Considering a new website development? Things to consider…

Creating a website development plan is a critical step in ensuring the success of your web project.

A well-structured plan helps you outline your goals, establish timelines, allocate resources, and manage the entire development process efficiently. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create a comprehensive website development plan:

1. Define Your Goals and Objectives:

• Start by determining the purpose of your website. What are your goals and objectives? Is it an e-commerce site, a blog, a portfolio, or a corporate website?
• Identify your target audience and understand their needs and preferences.

2. Research and Analysis:

• Conduct market research to understand your competition and industry trends.
• Analyze your audience’s behaviour and preferences to tailor your website accordingly.

3. Plan Your Website Structure:

• Create a site map to outline the structure of your website, including the main pages, subpages, and the navigation hierarchy.

4. Choose WordPress for your Content Management System (CMS):

• WordPress is perfect to help you achieve your website’s goals.
• Trusted by the best – 43% of the web uses WordPress, from blogs to the biggest news sites online, flexibility is key.
• Factors like ease of use, scalability, extensive plugin options and available features make it the perfect platform for any development.

5. Design and Branding:

• Develop a visual identity and branding guidelines for your website – ensuring the new site sits at the heart of your brand.
• Hire a designer or a design team to create a user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing design.

6. Content Strategy:

• Plan, gather and and create high-quality content, including text, images, videos, and other media.
• Ensure that your content aligns with your goals and resonates with your target audience.

7. Development and Functionality:

• Identify key requirements for your new site, including features, functionality, and integrations essential to your business  / organisation.
• Implement responsive design to ensure the site works on various devices and screen sizes.

8. SEO and Performance Optimisation:

• Optimise your website for search engines (SEO) by using proper meta tags, keywords, and clean code.
• Test and optimise website performance to ensure fast loading times.

9. Testing:

• Thoroughly test your website for functionality, compatibility, and usability.
• Identify and fix any bugs, errors, or issues.

10. Security:

• Implement security measures to protect your website from potential threats, including malware and hacking attempts.
• Regularly update your CMS and plugins for security patches.

11. User Testing:

• Conduct user testing to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments based on user experience.

12. Training and Documentation:

• Train your team on how to manage and update the website.
• Create documentation outlining website maintenance procedures.

13. Launch:

• Choose a suitable hosting provider such as WP Engine.

14. Marketing and Promotion:

• Develop a marketing strategy to promote your website, including social media, email marketing, and content marketing.
• Monitor and analyse website traffic and user behaviour.

15. Maintenance and Updates:

• Regularly update your content, features, and plugins to keep the website current.
• Perform backups and maintenance tasks to ensure optimal performance.

16. Set KPIs and Monitor Progress:

• Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of your website.
• Continuously monitor and analyse website metrics to make data-driven improvements.

17. Future Development:

• Plan for future development, including new features, additional content, or expansion into new markets.

Creating a website development plan is an ongoing process that requires continuous improvement and adaptation to changing technology and user needs. Regularly revisit your plan to ensure your website remains effective and aligned with your goals.