In the past, a common misstep for first-time website creators was rushing into design and content creation without proper planning. The website design process involves a thorough analysis of both the site owner's and users' needs to determine the best approach for site development. Without a structured plan and careful design, costly rework becomes inevitable, as the initial version of the site may not meet the needs of end-users or the business. Key development tasks that should be included in the planning process are as follows:
Pre-development tasks
These include domain name registration and selecting a hosting company. It also involves creating a brief outlining the site's objectives. If outsourcing the site is considered, this phase includes presenting the brief to potential agencies for bidding and pitching.
Analysis and design
This phase encompasses in-depth analysis and design, clarifying business objectives, conducting market research to identify the target audience and user personas, defining user journeys and needs, and structuring the information architecture for various content types. It also involves prototyping functional and visual designs that align with the brand.
Content development and testing
The development stage involves creating prototypes, integrating content management systems, database integration, and conducting usability and performance testing.
Publishing or launching the site
This is a relatively short stage where the site is either fully launched or goes through a soft launch, allowing for updates without widespread communication until site stability is ensured. Some site owners opt for limited user testing before rolling out new features more broadly.
Pre-launch promotion or communications
For new sites, search engine registration and optimization are vital, given the 'Google sandbox effect' for newly established sites. Pre-launch promotion may also involve briefing a PR company to publicize the launch.
Ongoing promotion
Scheduling for post-launch promotion is equally important. This may include structured discount promotions, pre-planned competitions, and continuous efforts in search engine optimization and pay-per-click marketing, often with the assistance of third-party experts.
In practice, iterative design in the prototyping phase is necessary. Once a working version is finalized, rigorous user testing and live testing using methods like A/B or multivariate testing should be conducted.
Adapted from: Chaffey, D. and Ellis-Chadwick, F., 2012. Digital marketing: strategy, implementation, and practice (Vol. 5). Harlow: Pearson.