3 Things To Consider When Planning Your New Website
Whether or not you already have an existing website, or you are developing your very first website it can sometimes be a challenging task in finding just where to start. With that in mind we’ve put together a short list of items that you should consider when planning your next web project.
Define the main goal or purpose of your website
This is arguably the most important piece of information when planning your website. Before you or your web designer can consider the creative or functional components of your website, you must have a clear idea in mind of what the main goal or purpose of your website will be. Will you be using your website to advertise professional services, sell products or simply share information about you or your business? The more clear and concise your goals are, the better your chances of creating a successful website become.
Determine your website needs and requirements
With today’s technology it’s very possible for you to manage you own website content by making use of a content management system. If you anticipate the need for frequent updates or changes to your online content, it may be worth the extra investment in a content management system that best suits your needs. In the long term, this will ensure savings on your part rather than having your designer or developer make these often tedious updates for you.
If you don’t anticipate regular updates to your website, it will likely be more cost-effective to develop a static website and to have your web designer make periodic updates. This will also save you the time of making the updates or learning new software yourself.
Choosing your domain name
If this is your very first website it is likely that you don’t already own a domain name. It can be a tedious and often frustrating process securing a name that is both functional and to your liking. With millions of domain names already registered today, it will likely take patience and creative thinking to secure a new domain name.
Some important points to remember when selecting a domain name are:
- Be short and concise
- Make sure it’s easy to remember
- Make sure it is easy to spell – try and avoid strange spellings or short forms.
Try and use a keyword associated with your business or service in your domain name if possible as this will help your website turn up in relevant searches.
Purchase a hosting package
If planning for your first website you will need to purchase some web hosting so that you have a place to put your website up on the web. There are countless hosting services out there today with a wide range of options and associated costs. If you are unsure of what your hosting needs are, speak to your designer or developer and they will be able to suggest some key options to search for.
