The First Steps To A Better Web Site

Much of our web development work is redeveloping web sites that don’t work so well.

I’ve just finished off a proposal for a client and it’s a process that we know pretty well. Here are the first steps to take in developing a better performing web site (and who says I’m not creative with the photos I use on this site!):

• Place a quality web analytics program onto the web site – Google Analytics is an excellent program we recommend.

The next steps are undertaken to ensure current customers feel part of the redevelopment process.

• Undertake a survey to identify what your market wants and needs the site to have
• Commence an e-newsletter to fully inform previous customers and site visitors of a) survey, b) survey results and c) changes to be undertaken.

Start Personalising The Site

From there we recommend you start the ‘personalisation’ of the site – commence a Home Page blog (like this site!) where you introduce the person managing the site and start to educate your visitors re what it is you are doing.

We recommend that only then do you commence the web site redevelopment with these major steps:

1. Identify the most effective way to move customers through the buying process
2. Commence redesign and restructuring of pages
3. Develop quality content
4. Improve the shopping process – install a user-friendly shopping cart system

Then commence the ongoing marketing of the site:

• Search engine optimisation
• Pay Per Click advertising
• Viral marketing campaigns
• Great site content

Sure, there are other and more urgent steps, sometimes you should start marketing from day one, other times you should add the quality content immediately, other times a search engine marketing strategy might not be approprioate, etc.

But the above is a good and general start. Hope that helps.