Starting to think about your new website or blog

September 29, 2008  

So how do you get started?

You know you need a website but where do you start? How do you make sure that you create something that’s going to work for you? Lets get a pencil and paper and make a few notes.

Here are some questions to ask yourself…

Goals

What are your goals for your website? What do you want it to do for you? Brainstorm this. Write all your goals down and don’t analyse them too much, then, when you’ve got a good long list, prioritise them and make a list of the most important ones. This exercise will give you a vision of exactly why you are building a new website.

Example Goals:

  • “When people type my business name into Google, they will find my website and then contact me”
  • “To provide commonly requested information so that we can reduce our mailout and phone costs.”
  • “To attract new customers internationally”

Audience

Who is your website for? Why will these people visit your website? Again brainstorm this, write a list and then prioritise this list into your most important audience groupings alongside the reasons why they will be visiting your web site.

Example audiences and reasons for visiting:

  • New customers
    • Looking to find a supplier for the kind of services I sell
    • Comparing what I offer with other suppliers
  • Existing customers
    • Need more information on the product they have already purchased
    • Considering buying more products

Content

Now you know your goals, the audience for your website and the reasons why they will be visiting, you need to now brainstorm a list of the content required to satisfy the goals of your website and the needs of your audience.

Example content

  • Background information to show prospective customers that the services of my business can meet their needs
  • Details of all the products in my business catalogue
  • Details of how to buy my products

A good web designer will help you think about the goals, audience and content for your new website, guiding you through the process of creating a website that meets your business needs.