Step 1: Background and Your Mission

A good way to write any strategy is by approaching it from an outside perspective. Imagine writing a strategy that you will hand over to a third party. It's imperative that they understand exactly what you do, what you want, and how you want it. All of that starts with understanding your very own 'about' page. Why are you in business? Why is your product so amazing? Start by giving a good and brief description of what makes your organization special. Not sure how to start? Take a step back and read this section.

Step 2: Outline Your Goals

Setting up a website is almost ridiculously easy these days. AI can do quite a bit of work for you. But simply setting up a few static pages, uploading some pictures, and making everything look fancy isn't going to be enough. A website is a vital element in business in the 21st century. Not only is it your calling card, but it also showcases your image. For many, the seriousness and level of your website are crucial factors in the first impression.

A lot of websites don't serve a purpose, however. They're just published because of the thought, "Well, we need one." That is very much like buying a car because you need to get your four kids to school. But if your car only has two seats, it's as useless as a chocolate teapot. Define what you want to achieve with your website. Here are a few quick examples of the many goals your website can achieve:

• Leads: Do you want your website to bring you more leads?
• Customer satisfaction: Should your website be useful to existing customers?
• Workload management: Can your website take away some of your workload? (e.g., by having a contact form or support pages)
• Brand awareness: Are you aiming to inform visitors about your existence and offerings?
• Driving sales: Are you selling products online and incorporating a webshop?
• Build credibility and trust: Are customers struggling to sign up because they don't know you? Could you use reviews to gain trust and credibility among potential buyers?

The list goes on! Consider a website to be just like an employee. Give it a task, and it can be just as effective.

Step 3: Define Your Audience

This step is arguably one of the most important parts of this strategy. Over the years, I've built countless websites, and every time the quality stands or falls with this element. Who is your audience?

Many organizations focus this question on the obvious answers: customers. But even within that very segment, there are subsegments to consider. Are you aiming for entirely new customers to buy your products? Or should an existing customer buy more? What about the customer that has a question?

Primary Audience

The primary audience should be the group you will pay the most attention to. The ones that will help you achieve the most success with your website.

Let's look back at your goal first. What are you expecting to get from your website? And more importantly, who is going to do that? Several examples:

• Existing customers that want to buy more products
• New customers who need to be informed about your product and lead to a contact form
• Members that want to access membership information
• A donor who wants to donate money for a fundraising organization
• New visitors who should read/consume your content and buy a subscription

Secondary Audience

Don't bet all your money on just one horse. By only working with one type of audience, you will ignore all the others. Their interaction can be just as useful, if not even become a bigger segment than your main. Nevertheless, since they are in 'second place', you can give them just a little bit less attention without forgetting them.

Ask these questions to define them:

• Who, apart from my primary audience, will visit the website? And, if they aren't in that segment (e.g., customers), what is the goal?
  • Goal examples: turning them into buyers, capturing data, downloads, etc.
• How important is this segment in relation to my primary audience? Are they closely related? E.g., new and existing customers are very similar, yet need very different things from a website.

Third Audience

Yes, you can even have a third and fourth audience segment on your website. However, when you step beyond these margins, it is likely that your focus will start to become blurry. You can't please everybody, so don't focus on it. If your primary and secondary audiences are already hitting your goals, take the win. Once you gain confidence and stability with that, you can start experimenting with more audiences to convert.

Step 4: What Forms of Content Will You Have?

Ah, a good question, isn't it? But don't let it scare you. Don't focus on the exact content just yet, but consider the formats. Will you have news articles? Will you have a login section? Not only will this step help you actively configure and set up the website, but if you choose to outsource, this will give your designer and/or developer great insight into what they have to create.

Different types of content formats for your inspiration:

• News articles detail page
• News article overview
• Meetings overview
• Meetings detail page
• Webshop overview
• Webshop detail page
• Homepage
• Static page with text and images (e.g., 'about us' pages)
• Forms
• Login page
• Profile forms
• Testimonials and customer reviews

Just like with any strategy, ask yourself how achievable these content formats are for you. If you're making a news overview, but you only post one item per month, avoid highlighting it. The same goes with images; if you don't have quality images, make sure your designer gives you alternatives without images for your articles.

Future of Your Content

Websites usually aren't cheap to build. Now that you're at it anyway, consider what future changes you might want to see. If content in different shapes or forms is on your horizon, pay attention to that in this step. If you forget, you might end up paying twice and having to redo a lot of the hard work you've put in.

