I want a website but where do I start?
So you’ve decided you want a website but are not quite sure where to begin. We usually recommend to our clients to consider the following:
- What do you want the website to do?
Is the site to be purely a way to provide information about your company and your products or services in the same way a brochure would do? Do you want to sell products online or do you want to provide a plethora of information? Answering any of these questions will help you decide the type of website you require. You need to think about what results you actually want to achieve from your website. - What content should you include?
When you start thinking about the information you wish to add to your website, it will suddenly become apparent the headings you will require for your menu tabs. As you continue brain storming, you will get a general feel for how the website will flow and whether you need photos, videos and/or words to get your message across. - How should my website look?
The best place to begin working out how you would like your website to look is to see how other companies have done their websites. Check out your competition but also start taking notice of every website that you visit and note down which parts of the website you like and why and which parts you don’t like. It may be the layout, certain features, the colour – anything that can help your designer get a feel for what you do or don’t like. A designer obviously cannot copy a whole design due to copyright issues, but they can gain inspiration and make tweaks so that you can have a website where you can proudly showcase your company - How often will you update your website?
This is an important item to consider. If you think you will only be updating your site potentially once or twice a year then a HTML website will suit you. This type of website can only be updated by a web designer or someone who knows how to write web code. If you know that you will be regularly updating your website then a self-managed website is the best solution for you. A little thought upfront can make a big difference down the track if you find out you have to keep paying for a web designer to make changes to your website.
If you have spent some time thinking about what you want to achieve via your website and what message you want to convey then you will have made a pretty good start towards getting the best website for you. You are now prepared enough to visit a web designer and share your thoughts.
