Whether you’re starting a new business, considering your first website, or thinking about replacing an existing one, knowing where to begin can be challenging. There are decisions to make about the design, content, functionality, budget, and how the website will be managed once it’s online.
Over the years, I’ve worked with many business owners who had a good idea of what they wanted their website to accomplish but weren’t sure what was needed to get started. That’s understandable. You shouldn’t need to know HTML, understand content management systems, or have every detail worked out before contacting a web developer.
However, a little preparation can make the process considerably easier, help establish a realistic budget, and reduce the time required to complete the project.
Let’s look at some of the most important considerations.
1. Do You Need a New Website, a Redesign, or a Redevelopment?
If you already have a website, the first question is whether it needs to be replaced or simply improved.
A website that looks dated may only need a visual redesign, updated content, and improvements to its navigation. On the other hand, a website built using outdated software, one that doesn’t work well on mobile devices, or one with significant performance or security problems may benefit from a more extensive redevelopment.
There are generally three approaches:
- Website updates: Improvements to an existing website, such as refreshing the content, replacing images, improving navigation, or adding new features.
- Website redesign: Updating the appearance, layout, and user experience while retaining much of the existing website’s structure and functionality.
- Full redevelopment: Rebuilding the website, potentially using a different platform, with updated content, design, functionality, and underlying technology.
Not every website needs to be rebuilt. A developer should evaluate what you already have and recommend the approach that makes the most sense for your business and budget.
2. Define What You Want Your Website to Accomplish
Before thinking about colors, photographs, or page layouts, consider what you want visitors to do when they reach your website.
For example, do you want to generate inquiries from prospective customers, explain your services, sell products, accept appointments, or provide helpful resources?
Your answers will influence how the website is organized and which features are important.
A local service business may benefit from prominently displayed contact information, individual service pages, customer reviews, and a convenient contact form. An online retailer will have different requirements, including product catalogs, secure payment processing, and order management.
You don’t need to know how these features are implemented. Simply identifying what you want the website to accomplish is an excellent starting point.
3. Plan Your Pages and Content
One of the most common challenges in website development is gathering the content. A website can have an attractive design, but without meaningful information about your business, products, or services, it won’t accomplish much.
Most small business websites begin with a few familiar pages, such as Home, About Us, Services, and Contact. Depending on your business, you may also want individual service pages, a portfolio or photo gallery, customer testimonials, frequently asked questions, or a blog.
If you’re uncertain about what pages you need, take some time to look at websites belonging to other businesses in your industry. Consider what information they provide and whether anything would be helpful to your own customers.
You should also consider the questions customers commonly ask. These can be particularly useful when developing service descriptions and FAQ content.
Do you need to write all the content yourself? Not necessarily. Some clients provide complete text for each page, while others provide brochures, notes, existing website content, or a general description of their services. A developer who offers content assistance can help organize and refine this material.
The important thing is to communicate what your business does, what makes it different, and what information your customers need.
4. Consider the Design and Branding
Most businesses already have some form of visual identity, whether it’s a company logo, established colors, signage, or printed marketing materials. Your website should complement these elements to create a consistent and recognizable appearance.
If you have a logo, provide the best-quality version available. Original vector artwork is particularly helpful, although high-resolution image files can also be used.
It’s also useful to identify a few websites you like. They don’t necessarily need to be from your industry. Perhaps you like the navigation, use of photography, page layout, or the way information is presented.
Sharing these examples helps your developer understand your preferences without expecting you to describe every design element.
Keep in mind that an effective website needs more than an attractive appearance. The content should be easy to find, the navigation should be intuitive, and the design should work well on phones, tablets, and desktop computers.
5. Determine Which Features You Need
Modern websites can incorporate a wide variety of features, from simple contact forms and photo galleries to appointment scheduling, online payments, customer portals, and e-commerce systems.
While it’s tempting to include every available option, I generally recommend starting with the features that will provide the most value to your business and customers.
For example, a business that receives most of its inquiries by telephone may not need an elaborate customer management system. A simple contact form, clear service information, and prominent phone number may be more effective.
You should also consider whether you intend to make changes to the website yourself. Content management systems such as WordPress can allow business owners to edit pages, publish articles, and manage certain features without working directly with HTML code.
