Starting a New Business? Here’s How to Plan Your First Website
Starting a business is both exciting and stressful. But one of the most difficult parts of starting on any new venture is creating a website so your new company can build a thriving digital presence.
Like any part of your business, your website will need a solid plan if you want to set yourself up for success from the very beginning. If you’re not sure where to start, don’t sweat it. Your trusted website design team at Denver Website Designs can help. Here’s a quick overview of the steps you’ll want to take when creating a plan for your new site.
Identify Your Goals
Before you start building your website out, you’ll want to take a long, hard look at what you need the site to do and what you want it to accomplish. In other words, you’ll need to identify your goals for your site.
Knowing your goals can make it easier for you to make sure your new website serves your needs and sets your business up for success.
The goals you set will depend on your business and your unique situation. For example, you may want to use your site to create visibility for your brand. Or you may want to amp up sales by offering products online. Whatever your goals are, write them down so you can keep them in mind as you start developing your new website.
Understand Your Target User and Customer
Before you start working on your site or picking a design, you’ll need to identify who your target user or customer is. This means looking at the types of people you want to attract to your business.
If you’re selling products, you need to identify who you’re selling to and the types of customers you want to attract in the long run. If you’re offering services, you need to consider who is likely to contact you for those services. The better you understand your target user and target customer, the easier it will be to create a site that speaks to them.
See What Your Competitors Are Doing
Though you can come up with a website from scratch, you don’t have to do it completely on your own. Instead, you can use your competitors for inspiration and to see which design elements you like and which ones you want to avoid.
Take a look at the websites for your top five competitors. Take notes about what you like and what you don’t like. You can then use this information to work with a website designer and create a site that incorporates the elements that are appropriate and beneficial for your industry.
Spend Time Looking at Other Sites for Inspiration
Your competitors’ sites can give you an idea of what works in your industry and in your area. But other sites, both in and out of your industry, can give you additional inspiration. Check out websites for businesses you support in your daily life and see what their sites look like. Read through their content. Check out their blogs, their linked social media pages, and any other parts of the site that you might find interesting.
Take notes of what you like so you can keep those elements in mind when meeting with your website design team.
Establish a Budget
Unfortunately, creating a high-quality business website will cost you, but that doesn’t mean it has to break the bank. Remember, your site is your online storefront and your best chance to make a positive first impression for new customers and clients searching for your services. Nicer, more customized designs may cost more but could better convey your business’s values. Take a look at how much you can afford to spend on your site and compare it to how much you want to spend.
This range will help you set a firm budget and give you something to discuss with the web design firm you choose to partner with. Remember, the right design firm should be willing to work within your budget. Just keep in mind that the more complex the site is, the more it will likely cost to build.
You may want to speak with several designers to get an idea of what they charge. This can help you set a more realistic budget if you’re not sure where to start.
Figure Out Your Content Needs
Once you have a general idea of what you want your site to look like and the types of features you consider to be a “must-have,” you’ll want to think about the content you’ll post. At a minimum, you’ll need pages describing your services and providing readers with a clear way to contact you if needed.
Knowing the types of content you want to feature on your site can help your design team ensure that the proper framework is set up from day one.
Wait for the Site to Be Built
When you work with a website designer, they’ll handle the actual site build for you. This can take anywhere from a few days to a few months, depending on the scope of your site, but we generally finish sites in 6 weeks or so. Be patient and if the design team contacts you for more details or information, respond to their questions as quickly as possible. By staying in close communication, you’ll help keep the build on track and may reduce the number of delays you experience.
Denver Website Designs Takes the Stress Out of Website Planning
Building a high-quality website is an essential step in getting your new business up and running. And as long as you follow these tips, you’ll be able to plan out your site with ease. Just make sure to leave the build to an experienced professional.
At Denver Website Designs, our team can help with everything from building a completely new site to breathing new life into your existing site. We’ll work with you to make sure your site conveys your brand and your brand values clearly as soon as it’s live. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and see the difference that an experienced website design team can make in your business’s online presence.
