First Steps when Planning a New Website – From Idea to Wire frames
Creating a new website or switching platforms with your current site can be a daunting task. Which platform should you use? How do you ensure security? What functionalities should it have? How should it look? How long will it take? And most of all… How much will it cost?
So, it may come to no surprise that one of the most critical steps in creating your new site is planning. Here at Act Bold, we want to keep things as simple as possible during the entire process of transitioning your website and have come up with a list of key steps to take before building your new site.
Who are your customers? Step 1 in designing a website is writing out every type of customer personal that you know comes to your website. We love giving that persona an identifiable name – something like Lucy – the 22 year old recent college grad.
We list each persona in a spreadsheet and map out the ideal funnel we would want that user to experience. Most importantly, we order those users in order of importance.
This first step is CRITICAL. Designing a website without proper sales funnels for your most important users can be disastrous. Proper funnels will also help identify the best platform for your customers.
Platform Options: Platforms like WordPress, Magento and Shopify have all taken huge steps to be more competitive than ever, making it even more difficult to choose the best platform for your business. Once you have identified your wish list of site features, the Act Bold web team will work with you to identify which platform will be best for you. Pricing, functionalities, future changes and ease of development will all be carefully considered in identifying your ideal solution.
Sitemap: Once Platform is chosen and funnels have been outlined, the next step is to translate your funnels into a well though out site map. Site maps are KEY in that they help create the proper navigation through out your site.
Features List: Once you have chosen the best platform for your new site and your key “wish list” items, its time to start identifying how to make those features work in your favor based on funnels that have been designed. Aspects like the look and feel of the site, user experience goals and creating a site that resonates your target audience will all be critical in building your perfect site.
Wire Frames: Once the feature list has been planned, and platforms chosen, It’s time to design the wire frames. Wire frame design needs to always be mobile first in approach and design. It’s important that designs be translated into mobile, tablet and desktop sizes and have clear navigation options for all of the customer funnels.