It's great that people have so many ideas for starting a new concept or deciding that they need a website for their existing business. However, translating that to a reality takes some real thought before you begin. Here are some guidelines to help with planning the content for an effective website that leads to engagement with your visitors.
"What do you want people to do on your website?" is always one of my first questions.
You may want your site to be a reference for people to learn more about you and your work, buy a product, inquire about your services, or read / subscribe to your blog. Having that nailed down in your head will help immediately.
“Who is the target audience?” Think of them specifically in terms of demographic, age, gender, city or rural dweller. Once you determine the persona, you can create your voice to that audience. If your customers are in conservative professions, then the tone will be serious. If you are selling cupcakes to the local neighborhood your tone might be more warm and friendly. That will help to determine the brand look - the font, colors and feel of the website. Get that right and you have a good chance of holding the attention of your audience.
“What are we talking about?” What is being offered exactly, being sold, or shown on the site? If you are offering packages of services then spend some time pinpointing what’s included in a package and the cost that you want to list. You’d be amazed at how many people I’ve spoken to that haven’t worked out their price point for their product or service. Do this before you begin your site.
"What will bring them to the site?" Are they looking for a specific product or service? Are they looking for help? Are they looking for employment? Are they wanting to see examples of your work and read about past projects so that they feel comfortable in engaging with you?
If you start with these initial ideas, you will begin to create a more targeted strategy for your new site.
You can download a planning guide for your home page here - just sign up to our client resources page with your email and you'll receive it automatically in your inbox.