Infographic by Brian Lemen
(Click image to see full-size infographic)
Before you jump into your new website design, there are seven critical steps that will make your site easier to use and much more effective. Think of these steps as a “Website Warmup.”
Before you start thinking about design elements, images and bold colors, be sure to lay the foundation for a better outcome.
Today’s professional services websites don’t just look pretty, they have to work for a living. To make the best of the opportunity, you need to work through these seven critical steps.
Start by evaluating your current site and taking a careful look at the competition. This will help you understand what you need to fix and the level of competition you face.
Next, take a deep dive into your audiences and try to understand what they need from your new site. This will help you plan for and incorporporate the conversion actions you will want people to take. These conversion actions turn website traffic into leads and opportunities.
Speaking of website traffic, don't forget to identify the search terms and phrases you will want to optimize your site for. SEO is a powerful tool to attract visitors and help turn them into prospective clients.
Next, think through the structure. The key is not to try to include everything imaginable. Make it simple to navigate and easy to understand. Making today’s complex professional services firms — with their matrixed structures and sophisticed service lines — easy to understand is often a job for a seasoned pro. But even if you tackle it yourself, your goal is to produce a complete site map.
Finally, work through the content. What exactly needs to be on the site? Where does it belong? What keyword phrases should be on each page?
Once you and your website development partner have worked through these warm-up, you will be in much better shape to launch a big winner.
Enjoy and share the infographic. And don’t forget to download the complimentary Website Planning Guide offered below.
