Brainstorm
Is your content up to date? Does it say and reflect your company’s mission?
Think about what content should be on your website and look and feel you want. Get input from your staff and talk to your design people. Look at different websites in your industry. Take notes on what you do like about other websites and what you don’t.
Create a Mood
Does your website look old? What does it look like on a mobile device?
Visitors will move on if your website is unreadable on a phone. What changes would you like to make? Do you prefer a simple and clean look, an elegant, classy look or maybe something modern or eclectic? Don’t stray too much from your current print materials. Make sure your vision reflects the company image you want to portray.
Your Visitors Need to Like What They See
Look at your analytics. how many views, what pages are most frequented and how much time is spent on each page?
It is very important to think about what your visitors would relate to – what they might want to see, what would interest them. The goal is to turn your visitors into potential customers, so you want them to enjoy the experience, spend time, and return in the future. Navigating through your website should be uncomplicated and easy for your customers to “travel” around. You want to engage them immediately when they reach your website, so they do not leave.
The Home Page
What questions do your customers most frequently ask you?
Make sure that the answers are easy to find from the home page.
Emphasize how you are different and why someone would want to do business with you. Distinguish your company from your competitors. And if you have a good motto, use it.
Make Sure Your Special Skills and Achievements Are Front And Center
Your resume differentiates you from your competitors. All of you information should be visible to position yourself as an expert in your field. Info such as articles you have written or appeared in, organizations you belong to, certifications, achievements, awards and charitable projects you have participated in. Most of all don’t forget good quality photos of yourself and your projects and client testimonials.
With this information your website design professional will be on the way to creating, customizing and communicating your message for your new website.