Small Business Website Development – Topic 3: How to prepare to Develop a Website, Step 1

Preparing to develop a new website requires some upfront planning. Let’s assume you already registered a domain name and you have selected a hosting company to host your website. For the purposes of this post, I am focusing on a product or service type of website, but this can easily be applied to an educational or informational site as well.

For me, it is a necessity to determine the number of individual pages needed and the page structure of your future site. First step, identify and list by name the specific pages you want to create (e.g., Home Page, Products Pages, About Us Page, Contact Us Page, etc.). Next, define the general content for each page and organize them into categories or sub-categories - which can be used as the basis for your navigation menu. Sometimes, it may be easier to define the categories first and then develop the specific pages that would belong under each category. Creating a simple organizational chart will help with creating the page structure and provide a visual diagram to manage the process.

At this point, you might need to be thinking about your branding elements. If you have a logo, you will want a copy of the logo artwork (preferably a high-res PNG format with a clear background). You’ll need the specific color callouts (HEX codes are useful) for the logo’s primary colors as well as identifying the exact font styles used in the logo. This will help you establish complementary fonts and colors to provide consistency to match your logo throughout your new website.

If you do not have a logo, I would recommend creating one. It can serve as a recognizable symbol of your business and brand. Also having a business slogan or tagline to provide a brief explanation of your business is valuable. Additionally, developing several specific value propositions for communicating your most persuasive features and benefits can help clarify your key selling points and explain why customers should choose you over your competitors.