Are you embarking on a new website design? Congratulations! A fresh, modern website is one of the most powerful tools in your business arsenal. But before diving into the creative process, it’s important to lay a solid foundation. The more prepared you are, the smoother the process and the more successful the result will be.
In this blog, we’ll explore how to prepare for your new website—so you can hit the ground running and maximize the impact of your new design.
1. Gather Your Content
Before you even think about color schemes or fonts, the content is what truly drives your site. Good web content keeps visitors engaged, helps you rank on Google, and converts casual browsers into loyal customers. Here’s what you’ll need to have ready:
- Text Content: Have your copy written for each page. From your homepage to product/service pages, ensure your messaging is clear, concise, and speaks directly to your audience.
- Images: High-quality, professional photos that showcase your products, services, or team are essential. Think about your business’s vibe and how images can reinforce your message.
- Videos: A great video can engage users like nothing else. If you’ve got any videos—whether it’s an intro to your company, product demos, or customer testimonials—get them ready to go.
- Call-to-Action (CTA): When users land on your site, what do you want them to do? Book a consultation? Buy a product? Sign up for a newsletter? Ensure you have clear CTAs ready to lead them where they want to go.
If you don’t have everything ready, don’t panic. You can always work with web designers or your content team to fill in the blanks, but having a rough idea of the content flow will save you time in the long run.
2. Know Your Brand
Your website directly reflects your brand, so ensure you’ve got all the brand assets in place. This includes:
- Logo: Your logo should be high-resolution to look crisp and clean across all devices. If you don’t have one, it’s time to get one! A strong logo is the cornerstone of your brand identity.
- Brand Colors: Your website should align with your brand’s color scheme. Think about the colors that reflect your company’s personality and create the mood you want for your visitors. Share these with your web design team to create a cohesive visual experience.
- Fonts & Typography: Do you use specific fonts in your marketing materials? Make sure you have those ready or work with your design team to pick ones that complement your brand’s aesthetic.
If you haven’t created brand guidelines yet, now’s a great time to do so. This will ensure consistency across all your marketing materials.
3. Think About SEO
You’ve got great content, but how do you ensure your target audience can find it? SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the secret sauce to getting your site noticed on Google. Start by thinking about the keywords you want to rank for—terms your potential customers are typing into Google when searching for products or services like yours.
- List of Top Keywords: Think about the words and phrases that are most relevant to your business. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find high-volume keywords that align with your target audience’s search behavior.
- Keyword Placement: As your site takes shape, ensure that the most important keywords are strategically placed in critical areas: page titles, meta descriptions, headers, and body content. Don’t stuff them in—use them naturally, in a way that makes sense to users and search engines.
If you’re not sure where to start with keywords, we can help! Fu Dog Media specializes in SEO, and we can craft a strategy to ensure your new site ranks for the correct terms.
4. Set Clear Goals for Your New Website
What do you want your new website to accomplish? Every business is different, so define what success looks like for you. Here are some things to think about:
- Lead Generation: Are you focused on converting visitors into leads? If so, ensure your CTAs are clear, forms are easy to complete, and your contact information is front and center.
- E-commerce Sales: If you run an online store, your website should be optimized for a seamless shopping experience. Make sure your product pages have clear descriptions, beautiful images, and an easy checkout process.
- Brand Awareness: You may launch a rebrand or need to establish your online presence. If that’s the case, focus on your brand story, visuals, and positioning to create an emotional connection with visitors.
- Customer Support: If providing excellent customer service is a priority, consider adding features like live chat, FAQ pages, or customer testimonial sections.
Setting goals from the outset helps guide the design and functionality of your website. Remember to track key performance metrics (like conversions, bounce rates, and page load times) to measure success after launch.
5. Plan for User Experience (UX)
A well-designed site isn’t just about looking good—it’s about being easy to use. Think through the user experience (UX) to ensure visitors have a smooth journey across your site. Consider:
- Navigation: How easy can site visitors find what they’re looking for? Ensure your main menu is clear and that your content is organized logically.
- Mobile-Friendly Design: Your site must look and work great on mobile devices. As more people browse on their phones, remember mobile optimization.
- Site Speed: Page load times matter. Slow sites drive people away and hurt your rankings. Fu Dog Media ensures every aspect of your website is optimized for speed.
6. Get Ready for Analytics and Tracking
You’ve worked to create a killer site, but how do you measure its performance? Setting up analytics is a crucial part of preparing for your new design. Some tools you’ll need to have in place:
- Google Analytics: Track key metrics like page views, user behavior, traffic sources, and conversions.
- Google Search Console: Use it to monitor your website’s health, search performance, and potential issues that might hurt your rankings.
- Heatmaps: These tools show you where visitors click, scroll, and spend time on your site. Heatmaps are a great way to fine-tune your user experience.
Ensure these tools are set up before launch so you can start gathering data from day one.
Get Started with the Digital Marketing Team at Fu Dog Media
Preparing for a new website design can seem overwhelming, but the process will be smooth and seamless with the right plan in place. By gathering your content, defining your brand, focusing on SEO, and setting clear goals, you’ll set yourself up for a website that looks amazing and performs at the highest level.
At Fu Dog Media, we’re up to date on the latest web design trends and are here to guide you through every step of the process, from planning to launch and beyond. Ready to make your website work harder for you? Let’s chat—we’ll help you design a site that gets results!