what you need to do before starting website development
Website development is painstaking and time-consuming work, especially when you yourself don’t know what you want to get as a result. Developers, designers, layout designers and other specialized specialists are responsible for the technical implementation; you don’t need to delve into this. Your task is to decide on the goals and format of the resource, find references, analyze the niche market, etc.
We have created a simple and understandable checklist that will help you prepare for an interview with a contractor and explain what you expect from the future site.
These tips are universal; they have nothing to do with the type of development. The checklist is rather aimed at collecting information and materials that will allow you to create a conversion resource and reflect in it the necessary values and missions of the brand. Now let's talk about everything in order.
Defining the site's objectives
The structure of the resource, its design concept and promotion tools will depend on the goals you set for the site.
What purposes can a website serve?
The main goal of the site is to achieve specific results. What purposes can the resource serve? Any. Here are the most popular ones:
Additional channel for lead generation;
Creating a landing page that displays important information for customers about a product or service;
Development of a business card website that highlights the company’s activities and products offered;
Implementation of a product catalog to implement online sales and systematize product control in the warehouse.
How to determine the goals of creating a website?
Before writing to an agency or contractor about creating a website, think about its main goals. To make it easier for you, answer yourself a few questions:
Do I really need a website?
Why do I need/don't need it?
What tasks should my website solve?
Can he really solve these problems?
Which goal should you close first?
It is better to record the answers in a separate document so that all the information is before your eyes. Then you can start setting tasks.
It is better to break each goal down into specific tasks. Many of these are achieved through development. For example:
Placing an order on the website;
Writing information content for optimization;
Creating a business blog that publishes company news;
Online calculator for calculating the cost of goods/services;
Customer feedback form, etc.
Once you have created a set of tasks, write them down and send them to the agency for discussion. Next, managers come into work who:
Determine the optimal implementation strategy;
Select the necessary specialists;
Find additional channels to increase traffic to the site.
What can't be achieved with a website?
It is naive to believe that a website is a panacea for all ills. Entrepreneurs often believe that “Well, once the website is made, then the business itself will take off.” This is wrong. You can develop at least a hundred cool resources, but without marketing tools it will be a shot into the void.
Before you pray for a new website and expect multi-million dollar revenue, pay attention to a few things.
A website alone will not bring you a ton of new clients. High traffic and targeted leads are the result of comprehensive work with the resource and marketing tools that are selected individually.
A website will not make you a leader among your competitors. Especially if they have long taken their positions in e-commerce. Therefore, before creating a website, it is necessary to analyze the activities of competitors and develop a strategy.
A website is just a tool. Its work depends on your efforts. If a ton of applications are created through the resource that are not properly processed by your employees, you can safely forget about profit.
Remember the main rule: Internet marketing is a single strategy where all the tools work in conjunction.
Choosing a site format
There are two main types of websites: landing page (one-page) and multi-page. The format should be chosen based on the objectives, needs of the target audience and the number of goods/services provided.
Landing is suitable for companies whose goal is to create a landing page for a specific product, event or service. For example, to advertise a course or conference, announce a new smartphone, SUV, etc.
Remember: one landing page – one thought. If there are a lot of products, it is better to immediately create a multi-page site.
A little about landing
The main rule of landing is linearity. Simply put, all the information is located on one page; the user will not be able to go to adjacent ones. Your task is to determine the location of information blocks on the site. The most important ones should be at the top (product demonstrations, cases, advertising banners), less significant ones should be at the bottom (reviews, company information, etc.).
A linear strategy allows you to convincingly and concisely present product information to a potential client. For example, a user goes to a website, sees information about the service, tariffs and results that can be achieved. Next, he gets acquainted with cases, methods of your work, and reviews from existing clients. Based on the information received, the consumer closes his own objections, makes a decision, fills out the feedback form and waits for a call from the manager.
The main task of a one-page website is to lead the client to the target action. This could be a purchase, an application, a newsletter subscription, etc. This is why it is important not to overload the landing page and focus attention on a specific product/service.
How do you know if a landing page is right for you?
A web studio or any other contractor will help you decide on the format of the site. But there are basic points that should still be studied before seeking advice.
You may consider a landing page if:
want to attract an audience to online events or open events;
launch the sale of information and educational products;
it is necessary to collect applications or increase sales of a specific product/service;
create an image resource in order to increase reputation and trust in the brand;
sell tickets to offline events – concerts, conferences, presentations, etc.
By the way! If you provide services in different regions, you can develop a multi-landing page in which the information will change depending on the user’s place of residence.
Let's talk about a multi-page site
A multi-page website is the best option if you have a large catalog of products or services. Such a site is used to segment sections for specific tasks. Again, one page – one thought.
Most often, multi-page resources include the following pages: home, catalog, about the company, cases, reviews, a form with contact information and a business blog (created if you want to publish specialized articles and news about your activities).
