For a successful website, spend more time on preparation and save money in the long run

The success and cost of a website can be dramatically changed by applying some basic principles and preparing thoroughly before rushing ahead to build a shiny new site. It takes about 50 milliseconds for users to form a good, bad or indifferent opinion of your site which affects whether they stay or leave (Source: Google).

Therefore, the user experience must be the absolute priority, as they expect an intuitive navigation structure to easily find information through clear design and fast page load, with calls-to-action (CTAs) strategically placed to direct them to the next step rather than lead them down a dead end! Imagine a shop in real life, in which visitors can see a clear sign of who you are and a carefully considered shop window designed to entice them inside. Once inside, they expect the content to be clean, tidy and well organised, with clear signposting to guide them through the store highlighting important things along the way and finishing at the checkout where they either pay or make an enquiry. It’s worth noting that 86% of visitors want product and service information on the homepage, and 64% of users want to see contact information (Source: KoMarketing).

If being found on search engines is important to you, then Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) should be researched before building a website as the findings will help to define the structure and content.

Time spent considering the purpose, planning the structure, and preparing content will save time and money in changes with your web agency and avoids them facing a myriad of challenges including unclear goals, disorganised content, a confusing design brief or a lack of user-focused functionality. The agency can of course advise you, but if you are working to a tight budget this initial preparation could be done inhouse.

With over 60% of global web traffic coming from mobile devices (Source Statista) it’s critical to have a clear mobile-friendly design to dramatically improve a website’s engagement and success.

It should go without saying that brand consistency in terms of design style and messaging should be seamless in everything that you do, both online and offline – 75% of users judge a company’s credibility based on its website design (Source: Stanford University). Visitors will often arrive at your site via social media, so it’s important to be consistent in your brand across these channels and encourage visitors to share website content to expand your audience and increase engagement.

Visitors can be driven away by slow page load caused by outdated or large files, cheap hosting, excessive plugins, or disabled caching. Address accessibility issues by complying with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) like using alt text for images and proper heading structures.

Trust and data security is paramount on the internet, so deploying SSL certificates and regular software updates will minimise any vulnerabilities, but just like a car, websites can break down if unmaintained, often caused by outdated code and plugins, broken links, security vulnerabilities, and performance degradation.

And finally, when considering a new website, ensure it is built in a way that allows it to grow with your business without expensive major overhauls or rebuilds.