: Use high-quality, relevant images and graphics that support your content and enhance the visual appeal.
• Videos: Consider incorporating videos to engage visitors and convey information effectively. Videos can showcase products, demonstrate services, or share customer testimonials.

By carefully considering these elements and maintaining an open dialogue with your web designer, you can create a website design that not only looks great but also supports your business goals and provides a positive user experience. This foundational design work is key to establishing a strong online presence that resonates with your audience.

5. Ensuring Mobile Responsiveness

In today’s digital landscape, mobile responsiveness is a critical aspect of web design. With a significant portion of web traffic coming from mobile devices, it’s essential to ensure that your website functions seamlessly across various screen sizes and devices.

Why Mobile Responsiveness Matters

• User Experience: Mobile-responsive design ensures that your website provides a consistent and positive user experience, regardless of the device being used. This leads to increased user satisfaction and engagement.
• SEO Benefits: Search engines, particularly Google, prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their search results. A mobile-responsive site can improve your search engine ranking and visibility.
• Accessibility: Ensuring your website is accessible on mobile devices allows you to reach a broader audience, including those who primarily use smartphones and tablets.
• Competitive Edge: With many businesses still lacking mobile-friendly websites, having a responsive design can give you a competitive advantage.

Key Elements of Mobile Responsiveness

1. Fluid Grids: Use flexible grid layouts that adjust smoothly to different screen sizes. This ensures that elements on your site scale proportionally and maintain their structure.
2. Flexible Images: Ensure images are scalable and do not exceed the size of their containers. This prevents images from looking distorted or taking too long to load on mobile devices.
3. Touch-Friendly Navigation: Design buttons, links, and navigation menus that are easy to tap on a touchscreen. This improves usability and reduces frustration for mobile users.
4. Readable Text: Optimize font sizes and line spacing to ensure text is readable without the need for zooming in. Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background.
5. Simplified Design: Streamline your design for mobile devices. Remove unnecessary elements and focus on core content and functionality to enhance loading speed and user experience.
6. Viewport Meta Tag: Include the viewport meta tag in your HTML to control the layout on mobile browsers. This tag ensures your website scales correctly to fit the screen size.

what to ask your web designer about Web Design.

• Responsive Frameworks: Inquire about using responsive frameworks like Bootstrap or Foundation. These frameworks provide pre-designed components that adapt to different screen sizes.
• Testing on Multiple Devices: Ensure your designer tests the website on various devices and screen sizes, including smartphones, tablets, and desktops, to guarantee consistent performance.
• Mobile-First Design: Discuss adopting a mobile-first design approach, where the design process begins with the mobile version and scales up to larger screens. This ensures the most critical elements are optimized for smaller screens.
• Loading Speed: Mobile users often experience slower internet connections. Ensure your designer optimizes images and uses efficient coding practices to enhance loading speed.
• User Testing: Conduct user testing with real mobile users to gather feedback on usability and performance. This helps identify and address any issues before the site goes live.
• Regular Updates: Mobile technology and user behaviors evolve rapidly. Discuss a plan for regularly updating and maintaining your website to keep it responsive and up-to-date.

Visual Content for Mobile Devices

• Adaptive Images: Use adaptive images that adjust their resolution and size based on the device’s screen size. This ensures images load quickly without compromising quality.
• Simplified Layouts: Opt for single-column layouts for mobile devices. This format is easier to navigate and prevents users from having to scroll horizontally.

By focusing on mobile responsiveness, you ensure that your website delivers a seamless and engaging experience for all users, regardless of their device. This not only improves user satisfaction but also enhances your site’s performance in search engines, driving more traffic and potential customers to your business.

6. Planning for SEO and Content Strategy

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and content strategy are critical components in ensuring your website is not only visible to search engines but also engaging and valuable to your visitors.

Here’s how to approach this conversation with your web designer to ensure your website is set up for success.

Why SEO and Content Strategy Matter

• Increased Visibility: Proper SEO techniques help your website rank higher in search engine results, making it easier for potential customers to find you.
• Enhanced User Experience: Quality content that is relevant and informative keeps visitors on your site longer, reducing bounce rates and increasing engagement.
• Authority and Trust: Regularly updated and well-optimized content establishes your website as an authority in your industry, building trust with your audience.
• Targeted Traffic: By focusing on specific keywords and content themes, you attract visitors who are more likely to be interested in your products or services.

