3 Things You NEED to do Before Building a New Website
By Robert Murray
I know, I know, everyone has an opinion on what a new website needs to look like or how to function. This article talks about factors that should determine how you approach your decision making.
There are 3 things we all must consider for building a new website:
- Objectives
- Analytics
- User Experience
Now, let’s break these down one by one. First, objectives.
Objectives
What do I want people visiting my website to do?
This might seem obvious or straightforward, but it is often overlooked. Do you want people to email you through a contact form? Do you want them to phone you? Do you want them to come visit you? Do you want them to download something or start a free trial?
The answer to these questions will drive the design of your new website so be sure to ask them and answer them and be very sure that the company you hire is bringing this question to the table.
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Analytics
This is a big subject and depending on who’s reading this, there are a multitude of perspectives so I am going to simplify the approach to try and incorporate every reader.
1) You NEED Google Analytics on your current website
This will gather data on; who your visitors are, how they got to your site, and what they do when they get there. This information will give you insight into 3 core areas:
- Is your customer who you thought they were/are?
- Are your online marketing dollars driving quality visits and conversions (we’ll talk about this in the next section)?
- Is your website ensuring that people are seeing the right content?
2) Goals & Conversions
If you do not have these being reported to you on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis, then you need to fix that ASAP.
Every website company/developer should have the orientation to help you understand whether your website is performing well, period.
Goals and conversions allow you to see what traffic sources are driving leads, sales, and quality visits to your website. This is a MUST.
3) E-Commerce Tracking
This goes without saying that only people selling online need this functionality, but it is free with Google Analytics and if you don’t have reporting at your finger tips on how many sales are coming through your website, then this needs attention immediately.
User Experience
This is tied right back to your objectives. Is it easy for people to see/understand where they need to go next when they land on your website? Does a visitor know what to do next on your website? Is it remarkably easy for them to identify what you want them to do?
This usually seems obvious when read in a blog like this, but check out your website to the list above. Are you fulfilling these three primary functions for your website?
If not, don’t worry, you’re not alone. This is a big part as to why we exist as a company. If you would like some help getting answers to these points and questions, give us a call 519-265-4933