Trip PlannerBuilding a website is like planning a trip – there are steps needed to ensure you get to your desired destination. When these steps are skipped, or not clearly communicated, you will end up with an unexpected website.

Where are you Going?

When I sit down with a new client, we talk about what he or she wants on the website, including the pages, general content and look and feel of the site.  This leads to a Letter of Agreement, where I look at my client’s needs – both known and unknown to the client – and lay it out on paper. We both sign the letter, giving each of us a reference document and clear scope for the website.

Map It

A good website starts with a Navigation Plan. The elements of the website are included in the Letter of Agreement, but the Navigation Plan lays them our specifically. This is where we decide where the contact information will go, for example. Does it need it’s own page? Should it go in the header or side bar and be accessible on every page? If there are several locations, should each location have contact information? All of these questions need to be answered and agreed upon, as they determine the size of the site, which determines the appropriate layout.

Pack The Essentials

There are certain pieces of information that are needed on any website:

  • home page
  • contact information
  • services/products

I really hate going to a website and never being able to find a phone number or hours. What do your clients need to know right away? That information needs to be easily accessible.

Prioritize the Sights

Not everything can be on the home page. You have to decide what elements need to be accessible everywhere, and what elements can be a few pages in. Cramming too much on the home page is a mistake, but burying items that are most often needed is also a mistake. It’s a balancing act to keep the most commonly looked for information at visitor’s fingertips, while allowing more specific information to be a click or two away.