Key Elements of SEO

1. Keyword Research: Identify the terms and phrases potential customers use to find businesses like yours. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs can help in finding relevant keywords.
2. On-Page SEO: Optimize each page of your website with the following elements:
   • Title Tags: Include your main keywords and keep them under 60 characters.
   • Meta Descriptions: Write compelling meta descriptions that include keywords and encourage users to click. Keep these under 160 characters. to learn more about the importance of meta descriptions please read the article “Unlocking the Power of SEO: A Deep Dive into Meta Descriptions”
3. Headings (H1, H2, H3): Use headings to structure your content and include keywords where appropriate.
4. URL Structure: Use clean and descriptive URLs that include relevant keywords.
5. Alt Text for Images: Provide descriptive alt text for all images to help search engines understand their content.
6. Technical SEO: Ensure your website is technically sound, including:
   • Fast Loading Speed: Optimize images, leverage browser caching, and minimize CSS and JavaScript to improve site speed.
   • Mobile-Friendliness: Ensure your site is responsive and performs well on mobile devices.
   • Secure (HTTPS): Use SSL certificates to secure your site and improve trustworthiness.
7. Content Quality: Produce high-quality, informative, and engaging content that addresses the needs and interests of your audience. Regularly update your blog, news section, or resources page.
8. Internal Linking: Use internal links to connect related content within your site. This helps users navigate and helps search engines understand the structure of your site.
9. External Linking: Link to reputable sources to provide additional value to your content and establish credibility.

Discussion Points with Your Web Designer

• SEO Best Practices: Ensure your designer follows SEO best practices in the site’s code and structure.
• SEO Tools Integration: Discuss integrating tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track performance and identify areas for improvement.
• Content Management System (CMS): Choose a CMS that supports SEO-friendly practices and makes it easy to update and manage content.
• Schema Markup: Implement schema markup to help search engines understand your content better and potentially enhance your listings with rich snippets.
• SEO Audit: Request regular SEO audits to identify and address any issues that may affect your site’s performance.

Developing a Content Strategy

1. Audience Research: Understand who your target audience is, what their needs are, and how your products or services can help them. Create detailed audience personas.
2. Content Calendar: Plan your content creation and publication schedule. Include blog posts, articles, infographics, videos, and social media updates.
3. Content Types: Diversify your content types to cater to different audience preferences. Include how-to guides, case studies, testimonials, product reviews, and industry news.
4. Content Goals: Set clear goals for your content, such as increasing website traffic, generating leads, or boosting engagement.
5. Content Optimization: Ensure all content is optimized for SEO with relevant keywords, headings, meta descriptions, and internal links.
6. Engagement and Interaction: Encourage user interaction through comments, social media shares, and feedback forms. Engage with your audience to build community and loyalty.

Visual Content Planning

• Infographics: Use infographics to present complex information in an easy-to-understand visual format.
• Videos: Create short, engaging videos to showcase products, provide tutorials, or share customer testimonials.

By planning for SEO and a robust content strategy, you ensure that your website not only attracts visitors but also provides them with valuable information that keeps them engaged and encourages them to take action.

This comprehensive approach will help you build a strong online presence, drive targeted traffic, and ultimately grow your business.

7. Setting Analytics and Tracking

Understanding how users interact with your website is crucial for making informed decisions about your online strategy.

Setting up analytics and tracking tools allows you to monitor performance, identify strengths and weaknesses, and refine your approach over time. Here’s how to ensure you have the right tools and metrics in place.

Why Analytics and Tracking Matter

• Performance Insights: Gain valuable insights into how visitors are finding and interacting with your website.
• User Behavior: Understand which pages are most popular, how long users stay on your site, and where they drop off.
• Conversion Tracking: Monitor key actions like purchases, sign-ups, and downloads to measure the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Use data to make informed decisions about content, design, and marketing strategies.

