In our previous post, we discussed the importance of effective communication with your web developer throughout the process of developing your new website. It doesn’t matter if you’re a professional working for yourself, a non-profit organization, or a small to midsize business – the only way to maximize the potential of your new website is to ensure that your site is designed from the beginning to meet your specific goals and needs.
Don’t Settle For A Stock Website
Advancements in Content Management Systems (CMS), stock design themes, and plugins have made it relatively easy to develop a functional professional website. Larger web design firms and hosting companies even advertise “free” business websites that are usually included with an expensive hosting package. However, these one-size-fits-all solutions are rarely a great fit for the specific needs of your organization or business, and as it grows, you’ll likely have to commission a new website a lot sooner than you originally planned. Simply throwing money at a web development project and turning your back isn’t a solution either. While an expensive new website might be more advanced or customized than a cheap stock site, it can still be less effective than a cheaper website that is custom-designed specifically for your organization or business. It is absolutely crucial to understand that the financial cost of building a website isn’t nearly as relevant as how much time and attention is spent ensuring that the web developer and the client are on the same page and are working towards building a website that meets and exceeds expectations and goals of the business or organization.
The Small Details Can Make A Huge Difference
At this point, you may be asking yourself, “What’s wrong with a stock website? Our business isn’t very unique, and we don’t want to spend a lot of time or money.” While it is true that most modern websites share a similar user interface and navigation structure, the success or failure of your website largely depends on how well it is tailored to meet the needs of both your business and your target audience. For instance, adding an Ecommerce shopping cart to a website is relatively simple and straightforward, but tailoring the shopping cart to your target audience can mean the difference between success and failure. If your target market isn’t technologically-savvy, creating a complicated or arduous checkout process may result in many abandoned carts and incomplete orders. By identifying your target market beforehand and working with your web developer, you can simplify the process or the interface of the store. You can also ensure that the tools are in place to help potential customers finish the checkout process, including support options such as an on-screen chat and a tool that automatically emails customers who have abandoned their carts.
Future-Proofing Your Website
Another way that the technical details can make or break your website involves future-proofing your site, or developing it to last for a significant length of time, even as the Internet continues to evolve. If you are interested in developing a website that won’t require an overhaul or significant updates in the near future, it is important to communicate this to your web developer so they can design your site using a well-established CMS and ensure that it conforms to established web standards that will be backwards-compatible with future versions of popular web browsers.