5 Important Steps to Take When Developing Your New Website

Is your website really working for you?

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. It’s not just a movie title, but a way to look at websites. There are many out there; some exceptional, some good looking but not functional or effective; and then there are those that are just plain... well, bad.

Whether you are considering your first website, looking to redesign your current site, or just evaluating the status quo, we offer up these 5 important steps to keep in mind. It could mean the difference between just existing ...or exceeding online.

Because at the end of the day, how would you like to have your business represented?

1. Choose the right company
   Choose a solid company that understands the web and that will work closely with you throughout the entire process. You want to treat your website as an investment/another location, if you will. Locate an experienced company that:
   1. Understands the Web and Marketing Online
   2. Has a wide range of skillsets and services that touch on all aspects of developing and maintaining a website.
   3. Current with Techniques, Platform/Language, and Design
   4. Utilizes a Content Management System (CMS)
2. Plan out your site
   1. Establish your Target Market
   2. Create Site Map/Site Navigation
   3. Organize your page layout
3. Professional Design
   1. Wireframe or sketch out the Structure of the Page Layout
   2. Aspire for Design that is Simple, Clean, Clear, and Concise
   3. Grabs Attention
   4. Easy to Navigate
   5. Conveys your product and or service at a glance
   6. Captures the essence of your company/organization
   7. mobile-friendly/Responsive Website Design
4. Develop your content
   1. Keep consistent with your corporation/organization’s message/brand
   2. Easy to read
   3. Captivate, keep it relatively Short and make sure it's Clear, Concise and to the Point
   4. Include Keywords and Phrases that are only natural to your site's page content
   5. Use proper headings and consider Bullet Lists and font styles such as bold and italic
   6. Proper Grammar usage and Spell Check
5. Test your site
   1. Review your site's content to insure it is all in place and formatted correctly
   2. Test all links, forms, and applications on your site
   3. Make sure your site analytics are installed for tracking such as Google Analytics
   4. Make sure that your Sitemap.xml and Robot.txt files are in place
   5. It might be worth also investing in Website Usability Research to see what users think of your site its content and navigation.

If you would like to learn more about highly effective websites, we recommend these books on the topic: Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug and 100 Things Every Designer Need to Know About People by Susan Weinschenk.

And as always, Brockett Creative Group is here to answer any questions you may have and position you and your website at the digital forefront.

Thanks for reading,
The Brockett Creative Team