Website Planning Checklist

What to Do Before Building Your Website

Building a website is much easier when you know what you want to achieve before you start. Taking some time to plan your website can save you a lot of work later and help you create something that actually meets the needs of your business and customers.

You don't need to have everything figured out before you begin, but it helps to have a clear idea of what your website needs to do, which pages you need and what information you'll need to include.

We've put together this website planning checklist to help you get organised before you start building. Work through each section and you'll have a much clearer idea of what you need to create your website.

1. Define Your Website Goals

Start by thinking about why you need a website and what you want it to achieve.

Your website might be designed to generate enquiries, sell products, provide information or help more people discover your business.

Consider the following:

• What is the main purpose of my website?
• Who am I trying to reach?
• What products or services do I want to promote?
• What do I want visitors to do when they arrive?
• How will I measure whether my website is successful?

Having clear goals will help you make better decisions about your website's design, content and functionality. Check out our article How to Plan a Website for detailed information on this.

2. Understand Your Target Audience

Your website needs to appeal to the people you want to attract to your business.

Think about who your customers are, what they are looking for and what information they need before making a decision.

• Who are my ideal customers?
• What problems are they trying to solve?
• What questions might they have about my products or services?
• What information will help them make a decision?
• What would make them choose my business over a competitor?

Try to look at your website from your customer's perspective rather than simply thinking about what you want to say about your business.

3. Plan Your Website Pages

Before choosing a design, work out which pages your website needs.

Most small business websites will need a homepage, an About page, service or product pages and a Contact page. You may also need additional pages depending on your business.

Use this list to get started:

• Homepage
• About Us
• Products or Services
• Individual Service Pages
• Contact Page
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Customer Testimonials or Reviews
• Gallery or Portfolio
• Blog or Resources
• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions

You don't necessarily need every page on this list. Choose the ones that are relevant to your business and the information your customers need.

If you're unsure what to include, read our guide to What Pages Does a Website Need?.

4. Prepare Your Website Content

Website content includes all the written information, photographs and other material visitors will see.

It's a good idea to start gathering this before you build your website. Having your content ready makes it much easier to put your pages together.

• Write an introduction to your business.
• Prepare your About Us information.
• Write descriptions of your products or services.
• Gather your business contact details.
• Prepare your opening hours and location information.
• Collect customer testimonials and reviews.
• Gather answers to common customer questions.
• Prepare any policies or legal information you need.
• Identify photographs and images for each page.

Think about what customers need to know rather than trying to include everything about your business. Keep your writing clear, useful and easy to understand.

5. Plan Your Website Design

When planning your website design, remember it should look professional and reflect your business. It should also be easy for visitors to find their way around.

You don't need to have a finished design before you start, but it helps to have an idea of how you want your website to look.

• Choose your business colours.
• Decide which fonts you want to use.
• Gather your logo and branding materials.
• Find examples of websites you like.
• Think about the layout of your homepage.
• Consider how your navigation menu will work.
• Choose suitable photographs and images.
• Make sure your design will work on mobile devices.

Keep your customers in mind when making design decisions. A website should be easy to use and provide a good experience, not just look attractive.

6. Decide What Features Your Website Needs

Different businesses need different website features.

A consultant might only need a contact form, while a retailer selling products online will need an online store with payment and shipping options.

Think about what your website needs to do.

• Contact or enquiry forms
• Online booking functionality
• Image galleries
• Customer testimonials
• Live chat
• Newsletter sign-up
• Social media links
• Online payments
• Shopping cart
• Product and stock management
• Shipping options

You don't need to add every feature available. Start with the functionality your business actually needs and consider additional features as your website grows.

7. Think About Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

If you want people to find your website through Google, it's worth thinking about SEO before you start building.

This means considering what your potential customers are searching for and making sure your website contains useful information about those topics.

• Identify the main keywords relevant to your business.
• Research what your potential customers are searching for.
• Plan pages around your main products and services.
• Consider local search terms if you serve a particular area.
• Write descriptive page titles.
• Prepare a meta description for each important page.
• Plan how related pages will link to one another.
• Make sure your website will work well on mobile devices.

Website SEO is much easier to incorporate when planning your website than trying to make major changes later.

8. Organise Your Website Requirements

Before you choose a website builder or start creating pages, think about the practical requirements for running your website.

• Choose a suitable domain name.
• Decide whether you need professional email addresses.
• Work out your website budget.
• Decide whether you will build the website yourself or hire someone.
• Compare website builders and their features.
• Check what hosting is included.
• Consider what ongoing support you might need.
• Decide who will manage and update the website.

If you're planning to sell products online, you'll also need to consider payment providers, shipping arrangements and how you will manage orders.

9. Plan for the Future

Your website should be able to grow and change as your business develops.

You might start with a small website and later want to add more services, publish articles, introduce online bookings or start selling products.

Consider:

• Will I need to add more pages in the future?
• Might I want to sell products online?
• Will I need additional website features?
• How often will I update my website?
• Who will be responsible for keeping information current?
• Will my website builder allow me to make changes as my business grows?

Thinking ahead can help you choose a website builder and website structure that won't limit you later.

10. Your Website Planning Checklist: Final Review

Before you start building, take a final look at your plans.

Have you:

• Identified the main purpose of your website?
• Worked out who your target audience is?
• Decided which pages you need?
• Prepared your written content?
• Gathered your photographs and images?
• Thought about your website design?
• Identified the features you need?
• Considered your SEO requirements?
• Set a realistic website budget?
• Chosen a suitable domain name?
• Thought about how you will manage your website?
• Considered what you might need in the future?

You don't need to have every detail finalised, but having these basics covered will give you a much better starting point.

Ready to Start Building Your Website?

Planning your website before you begin can make the whole process easier. You'll have a clearer idea of what you need, what information to prepare and which features are important for your business. Once you've worked through this checklist, the next step is choosing a website builder that gives you the tools to create and manage your website.

With BuildAWebsite.nz, you can choose a professionally designed template, customise your pages and add the features your business needs. You can also make changes as your business grows, without needing advanced technical skills.

Ready to get started? Start building your website today.