Step One: Inventory Your Content
After (or if you’re really good, before) you decide to create a website, it’s best to take some inventory of what kinds of content your firm already has. This can be an existing website that you’ll pull from, or other materials like company profiles, informational brochures, or even social media posts.
While this may seem tedious, it’s easy to underestimate how this process will give you a head start. (Learn more about why Content is King here). Once you’ve determined what you have – you can determine what needs to change. Does the written content that already exists feel authentic to your firm? Are these the messages that you want your audience to get when they visit your website? Is the tone and voice of your content consistent? These kinds of questions can help guide you to the next step, and give you an idea of what you can work with, and what kinds of content may need to be developed.
Don’t panic, this is something we LOVE helping our clients dig through.
Step 1.5: Brand Story and Messaging Session – Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200.
While you’re inventorying your content – keep in mind that your website is only one channel. What you say about your firm online should match very closely with how you present yourself in all of your other materials. The best way to do this is to develop something called a Brand Story. This is key messaging relevant to the what, how, and why of your firm. It gives people context around what your firm does, how you do it, and most importantly why they should care. Ideally, this is where you’ll eliminate any cookie-cutter, generic language that you’ve been using and develop something that feels compelling and authentic to your firm.
In a perfect world, a really well-developed Brand Story could mean that you never have to write another piece of content again. (Okay, maybe not never again. But not nearly as often as you would without it.)
We’ll revisit the importance of a well-defined Brand Story in future Eggstracts, because it’s a foundational need for all external and internal communications efforts, but this is why you come to us, a team of AEC MarComm experts to help you execute your website project. Just as you design and build your projects from the ground up, identifying concerns and risks well in advance of them becoming a major problem, we do that for you and your firm. YOU are our project, and we want your brand new website (or refreshed website) to reflect your unique story and expertise.
Step Two: Content Outline
Once you’ve identified your available materials, you’ll have a solid understanding of what existing content can be used on your website and what will need to be developed.
Next, you’ll outline the organization of your website. This is a step we collaborate on with clients early in the process. Start by determining the main pages beyond the homepage. Most firms in our industry focus on a few core sections: About & Team (who they are), Services (what they do), Portfolio (their experience), and Contact. From there, we refine each page section by section, and begin writing up the text and gathering necessary images and visuals for each part.
I say this with all of the love in my heart, please do not embark on design until your content is at least prototype ready. This means that your page structure and all of the content developed is well established at this point and unlikely to change in any drastic ways.
A word to the wise: once design is underway, it becomes significantly more challenging to make large scale changes.
Step Three: Design
Now that you’ve got a solid foundation for your website, you’re ready to start making your visions come to life. Whether you’ll be laying it all out yourself or counting on an expert to design it for you, there are a few things to consider.
Your website is meant to answer people’s questions, not necessarily incur more of them. So while designing, it’s important to consider your target audience. Why are they visiting your website in the first place? What are they hoping to find out? Your most basic and impactful information should be easiest to locate. Cluttered and poorly organized websites are rarely effective.
This is also why we like to say that your home page should have a little snippet of each of your subpages readily accessible. Though we want people to click into the other pages of your site, human nature tells us that the audience is often too impatient. People want their information now, and without too much fuss.
The goal here is visual interest without overwhelm. And you’ve got to play your cards right – you’ve got about 10 seconds from the time someone loads your website to catch and keep their attention.
Step Four: Development
You’re so close to the finish line, and development is the last leg of the race.
At this point, you’ve got strategic and well-developed copy. You’ve got compelling visuals. And your website is organized in a way that’s easy to navigate. Boom. Not done yet.
The main thing consider at this phase is the functionality. How well can you build what you’ve designed, and what does that look like to the user? If you can prioritize the user experience during buildout, you’re setting yourself up for true success. This may require a few levels of review, QA/QC testing, and perhaps a visit back to your content and visuals to ensure they are optimized for web. If you can nail all of that down, you’ll be left with a website that articulates your value, helps you put your best foot forward, and ultimately helps you win more work.
Step Five: Maintenance
We’re sorry to burst your bubble, but a website project is never a one-and-done. Just like buildings and infrastructure, websites require maintenance. And the longer you defer the maintenance, the bigger of a problem it becomes.
Of course, there are a whole slew of maintenance and updates necessary when it comes to the behind-the-scenes portions of your website. At a minimum, you should be continuously updating the content management system you’re using (ie: WordPress), along with any plug-ins or additional services also hosted within your website. These items are crucial from a functionality standpoint – meaning just to keep your website up, running, and functional, you or your website developer should be making frequent checks and updates.
And even beyond the more technical aspects, when we create websites with our clients, we make sure to emphasize that launch day is not necessarily the end of the road. As your firm continues to grow over time, it’s essential that your website reflects that – not only in the way of showcasing new projects or team members, but even things like key messaging, photography, (and perhaps office locations!) are all subject to change – as they should! Remember, if you want this website to work for you, it should be showcasing the most accurate and authentic version of your firm.
Step Six: Celebrate (and Keep Evolving)
Congratulations! You’ve made it through the website process, and that’s no small feat. But remember, a great website isn’t just a one-time achievement—it’s a living, breathing extension of your firm.
As your business grows, your website should evolve with it. Make sure it continues to reflect who you are and what your firm does best. And if you ever need a hand to guide you through the process of creating a website (or a full refresh down the road), you know where to find us. Here’s to a website that works as hard as you do!