Key Tools for Analytics and Tracking

1. Google Analytics:
   • Overview: Google Analytics is a free tool that provides detailed insights into your website traffic and user behavior.
   • Setup: Ensure your web designer integrates Google Analytics with your website. This typically involves adding a tracking code to your site’s HTML.
   • Features: Track page views, user demographics, traffic sources, user flow, and more.
   • Goals: Set up goals to track specific actions, such as form submissions, product purchases, or newsletter sign-ups.
2. Google Search Console:
   • Overview: Google Search Console helps you monitor your website’s presence in Google search results.
   • Setup: Verify your site ownership and add it to Google Search Console.
   • Features: Track search performance, identify crawl errors, and submit sitemaps.
   • Keywords: Analyze which keywords are driving traffic to your site and how you rank for those keywords.
3. Heatmaps and Session Recordings:
   • Tools: Consider tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg to visualize user behavior.
   • Heatmaps: See where users click, how far they scroll, and which elements attract the most attention.
   • Session Recordings: Watch recordings of user sessions to identify usability issues and understand user interactions.
4. Conversion Tracking Tools:
   • Google Ads: If you’re running Google Ads, set up conversion tracking to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.
   • Facebook Pixel: Integrate Facebook Pixel to track user actions from Facebook ads and optimize your campaigns.
   • E-commerce Tracking: If you run an online store, enable e-commerce tracking in Google Analytics to monitor product performance and sales metrics.

what to ask your web designer about Data Insight

• Analytics Setup: Ensure your web designer sets up Google Analytics and other relevant tracking tools during the website development process.
• Goals and Funnels: Discuss the specific goals and conversion funnels you want to track. Your designer can help set these up in Google Analytics.
• Custom Reports: Ask your designer to create custom reports that highlight the most important metrics for your business.
• Regular Monitoring: Establish a schedule for regularly reviewing your analytics data. This could be weekly, monthly, or quarterly, depending on your needs.

By setting up robust analytics and tracking systems, you empower yourself with the data needed to continually improve your website’s performance and effectiveness. This data-driven approach ensures you can make informed decisions that drive traffic, enhance user experience, and increase conversions, ultimately leading to business growth.

8. Website Security and Data Administration.

Ensuring your website is secure and data is properly managed is crucial for protecting your business and your customers. A secure website builds trust, prevents data breaches, and complies with legal requirements. Here’s how to prioritize website security and data administration.

Why Website Security Matters

• Protects User Data: Safeguards sensitive information such as customer details, payment information, and personal data.
• Builds Trust: A secure website instills confidence in your visitors and encourages them to engage with your business.
• Prevents Cyber Attacks: Shields your website from threats like hacking, malware, and ransomware.
• Compliance: Meets legal and regulatory requirements, such as GDPR, to avoid fines and penalties.

Key Elements of Website Security

SSL Certificate:

1. Overview: Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificates encrypt data transferred between the user’s browser and your website.
2. Importance: SSL is essential for protecting sensitive information and is indicated by a padlock icon in the browser’s address bar.
3. Implementation: Ensure your web designer installs an SSL certificate on your website. Many hosting providers offer SSL certificates, sometimes for free.

Regular Updates:

• Software Updates: Keep your website’s software, including the content management system (CMS), plugins, and themes, up to date to protect against vulnerabilities.
• Automated Updates: Consider setting up automated updates for critical security patches.

Secure Password:

• Strong Passwords: Use complex passwords for all administrative accounts to prevent unauthorized access.
• Password Management: Implement a password management system to securely store and manage passwords.

Firewalls and Security Plugins:

• Web Application Firewall (WAF): A WAF protects your website from common threats such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
• Security Plugins: Use security plugins that provide features like malware scanning, brute force protection, and firewall configurations. Popular options include Wordfence and Sucuri.

Regular Backups:

• Automated Backups: Schedule regular backups of your website’s data to ensure you can restore it in case of an emergency.
• Offsite Storage: Store backups in a secure, offsite location to prevent data loss due to hardware failure or cyber-attacks.

User Access Control:

• Role Management: Assign appropriate roles and permissions to users based on their responsibilities. Limit administrative access to trusted individuals.
• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Implement 2FA for an added layer of security for all administrative accounts.

Security Monitoring:

• Real-Time Monitoring: Set up real-time monitoring to detect and respond to security threats promptly.
• Alerts and Notifications: Configure alerts to notify you of suspicious activity or potential security breaches.

what to ask your web designer about Website Security.

• Security Measures: Ask your web designer about the security measures they will implement on your website. Ensure they cover the key elements mentioned above.
• Backup Strategy: Discuss the backup strategy, including the frequency of backups and where the backups will be stored.
• User Roles: Clarify the roles and permissions for different users on your website. Ensure sensitive areas are restricted to authorized personnel only.
• Monitoring Tools: Inquire about the monitoring tools and processes that will be in place to detect and respond to security threats.

By prioritizing website security and data administration, you protect your business and your customers, build trust, and ensure compliance with legal requirements. This proactive approach safeguards your online presence and contributes to the long-term success of your website.

To dive deep into the world of website security for WordPress sites please read my comprehensive guide “Website Security: WordPress Safety Tips”