The time has come for a new website, and if like most people you don’t know where to start we’ve got 10 things you should be considering to ensure you get one that works for you and your business.

1) Find a good website developer

The most important factor by far is finding the right web designer/ web developer to suit your needs.

The perfect match is a company who listens to your desires and concerns and will advise and come up with solutions, after all, they are the experts!

While you should have an idea of what you want from your website, it is essential to keep an open mind when you employ a company to do a job you can’t do yourself. Listening to their ideas and advice will help you achieve a more successful website.

When looking around for a developer make sure you see some examples of their work, so you can make sure you like what they do before engaging them in business.

Here at Webthinking we take the time to ensure your design and build is a success, from conception to launch – it’s our passion!

Our web design team labour over every element, from choosing the correct colour palettes, typography, content and imagery, onsite optimisation for Google, keyword research, prominent call-to-action points, UX and responsive web design. We’ll make sure you love your new website and so will your customers!

2) Select your platform carefully

With so many options on the market, from simple drag and drop options right through to custom built and coded bully functioning e-commerce solutions it’s essential you choose the one that’s right for you and your business.

Each platform offers different things and can have a huge effect on the usability and efficiency of a website.

You want something that is SEO ready, quick loading and has the capability to grow with you.

Website3) Do the groundwork

A website is only as good as its content, whether that is the colours, imagery or words. Before you even start work on your layout you need a good logo and tagline because this will help shape everything including colours, tone and message.

You only have five seconds to impress potential clients, so you need to make sure you use those seconds wisely by creating your perfect elevator pitch.

You need to make sure your website colours and images are on brand, and your core marketing message is immediately visible and has an impact. We recommend a maximum of two lines for your message, not only because that is all the reader wants but also because that is all you should need to sell your business. If you can’t explain your business and its core message in two lines then maybe you need a rethink.

4) Clear and obvious call to action

This might sound like an obvious one, but you’d be surprised how often you have to go searching for something to do on a website.

Your website needs to contain a clear path to conversion, so customers leave the site having either bought, called, signed up or followed on social media. You also have to remember that some people need everything pointed out to them, so if you can buy on your website then make sure it’s obvious or if you want people to sign up for something give them a reason by offering real value.

With more and more people now conducting searches and visiting websites on their mobile phones and tablets, a click to call telephone number is essential so visitors can act immediately.

5) Track your traffic

You’d be surprised how many businesses don’t take advantage of free analytics and install tracking tools into their website, despite them being so easy to initiate. But if you don’t know how many people are visiting the site, where they’re coming from and what they’re looking at then how can you work out your return on investment?

Keeping track of your traffic is also essential to help you know what does and doesn’t work. It also means you can evaluate the success of any changes you make as well as the overall success of your site.

Website

6) Eye catching design

We all know what we like and what we don’t, and unfortunately, a bad design could have a hugely detrimental effect on your business.

Design and colours evoke an emotional response in potential clients, so you need to make sure it’s a good one.

A slick, aesthetically appealing website design can offer an above average impression of your business, while a below average website design can lead to a below average opinion of your business.

In the era of template based websites, it is now easier than ever to achieve a good-looking site. But if you want to stand out from the crowd a custom-built website is still the best option, not just before you get exactly what you want and need, but also because of the long-term benefits and how it can adapt to your company’s needs.

A custom built website will also be constructed to be search engine friendly, meaning it will rank well when it comes to SEO and contain the right keywords and meta data to ensure you are found by search engines.

While templated sites might look good for the user and be a quicker and cheaper option they usually lack satisfactory SEO options, which can lead businesses to employ expensive SEO specialists to improve their rankings.

Website7) Consider the user experience

When drawing up your site map and web plan it’s essential to remember that it’s all about the user experience.

A website should be logical and easy to navigate meaning users can find what they want and need which will encourage conversions and interaction.

This is more important than ever when it comes to e-Commerce. Buying online should be easier than going out and buying the goods in person and one bad experience is enough to put a potential shopper off than ever.

Our clients’ eCommerce sites consistently achieve 6% and above conversion rates, putting their online shops in the top 10% of sites worldwide for conversion performance.

Make sure you see the website from a users point of view and answer the following questions:

Why are they visiting?
What are they looking for?
How does your business help them?
The functionality of your website is as important as how it looks, so use family and friends to try it or even consider using a focus group.

8) Create quality content

All content you produce, whether it’s web copy, newsletters or social media, should be informative and engaging while also leading visitors towards a purchase.

Good content not only provides users with something to read and share but also gives them a reason to align with your brand. People are more likely to buy from companies deemed active online and spending time and effort sharing their message.

9) Mobile friendly

In this day and age, a website needs to be not only viewable on phones and tablets but also completely optimised.

Not only does Google rank such websites higher but research has also proved that tablets now have a higher conversion rate than desktops and it’s only a matter of time before mobile phones follow suit.

Website10) Plan your strategy and stick to it.

A website alone is not enough to help your business grow, after all, you have to tell people about it, so they know it exists.

While the web developers are working on your website, you can be putting together the marketing strategy ready to launch.

You need to work out how best to promote the site (and ultimately your business) attract traffic and convert visitors into customers.

PPC, SEO advertising, e-mail marketing, and social media adverts/marketing are all key to the success of any business but at different levels. You need to work out what works for you so you can implement the strategy once your website launches.

Summary

So, in short, there are lots of things to consider when it comes to planning and implementing a new website but if you use a good, reputable web development company, they will help you on every step of the journey and can work with you to overcome every obstacle mentioned above.

Call us now on 0800 644 2640 or click here to use our contact form.