It turns out that all the information on the site will be logically structured and meet the needs of users, and navigation through the resource will be simplified.
So, who should take a closer look at a multi-page website?
Companies with a large and varied catalog of goods and services;
Entrepreneurs who want to reach several target audience segments at once;
Organizations that have related areas;
Brands that expect customers to take multiple targeted actions.
If you have a small business with a targeted product, a landing page will be the best option. If you own a large company, it is better to invest in a multi-page website, with which you will show the audience the full range of your activities. You can also create a landing page that will act as a landing page to inform users about seasonal discounts, promotions and other offers.
We indicate what place the site will occupy in the sales funnel
In order for a site to make a profit, it is necessary to initially decide how the user will go to it, what should happen after completing the target action, etc. It is important to indicate on what basis your target audience comes to you in order to satisfy its needs.
We determine in advance the role of the visual on the site
Sometimes a site may be primarily text-based. This is relevant for areas such as law, medicine, consulting, etc. But, if you sell specific products, you cannot do without its visual demonstration. It is better to take care prematurely and take selling photographs that will favorably highlight the properties of the product, its appearance and other aspects.
Tip: Avoid stock images that are old
have become an anti-trend in web design. Original images work much better
better, as they are aimed at addressing clear needs and questions
users. If the required visual is not available, create a brief for the designer, conduct
call and explain what concept you want to implement. Next, hire
a good photographer or 3D modeler.
Some statistics
According to research, a couple of seconds is enough for a user to evaluate a website’s design and understand whether it interests him or not. The more modern and attractive the resource, the higher the likelihood that a person will continue to study it and reach the offer. A website with trendy and catchy visuals has a much better chance of getting the attention of a potential client.
Bazaarvoice published data showing that cool design can increase conversions by 111%. Further, everything is extremely transparent: the higher the conversion, the more sales. For example, profitability from one client can increase to 170-180%.
What other functions does the visual perform?
Good design will help develop your company's recognition. About 80% of the audience believe that the right visual allows them to find and remember the necessary product on the Internet. Moreover, over 90% of users admitted that a cool website design increases trust in the brand and its products. In short, a good reputation = big checks.
How to create a visual style?
Analyze your target audience and its preferences within the visual framework. Remember that your tastes may not coincide with the tastes of users, this is normal. We focus on customer preferences. Always.
Create a unified visual style based on the company’s brand book.
Use trends and current designs that fit the specifics of your organization.
Choose fonts. Advice: use no more than 2 fonts on the site, as this may negatively affect the overall style of the resource. Also make sure that the fonts you choose match each other in weight and serifs.
Create templates in the chosen style for articles, product cards and other information groups. This will allow the designer to quickly tailor the content to a specific topic.
What is it for?
People love with their eyes. The logic is simple: why should I study an ugly and undeveloped website when everything about my competitors is bright, juicy and clear? You wouldn’t buy clothes from an online store that has ugly banners and uninformative visuals (or none at all)?
Visual packaging of products should be “tasty”, especially in e-commerce. A catchy picture is half the success of sales. Due to high competition, it is important to stand out among competitors and be memorable.
We analyze the company's position in the market
Again we turn to the analysis of the target audience and competitors. It is better to entrust this to experienced specialists. Your task is to understand in general terms who you are selling to and what companies you need to target. This data is necessary for copywriters and designers who will work on your website. Let's talk about this in more detail.
What about the target audience?
What is the main objective of the business? That's right, attracting clients. How to do it? Determine the profile of a potential buyer who will be interested in your products. The brand's profit and the success of the marketing campaign depend on this.
To get complete information about your target audience, conduct a comprehensive analysis using the following algorithm.
Determine the company's focus.
What areas do you want to cover in your business segment?
What can you give your clients? What are your strengths and advantages over your competitors?
In what niches is competition minimal, but there is active growth in demand for goods/services?
What format of work and sales will be most effective in your industry?
Create a portrait of your ideal buyer
Try to answer the following questions:
Who is your client? What he really is?
Determine its main characteristics: gender, age, geography, income level, etc.
What are your potential buyer's hobbies and needs? What is he interested in?
How sensitive is it to marketing influence?
Note: if a customer has a negative attitude towards your company for any reason, he will not buy your product, no matter how cool it is. For example, if a person does not like Adidas products, but he needs a tracksuit, he will go and buy it at the Nike store. And it doesn’t matter that you have discounts and great offers. He doesn't like Adidas, that's all.
What is the value of your product/service for your target audience? How can you solve her problems? What are the key features of the product that you can highlight on your website to attract users?
By what criteria will a person search for the product he needs? How to catch his attention?
Remember: the better you understand the needs of the buyer, the more useful the content on the site will be for him.
The following will help you collect a more detailed portrait of your client:
Castdev with current or former brand customers;
Interview with potential target audience;
Questionnaires and tests, comments in thematic groups and forums;
Product reviews.
