Website Planning

So you need a website?

Web Coast will work with you to determine your target market and therefore what the content of your website should be. We develop all types of websites - whether your requirements are for a small fixed content site, or a more sophisticated content-managed website with tools such as E-commerce, E-newsletters, and Product Catalogs. We can create any graphics required to compliment your site, or can incorporate existing photographs/logos/corporate artwork you may have. We can also continue your website's "look & feel" through to your business stationery to give a seamless corporate identity. We can arrange printing of business cards, letterhead etc, and can prepare presentation documents.

Planning your site

We will help you to set your objectives – these might be such things as:
What is the website for?

Prospecting

• To promote the business and to attract new customers
• To provide customers and others with a way to contact your business
• To display your credentials to prospects
• To improve your public image using the Internet
• To showcase the work of your business
• To provide staff, customers and prospects with up to date information regarding the business.

Process improvement

• To sell your products or services online
• To provide the client with information about you business
• To provide information downloads to reduce the number of calls and requests you get for information
• To provide an access point for staff to log in and get information when they are away from the office.

General

• To develop a sense of branding which includes the website

We will also help you to Identify your target audience:

• Who are you aiming this website at?
• Why will these target audiences use the website?
• What do you want them to do?
• What do you need to provide to achieve this?

Content - What should you put on your website?

• Company information – people will want to know what you are about before they are going to do business with you. History, Ownership, Structure, What makes you special, Staff
• Product and services information – tell visitors to your website what you have to offer.
• Contact Information – Address, phone numbers and emails. Give them the names of the people they can deal with in the particular part of your business they want. If you’ve got staff working in different areas and at different sites, publish all of the sites contact details.
• News – articles that provide updates on what is happening in and around your company can acieve a range of things – visitors will see that the company is active and a viable entity with which they might do business; the section can act as a marketing tool to promote the good things about your company; the section can provide an excellent vehicle for keeping investors, clients, potential clients, staff and other parties abreast of what is happening in your organisation.
• Photo galleries – will you have a gallery on your website? If so, what images will you put in it?
• Technical Information – You may be able to reduce your spending on sending paperwork out with your product by providing technical information, brochures etc, in a downloadable form on your website.
• FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions – You can provide the users with all of the information they want and would otherwise get by calling your company to ask. Depending on your situation, you might have considerable resources tied up answering calls from people who could easily be getting the information they require from your website.
• Disclaimer – Bundle the disclaimer with any other legal stuff you might wish to have on your website. If you have any doubt whether you need a disclaimer on your website, ask a lawyer.
• Links Page – provides access to other websites. Does this suit your business?

Keywords - What will people search for to find you online?

• Give some consideration to what your keywords and keyword phrases might be
• See what search phrases your competitors are listing well for and start a list!
• Be aware that if the text on your site does not match people's search phrase, you will not be listed in search results. For example, if somebody is searching on "xylophone" and you don't mention "xylophone" in the text of your site then you will not be listed in search engine results
• Be aware that it is not just keywords, but keyword density which give you good search engine rankings.