Launching a new website is a big step for your business. It’s often the first impression you make on potential customers, so it needs to be impactful, effective, and aligned with your goals. At Simpler Strategies, we understand the challenges involved, and we’re here to guide you through a proven process that delivers exceptional results.
We’ve partnered with businesses like yours for over a decade, crafting websites that not only look great but also drive conversions, boost brand awareness, and contribute to your bottom line. Our experience has taught us that a successful website design project hinges on clear communication, strategic planning, and a collaborative approach. This article outlines our refined process, designed to empower you and ensure your website becomes a valuable asset for your business.
Preparing for Success
Before diving into the design phase, it’s crucial to establish realistic expectations and understand the investment involved. Building a successful website requires time, energy, and resources. We’ll work with you to define a clear timeline and budget, ensuring transparency every step of the way.
We also know that website projects can sometimes feel overwhelming. There will be decisions to make, feedback to provide, and potentially some revisions along the way. We’re here to support you throughout the entire process, offering expert guidance and addressing any concerns you may have. Our goal is to make the journey as smooth and stress-free as possible, celebrating the milestones together.
The Web Design Process
After the initial preparation, we’ll begin the web design process. Understanding this process will help you manage expectations and provide effective feedback. Here are the key stages:
Phase 1: Strategy & Architecture
This crucial first step focuses on understanding your business inside and out. We’ll discuss your unique value proposition, target audience, and how your website fits into your overall sales and marketing strategy. This stage involves in-depth interviews, thorough industry research, and analysis of your initial SEO keyword wishlist. Before any development begins, we’ll present you with initial design and messaging options.
At Simpler Strategies, we take this a step further by providing two unique homepage concepts and a preliminary sitemap (a visual plan for your website’s pages). We work with you through revision rounds until you’re happy with both the homepage design and sitemap. This ensures you know exactly what your website will look like and what message it will convey. Once you’ve approved the homepage and sitemap, we move on to content and design for the rest of the pages. This collaborative approach ensures your website is strategically aligned with your business objectives from the outset.
Phase 2: Content
The content development phase typically involves an initial interview (call or meeting) and up to two rounds of client revisions. Throughout this stage, we collaborate with you to develop website copy that seamlessly integrates your SEO goals, brand voice, and clear calls to action. While copywriting and design are distinct phases, they often progress concurrently within the project timeline for efficiency. Compelling content is key to attracting and engaging your target audience.
Phase 3: Design
After finalizing the homepage and sitemap, our design team starts crafting templates for your website’s subpages. These subpages will echo the color scheme and overall look and feel you approved for the homepage, but their structure will adapt to fit the specific content of each page category. Infographics, icons, and original or stock photos and videos are all potential design elements that can enhance your subpages and create a visually appealing experience for your visitors.
At Simpler Strategies, we provide the subpage designs in PDF format for your review and feedback. We offer up to two rounds of revisions to ensure the subpages perfectly complement your vision and maintain a cohesive and impactful presence. Your feedback is invaluable in shaping the final design.
Phase 4: Development
Once the design and content are finalized, it’s time to build the website’s core structure – the backend. It’s crucial that your website leverages the latest development best practices for a secure and up-to-date foundation. We ensure your website is set up to be easily “crawlable” by search engines, helping your website to be more prominent for targeted keyword phrases. We’re happy to share our SEO success stories and demonstrate our ability to deliver results. A solid technical foundation is essential for long-term success.
Phase 5: Launch
Your website launch is like your website’s grand opening! It’s an exciting time, and we ensure a smooth experience with our experienced marketing and development team. Launching a website is a technical process requiring meticulous attention to detail and the expertise to fix any hosting or coding issues that might arise. We’ll discuss our post-launch care plan with you to ensure your peace of mind.
A successful website launch is just the beginning. Ongoing monitoring and maintenance are crucial for optimal performance. At Simpler Strategies, we go beyond launch day. We set up 301 redirects to ensure a smooth user experience and monitor for 404 errors (broken links) for 30 days post-launch. This proactive approach keeps your website functioning flawlessly and delivering peak performance.
Giving Effective Feedback
Communication and feedback are essential to the design process. Users form an opinion of a website within the first 0.05 seconds, making adjustments crucial. Before offering feedback, ensure internal team consensus to avoid conflicting opinions that can prolong the design process.
When providing feedback, be concise and outline clear, actionable steps. Instead of simply stating a dislike, explain the reasoning. Provide specific examples rather than vague suggestions. For instance, instead of saying a graphic element is “not engaging,” explain why and offer concrete suggestions for enhancement. Sharing reference examples can also help the design team better understand your vision. Finally, clearly articulate the overall impact you hope the design elements will achieve. Request clarification on any unclear aspects of the project.
Consolidate all feedback and comments into a single email whenever possible. Distributing feedback across multiple emails hinders the design team’s ability to track and implement changes. Timely feedback is also essential. Provide feedback as early as possible, and always before project finalization, to allow for necessary revisions. Your thoughtful feedback is essential to creating a website that meets your needs.
Your Partner in Online Success
Building a successful website takes work. It requires preparation, open communication, and your active participation. Your website is often the first impression of your brand, making it essential to create a site that’s both beautiful and effective. We can help. By working together, planning strategically, and communicating clearly, we can create a web design that elevates your brand and drives results.Contact Simpler Strategies to learn more about our web design services and how we can partner with you to achieve your online goals.
