The start and ending of any project can be the most intimidating part. Building and launching a website is no exception. So it’s important that you break down this overwhelming process into simple steps.
Whether you are rebuilding an existing site or starting from scratch, these steps will help streamline the process and help make the transition to a new site more successful.
Preparation
Define your destination
The first step to reinventing your website is deciding what direction you want your company to take. This is a perfect opportunity to reevaluate the ultimate goals of the company. Complimentary to the review of your company goals, it is beneficial to also complete an in depth review of how your brand interacts with its consumers.
This review will provide your company with a chance to clarify goals or take on a whole new directive for your company’s touch points. Your website is your company’s largest touchpoint so it is important to revisit and renovate any outdated content when working on the website.
Decide what path you will take to get there
Once your ultimate goals and any upgrades have been determined, your company should consider what platform would be most beneficial to build on.
Many factors should be considered when your company is determining which platform to use such as time, money, and skill level. There are several user friendly resources like SquareSpace and Wix. Site like these require little background in website design, but may have limitations for 3rd party integrations with CRMs or email marketing platforms.
While sites like WordPress require a more intense skill to design, but offer a wide variety of plugins. These plugins make integrating with CRMs, email marketing platforms and other 3rd party integrations easy.
It’s important to consider the needs of your company when choosing a platform. But it’s arguably more important to consider the resources your company has for both the build and maintenance of your website.
Determine your messaging
Reevaluate any weak spots in your company’s messaging. And make a plan to update any piece of content that contains that messaging. This could include redesigning visual assets, creating new illustrations, sourcing imagery, adjusting copy, or editing your company voice.
The release and update of your website provides your company with an opportunity to revisit your branding. Reinventing your website does not require a full scale rebrand but your website could benefit from a refocused messaging and a refreshed appearance.
Launching
Detail website optimization and access
Before your website is ready for publishing, you need to work on each page’s SEO and web compatibility. This will increase the availability of your website and the discoverability of each page. It is important that your site is optimized for search engines that way your consumers and interested customers have an easy time accessing your company.
Poor search engine optimization can be detrimental to the success of your website and company. It may be a tedious step but it is important to complete prior to publishing.
Declare your new messaging and website
Re-launching your website provides your company with content opportunities. Your social platforms and new site both benefit from shared content about the updated website. Content planning can be a challenging task especially when you are unsure what content to feature.
A site relaunch will provide your company with a perfect content opportunity. On the opposite end, increased social posts will redirect traffic to your site and increase the amount of website visits.
Closing
Re-evaluating, re-designing, and re-launching a website can be overwhelming but these steps help to simplify the process. This process will help your company grow and transition to an improved website seamlessly.