Why do you need an ideal client portrait?
Ideal Client Profile or ICP is the very backbone on which the success of your brand, content creation strategy, promotion and attracting new leads to the site will depend.
Creating an ICP will give you several benefits:
Allows you to direct resources to attract only targeted leads.
The result of marketing promotion depends on how accurately you have drawn up a portrait of your target audience. With it, you can better identify and attract potential customers who are ready to buy from you. At the same time, the costs of advertising tools will be lower.
Extend LTV
LTV is the profit that a buyer brings to you over the entire period of cooperation. By identifying the user's key pain points, you can meet their needs through content and product or service offerings.
Will increase the number of positive reviews and recommendations.
Clients who fit into the portrait of your target audience will evaluate your commercial offer with great enthusiasm and will receive real benefits from the product/service. A satisfied user will be happy to leave a positive review and recommend the brand to their friends. The principle of word of mouth operates here, which, by the way, still works successfully.
We analyze the market and niches
Before creating a website, determine the level of competition in the chosen niche.
Please note that online and offline competitors vary. Therefore, we focus all our efforts on the first category.
What categories does competitor analysis cover?
Products with high margins and demand that can increase your profits;
Market share occupied by competing companies;
Marketing strategies and channels that other brands use to promote their products and services;
The advantages of your company and products that can set you apart from your competitors;
Your weaknesses that can hinder your progress in e-commerce;
Problems and needs of potential customers on which sales volume depends.
Analyzing competitors
Companies that have existed on the online market for a long time have gone through a thorny path. They developed strategies that work through trial and error. Your job is to analyze their experience to save time and money.
How can competitive search analysis help?
Determine what competitors are doing on the Internet, which pages of the site receive good traffic, for what queries they are in the TOP of search results, etc.;
It will show what market share your competitors and your company occupy (the data is approximate, but with their help you can get an idea of the current situation);
Identifies the strengths and weaknesses of brands in your niche, which you can use for your own purposes;
Allows you to designate a pool of tasks that should be completed first;
Will evaluate the necessary promotion work, the approximate budget for implementing the strategy, the timing of reaching a leading position, etc.
We conduct interviews with the sales department
It is important to understand what path the client goes through, starting from getting to know the company and ending with the purchase. What objections arise during decision-making, how does the sales department handle them, what fears delay the deal, what questions are usually asked regarding your products? Based on the data received, draw up a detailed brief; it will help to correctly present the value of the offer through content on the site.
We select the best cases
Conduct interviews with current professionals who worked on projects. Collect detailed information through which you can convey the expertise and usefulness of the brand to the buyer. It’s better to provide as much data as possible to the copywriter so that he can package it beautifully into cases.
Advice: if at the start you don’t have money for full-fledged content marketing, write cases. This is a direct key to targeted leads. Yes, they will not bring as much traffic as expert articles. However, its quality will be head and shoulders above.
Also, do not forget about cause and effect. Each section in the case needs to be explained. “Why did we do it this way and not differently?” “What results have you achieved? Here are the statistics and graphs.” You are writing text for clients, so the main criterion is benefit.
By the way, many agencies make a similar mistake, which makes the cases look like motley and unfounded praise. Let's draw conclusions.
We appoint a specialist for the project
Despite the fact that third-party specialists are involved in website development, the customer (that is, you) must regularly monitor the process. What do we have to do? Provide a brief, collect content, make edits, etc. If the company has a complex hierarchy, it is better to assign several specialists to specific tasks at once. This will reduce the time for approval and avoid missing deadlines.
Remember that the employees you put in charge must have the authority to make independent decisions and have a good understanding of the company's products.
Choosing a domain name for the site
A domain name is a unique website address on the Internet. The simpler and clearer it is, the better. Most often, the domain name is the name of the company or field of activity.
Important: the link to the site should convey your direction to users. They need to understand what you do and what you sell.
A domain name includes several words that are written together, separated by a dot or a dash. The address must be unique; overlap with other companies is prohibited.
We create a current price list
Collect a price list for your products/services, decide what promotions and discounts will be in effect at the time the resource is released, work out a bonus or loyalty program (if necessary). A website without prices is a bad website. The unknown scares off buyers even more than the trigger phrases “Answered in Direct.” If it is impossible to provide clear prices (for example, as is the case with installing windows or building houses), indicate the minimum or average cost “from N rubles.” Another option is an online calculator.
Filling out the initial brief
Before you start working with the contractor, you will have to fill out a brief. It should answer general questions about your company so that specialists can familiarize themselves in detail with its activities. For each item, provide the most detailed description possible so that editors and designers can delve deeper into the project and satisfy both your expectations and the needs of the target audience.
Is it possible to skip these steps?
Let's just say this won't be the end of the world. You can collect and analyze information in parallel with development. The main thing is to discuss this issue with the contractor and establish an approval process so as not to miss deadlines.
