Planning

​Planning for your website is the first step to creating a powerful online resource. Everyone wants a website but few know how to plan for a website that is going to bring the desired result.

First you must sit down with a paper and pen and plan what you want based on your business needs and goals.

Planning each page, image, video, form and email response can be challenging and although it is the most important step it is often overlooked by others.

Planning

Having the opportunity to consult with new and existing businesses that need a website I noticed that in most cases there is poor planning from the beginning. Planning takes longer and more thought than execution and in many cases it can make or break web project. There are a lot of web site developers and companies out there but many of them are not able to assist you with the type of plan that is going to assist you with strengthen your brand in the long run. Yes this is a long game and throwing up website without the proper planning can result in loss of time, money and even revenue.

I get it a lot of companies want their website up fast and that is possible but they should always have a long term plan in place. A website is never really completely finished, there is maintenance, upgrades and changes that must be made to increase your brand and build your business.

A website is like a building and a website developer is like an architect as well as the project manager. We consult with you to find out what you need and then we create a blueprint of your website to fit your vision. We then gather the tools that you need to make your vision happen. The website developer works with the designer to build your website and make it reflect your business online. Sometimes it takes days, weeks or even months to create the website that will accurately reflect your business goals.
Yes anyone can create a website within hours or even minutes with AI but the planning takes a lot longer to implement the strategies that will give you the ability to compete and succeed beyond the competition.

Thinking is the hardest thing that you have to do when creating your plan. After a while people can tell how much through you put into your website as soon as they get there.

 
Why Planning Matters
Before a single pixel is pushed or a line of code is written, a solid plan is your best friend. Think of it like building a house—you wouldn’t start hammering nails without a blueprint, right? The same logic applies to your website or app. Planning ensures your digital presence actually does what it’s supposed to: connect with users, meet business goals, and not fall apart when someone hits the contact form. Whether you’re launching a passion project or a full-blown web app, planning saves time, money, and plenty of digital headaches down the road.

1. Define Your Goals
Every great journey starts with a destination. This step involves identifying what you want your website or app to achieve—more sales, brand awareness, user sign-ups, or maybe world domination (hey, dream big). Having clear goals will shape every decision moving forward and keep your project on track.
2. Know Your Audience
Your users are the heroes of this story. Understanding who they are, what they need, and how they behave online allows you to tailor your site’s content, design, and functionality to serve them better. It’s like having a secret weapon for engagement and retention.
3. Competitive Research
Why reinvent the wheel when you can improve it? Analyzing your competitors helps you see what’s working (or not), spot opportunities, and differentiate your site. This stage is less about copying and more about innovating smarter.
4. Content Strategy
Content is still king—and queen, and the entire royal court. Planning what kind of content you’ll create (text, video, images, etc.), how it’ll be structured, and who’s going to create it is crucial. Without this step, your site could look great but feel empty or directionless.
5. Site Architecture & User Flow
This is where you map out your pages and how users move through them. Think navigation menus, user journeys, and page hierarchy. Done right, it feels intuitive—like the website is reading your user’s mind. Done wrong, and users click away faster than you can say “bounce rate.”
6. Technical Requirements
Now’s the time to nail down what tech your site needs: CMS or custom code? eCommerce functionality? Integrations with other tools? Mobile responsiveness? Sorting this out early avoids scope creep, budget surprises, and late-night debugging marathons.
7. Timeline & Budget
Let’s get real—resources are limited. A clear timeline keeps your team accountable, and a realistic budget helps prioritize features. Planning this up front avoids scope explosion and ensures you actually launch the thing, not just dream about it.
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Research

Planning and research go together because they work hand in hand to realize what is possible and how you can get your message across to your customers. You ever really stop the research and planning process because it guides the direction that your website will go now and in the future.

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Creating Content

Content is not just writing or throwing up images and video. Good content is planned and calculated to make the most powerful impact on your customers. Once the planning and research is completed creating content is the next step of the process.

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