Building a website without a plan is like constructing a building without blueprints.<\/p>\n

If you are a web designer working with clients, then this guide will help both of you to plan properly. If you are a business owner or employee of an organization, then this guide will help lay the groundwork for your coming website.<\/p>\n

\n
1. \n

   Set your purpose and goals.<\/strong>\u00a0What is the purpose of your website? Is it to gain publicity for your business? To sell your inventory? It\u2019s important to identify your website\u2019s purpose, as well as your target audience. You should also define your goals. How many visitors do you expect per month? How many do you expect will sign up for your newsletter? How much in sales do you expect to make? Set measurable, specific goals for your website that are in line with your marketing goals. An analytics tool like Google Analytics will allow you to monitor your website\u2019s performance over time.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

   \n
   1. \n

      Create a budget.<\/strong>\u00a0Whether you\u2019re an established, mid-sized organization or a fledgling start-up, you should always set a budget for your website expenses. This will probably include funds for web design, programming, and web hosting (though other expenses may apply). Research the market by shopping around and consulting with professionals. Don\u2019t sell yourself short by comparing prices alone. What you save in money you may later pay for with a lackluster site and lots of headaches. It\u2019s better to choose team members based on experience, insightfulness, references, and examples of work.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      \n
      1. \n

         Assign roles.<\/strong>\u00a0Assemble the team of people who will be working on the website. Your team may consist of:<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

         \n
         • \n

           Company stakeholders (owner, marketing manager, or whoever else represents a primary function of the business)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

         • \n

           Web developer<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

         • \n

           Content writer and\/or editor<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

         • \n

           HTML\/CSS professional<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

         • \n

           Web and graphic designer<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

           Make sure everyone on your team knows their role and what is expected of them, and that they stay abreast of deadlines and new developments.<\/p>\n

           \n
           1. \n

              Create a content strategy.<\/strong>\u00a0What kind of content will you be displaying on your website? Content is basically anything that gives your visitors information. It can include, but is not limited to:<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              \n
              • \n

                Blog posts<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Documents<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Video<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Pictures (such as in a gallery)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Slideshows<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Embedded social media feeds (such as your Twitter stream or Facebook page updates)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Your content strategy is the way that you plan to present your content over time. For instance, you may want to publish two blog posts a month, and put out a free quarterly report for your subscribers to download four times a year. Since content is such a vital aspect of a website, bring in help if you need it. Hire a writer who is experienced with writing for the web, and invest in some professional looking pictures of your storefront and employees.<\/p>\n

                \n
                1. \n

                   Structure your website.<\/strong>\u00a0Decide what pages you\u2019ll be using and what features will be on each one. Most websites have an About and Contact page, but the pages you use should meet your business\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                   \n
                   1. \n
                      Create a mock-up.<\/strong>\u00a0A page mock-up, also know as a wireframe, is essentially the outline of your website (with the initial design being the first draft). This is just to give everyone an idea of what the website will look like.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                      \n
                      1. \n

                         Start designing.<\/strong>\u00a0The importance of good web design can\u2019t be stressed enough. Good website design includes both usability and aesthetics. An ugly website will drive away visitors, as will a website that\u2019s difficult to navigate.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                         \n
                         1. \n

                            Test it out.<\/strong>\u00a0Testing is important for getting out bugs out and catching details that you might have missed initially. Make sure your website shows up the way you want it to in all browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and mobile web browsers like Safari and Opera Mini. Test it on your cell phone, your tablet, and your colleague\u2019s cell phones and tablets too. You want your site to have a consistent appearance no matter what screen it shows up on. Make sure all of the links work, that the images are properly sized, and that you\u2019ve replaced all of the placeholders with actual content. See to it that all of the forms and other input fields are working.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                            \n
                            1. \n

                               Maintain your site.<\/strong>\u00a0Once your site is launched, the work isn\u2019t over. A website is an ongoing entity that continuously represents your company, so maintenance is very important. Monitor your analytics software to see how your website is performing with the public. Keep an eye on metrics like your number of unique visitors, bounce rate, and which pages are most popular on your website.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                               You should also have a plan for maintaining the website, such as who is responsible for posting new content or monitoring site security. And of course, get feedback from your users. Feedback is a valuable tool for improvement.<\/p>\n

                               Planning a website ahead of time is just as important as planning anything else in business, yet this step often gets overlooked by those anxious to claim their piece of internet real estate. Taking the time to plan your website is a great investment, and it will better you chances of having a finished product that serves you well for as long as you need it.<\/p>\n

                               We offer affordable and professional online shop\/store for Startups, Sole Traders, SME’s in Nigeria and the rest of the world. Free domain name & web hosting with all packages.<\/p>\n

                               Setting up your own online shop is a smooth process all the way; we pride ourselves on offering the best service possible to all of our clients at affordable cost.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                               Building a website without a plan is like constructing a building without blueprints. If you are a web designer working with clients, then this guide will help both of you … <\/p>\n

                               Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":126,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[22,19,21],"class_list":["post-300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-nigeria","tag-website-design-in-nigeria","tag-website-for-nigerian-businesses"],"yoast_head":"\n