Ready to put your domain name to use and create a website? Great!

Before you start building a site, you need a plan. When creating your plan, think about your purpose and goals in creating a website. Your purpose and goals will influence your site requirements, which in turn, influence your site design and build. Below, we list 10 things to keep in mind when creating your site plan and requirements list.

10 Things to Keep in Mind When Planning Your Site

1. Be honest with yourself.
   1. Do you have the time and expertise needed to create the site you envision? There are Website Builders you can use to create a site quickly, but if you need a custom-built site, consider hiring an expert.
2. How many pages will your site need?
   1. Sit down and map out the user experience you hope to achieve. Not all websites need 20+ web pages. If you’re creating an online store, you’ll need things like product landing pages and a Terms of Service page. If your purpose is to create a single landing page in an attempt to sell the domain name attached to it, you won’t need a complex multi-page site.
3. Site storage.
   1. Your content needs a repository. Make sure you have enough bandwidth for your current needs and for growth.
4. Details are your friend.
   1. Think about all the ways you want a visitor to interact with your site. Do they need the option to email you or contact forms to fill out? Will you require product listings or transaction tools? Will you provide a map for people to find your physical location?
5. Plan for a comprehensive online presence.
   1. Your website should have links or integrations to your social media accounts. If you can, include reviews and other types of social proof as well.
6. Optimize for the device type.
   1. Not everyone navigates the web from their desktop. Make sure your site is built to look good across mobile devices, too.
7. Security, security, security.
   1. Plan on purchasing SSL and Sitelock to give your visitors peace of mind. A quick way to guarantee poor site traffic is to offer no protection to site visitors.
8. Build with SEO in mind.
   1. Good SEO gets your site and content discovered in the SERPs. Make sure your strategy is comprehensive and addresses on-page, off-page, and technical SEO elements.
9. Measure success.
   1. Determine what KPIs you’ll use to measure the success of your site. Will it be by time spent on the page, overall traffic, conversions, or something else entirely? You’ll never know if you’re reaching your goals if you can’t measure performance.
10. Plan for the future.
    1. Where do you see your online business or blog in 1 year? How about 5 years from now? Are you doing what you need to now so that you can succeed then?