These days, we can’t disregard the importance of a website for any organization or business. But having a good-looking site is not enough, there are certain key principles that you have to consider in order for your website to yield a healthy return on investment. Before you even begin developing a website, there are a few important questions that you have to answer beforehand.
What is the purpose of the website?
By determining the purpose of your website beforehand, it will tell you what type of content you will be developing and working with. It also let you find out the types of technologies that you’ll have to incorporate. So, ask yourself first, will it sell or support a product or service? Is it for entertainment or games? Is your purpose to provide information or news? Etc.
Who is the audience?
Next question to ask is who is your target audience? Will it be adults, children, seniors, professionals, hobbyists, men, women, everyone, etc.? By identifying your audience first, you are able to plan well for the overall design and functionality of your site. For example, if it is for children, you might need more animation and attractive colours.
It is also important to look at the competition. You might simply search at Google or Yahoo to find out similar sites, which provide the same service and determine if they are successful at what they do.
How do they get here?
Online customers can arrive at your site in various ways. Some things like, are they accessing your site using a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or cell phone? Also, what browser they most likely use? Such factors will give information about what kind of experience your customers will expect. For instance, dial-up and cell phone users may not want to see high-res graphics or videos while those users with large flat-panel displays and high-speed internet connections may demand the opposite. You may get these data from your web-hosting service or you can make use of third-party tools such as Google Analytics for tracking.