Go Back Like any part of your business, your website will need a solid plan if you want to set yourself up for success from the very beginning. If you’re not sure where to start, don’t sweat it. Your trusted website design team at Denver Website Designs can help. Here’s a quick overview of the steps you’ll want to take when creating a plan for your new site.
Identify Your Goals
Before you start building your website out, you’ll want to take a long, hard look at what you need the site to do and what you want it to accomplish. In other words, you’ll need to identify your goals for your site.
Knowing your goals can make it easier for you to make sure your new website serves your needs and sets your business up for success.
The goals you set will depend on your business and your unique situation. For example, you may want to use your site to create visibility for your brand. Or you may want to amp up sales by offering products online. Whatever your goals are, write them down so you can keep them in mind as you start developing your new website.
Understand Your Target User and Customer
Before you start working on your site or picking a design, you’ll need to identify who your target user or customer is. This means looking at the types of people you want to attract to your business.
If you’re selling products, you need to identify who you’re selling to and the types of customers you want to attract in the long run. If you’re offering services, you need to consider who is likely to contact you for those services. The better you understand your target user and target customer, the easier it will be to create a site that speaks to them.
See What Your Competitors Are Doing
Though you can come up with a website from scratch, you don’t have to do it completely on your own. Instead, you can use your competitors for inspiration and to see which design elements you like and which ones you want to avoid.
Take a look at the websites for your top five competitors. Take notes about what you like and what you don’t like. You can then use this information to work with a website designer and create a site that incorporates the elements that are appropriate and beneficial for your industry.
Spend Time Looking at Other Sites for Inspiration
Your competitors’ sites can give you an idea of what works in your industry and in your area. But other sites, both in and out of your industry, can give you additional inspiration. Check out websites for businesses you support in your daily life and see what their sites look like. Read through their content. Check out their blogs, their linked social media pages, and any other parts of the site that you might find interesting.
Take notes of what you like so you can keep those elements in mind when meeting with your website design team.
Establish a Budget
Unfortunately, creating a high-quality business website will cost you, but that doesn’t mean it has to break the bank. Remember, your site is your online storefront and your best chance to make a positive first impression for new customers and clients searching for your services. Nicer, more customized designs may cost more but could better convey your business’s values. Take a look at how much you can afford to spend on your site and compare it to how much you want to spend.
This range will help you set a firm budget and give you something to discuss with the web design firm you choose to partner with. Remember, the right design firm should be willing to work within your budget. Just keep in mind that the more complex the site is, the more it will likely cost to build.
You may want to speak with several designers to get an idea of what they charge. This can help you set a more realistic budget if you’re not sure where to start.
Figure Out Your Content Needs
Once you have a general idea of what you want your site to look like and the types of features you consider to be a “must-have,” you’ll want to think about the content you’ll post. At a minimum, you’ll need pages describing your services and providing readers with a clear way to contact you if needed.
Knowing the types of content you want to feature on your site can help your design team ensure that the proper framework is set up from day one.
Wait for the Site to Be Built
When you work with a website designer, they’ll handle the actual site build for you. This can take anywhere from a few days to a few months, depending on the scope of your site, but we generally finish sites in 6 weeks or so. Be patient and if the design team contacts you for more details or information, respond to their questions as quickly as possible. By staying in close communication, you’ll help keep the build on track and may reduce the number of delays you experience.
Denver Website Designs Takes the Stress Out of Website Planning
Building a high-quality website is an essential step in getting your new business up and running. And as long as you follow these tips, you’ll be able to plan out your site with ease. Just make sure to leave the build to an experienced professional.
At Denver Website Designs, our team can help with everything from building a completely new site to breathing new life into your existing site. We’ll work with you to make sure your site conveys your brand and your brand values clearly as soon as it’s live. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and see the difference that an experienced website design team can make in your business’s online presence.