However, a content management system isn’t necessarily the right choice for every website. There are advantages to different approaches, and your developer should explain the options and recommend a solution based on your needs.
6. Establish a Realistic Budget
Website development costs can vary considerably depending on the size of the website, the complexity of its design, the amount of content involved, and the features required.
A relatively simple informational website will generally cost less than one requiring extensive customization, a large collection of pages, specialized forms, or integration with outside services.
Providing an approximate budget is helpful because it allows your developer to recommend options that are financially practical. If certain features are beyond your initial budget, you may be able to add them later.
It’s also worth discussing what is included in the development estimate. Content writing, image editing, hosting, domain registration, premium software, and ongoing maintenance may be separate expenses.
A clearly defined project scope helps avoid misunderstandings and unexpected costs.
7. Consider SEO, Accessibility, and Website Performance
There are important aspects of website development that aren’t immediately visible in the finished design.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Your website should have a logical page structure, descriptive page titles, useful content, and appropriate technical settings to help search engines understand its content. Google provides an excellent SEO Starter Guide explaining the fundamentals.
Accessibility: Websites should be designed to accommodate visitors with different abilities, including those who rely on assistive technology or keyboard navigation. Proper headings, meaningful image descriptions, readable text, and accessible forms are important considerations. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) provides an excellent introduction to website accessibility.
Performance: Images, scripts, hosting, caching, and other technical factors influence how quickly a website loads. A well-optimized website should provide a responsive experience across a variety of devices and connection speeds.
These are areas where an experienced developer should provide guidance. You don’t need to understand every technical requirement, but you should know they are being considered as part of the project.
8. Protect Your Existing Website’s Search Visibility
If you’re redeveloping an existing website, one concern deserves particular attention: preserving the search visibility you’ve already established.
Over time, your website may have accumulated search engine rankings, incoming links from other websites, and pages that customers regularly visit.
Changing the website’s structure or removing pages without a proper plan can result in broken links and lost traffic.
When page addresses need to change, your developer should evaluate the existing URLs and implement appropriate redirects to the corresponding new pages. Existing content should also be reviewed to determine what should be retained, updated, combined, or removed.
Google provides detailed information about this process in its Site Moves and Migrations documentation.
A redevelopment presents an opportunity to improve your website, but it’s important not to lose what is already working well.
9. Prepare the Information You Already Have
Once you’ve considered the goals and general direction of your website, gathering some basic information will help get the project started.
Useful items include:
- Business information: Company name, contact information, business hours, service areas, and a general description of your products or services.
- Existing website: Your current website address, if applicable, along with any concerns or improvements you have in mind.
- Design preferences: Your logo, brand colors, and links to websites you like.
- Content and images: Existing brochures, service descriptions, photographs, testimonials, and other materials that may be useful.
- Desired features: Any special functionality you would like, such as appointment scheduling, photo galleries, online payments, or newsletter subscriptions.
- Budget and timing: An approximate budget and any important deadlines.
Don’t be concerned if you don’t have everything ready. It’s quite common for some of these details to be worked out during the planning and development process.
If you have an existing website, your developer may also need access to its hosting account, domain registration, and website administration. These details can be coordinated once the project is underway.
10. Plan for Maintenance After Launch
Launching a website is an important milestone, but it shouldn’t be the end of the conversation.
Websites need occasional attention to keep their content accurate, maintain compatibility with current browsers and devices, and address security concerns.
For websites using WordPress or another content management system, this typically includes software updates, backups, and monitoring for potential problems. You may also want assistance with adding new content, reviewing website traffic, or improving search visibility.
Before development begins, discuss who will be responsible for maintaining the website and which services, if any, will be included after launch.
Final Thoughts
Planning a new website or redeveloping an existing one involves a number of decisions, but the process doesn’t need to be complicated.
Start by considering what you want your website to accomplish, the information your customers need, and the features that will make your website useful. Gather whatever content and design materials you have available, and don’t worry if some details are still undecided.
A good web developer should help you evaluate the options, explain the advantages and limitations of different approaches, and guide you through the process.
The more clearly you can communicate your goals, the easier it becomes to create a website that serves your business effectively, without paying for features or functionality you don’t need.