Step 5: Create a Sitemap

Creating a sitemap is a pivotal step in defining the structure and navigation of your website. Think of a sitemap as the blueprint for your website's architecture. It’s not just about listing out the pages; it’s about strategically organizing those pages to guide users seamlessly to the information they need. Here’s why a sitemap is crucial:

1. Defines Website Structure: A well-crafted sitemap outlines the hierarchy and relationships between different pages. This organization is essential for both users and search engines to understand the layout of your website. By clearly defining the primary, secondary, and tertiary pages, you create a logical flow that enhances the user experience.
2. Enhances User Navigation: Your sitemap acts as a guide for visitors, helping them find their way around your website effortlessly. A good navigation structure ensures that users can easily locate important information without getting lost. This is especially important for websites with extensive content. When users can quickly find what they’re looking for, they’re more likely to stay engaged and convert.
3. Improves SEO: Search engines love sitemaps because they provide a clear map of your website’s content. By submitting your sitemap to search engines, you help them crawl and index your site more efficiently. This can lead to better visibility in search results and, ultimately, more organic traffic.
4. Guides Content Creation: Creating a sitemap forces you to think about the content you need for each page. It helps you identify gaps and ensure that every page has a clear purpose. This strategic approach to content creation ensures that your website remains focused and cohesive.
5. Facilitates Future Updates: With a sitemap, making future updates becomes a breeze. Whether you’re adding new pages, restructuring existing ones, or removing outdated content, having a clear overview of your website’s structure makes the process more manageable.

How to Start Creating a Sitemap

• List Your Main Pages: Start with the primary pages you want on your site, such as Home, About, Services, Blog, Contact, etc.
• Identify Subpages: Under each main page, list the relevant subpages. For example, under Services, you might have different service offerings.
• Organize Hierarchically: Arrange your pages in a logical order. Main pages should be easily accessible from the homepage, and subpages should be logically nested under their respective main pages.
• Visualize Your Structure: Use tools like Lucidchart or even a simple whiteboard to visualize your sitemap. This can help you see the flow and make necessary adjustments.
• Review and Refine: Go through your sitemap to ensure it aligns with your goals and audience needs. Make sure it’s intuitive and user-friendly.

In summary, a well-thought-out sitemap is a cornerstone of an effective website strategy. It not only defines your website’s structure but also guides users to the right information, improving their overall experience. Plus, it plays a significant role in enhancing your SEO efforts, making it a critical component of your website planning process. So, take the time to create a comprehensive sitemap – your future self (and your users) will thank you.

If you're unsure of the order of your sitemap, place the most important element first, your secondary goal second, and so on.

Bonus Step 6: Measurements and KPIs

Great, you've done the hard work and you should have a basic architecture of your new website. As a final step, why don't you add several KPIs into the mix?

KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators, are crucial for measuring the success of your website strategy. They help you track progress, identify areas for improvement, and ensure that your website is achieving its intended goals. Here's how you can define and implement KPIs for your website:

1. Identify Key Metrics: Based on your website's goals, identify the key metrics that you need to track. For example, if your goal is to generate leads, your key metrics might include the number of form submissions, conversion rates, and lead quality.
2. Set Specific Targets: Establish specific, measurable targets for each KPI. For instance, if you want to increase the number of leads, set a target for the number of form submissions you aim to achieve each month.
3. Use Analytics Tools: Utilize tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, or other website analytics platforms to track and measure your KPIs. These tools provide valuable insights into user behavior, traffic sources, conversion rates, and more.
4. Regularly Monitor and Analyze: Consistently monitor your KPIs to assess your website's performance. Analyze the data to identify trends, patterns, and areas that require improvement. Regular reviews help you stay on track and make informed decisions.
5. Make Data-Driven Adjustments: Based on your analysis, make necessary adjustments to your website strategy. If a particular KPI is not meeting the target, investigate the reasons and implement changes to optimize performance. This could involve tweaking your content, improving user experience, or refining your marketing efforts.
6. Align with Business Goals: Ensure that your KPIs are aligned with your overall business goals. Your website should be a strategic tool that supports your broader objectives. Regularly assess how well your KPIs are contributing to your business success.
7. Communicate Results: Share your KPI results with your team and stakeholders. Transparent communication helps everyone stay informed about the website's performance and fosters a collaborative approach to achieving goals.
8. Continuously Improve: Website performance is an ongoing process. Continuously review and refine your KPIs based on changing business needs and user feedback. Stay proactive in making improvements to ensure long-term success.

Conclusion

Creating a successful website strategy involves a series of well-thought-out steps that lay a strong foundation for your online presence. From defining your mission and goals to understanding your audience, crafting compelling content, and setting up a clear navigation structure, each step plays a crucial role in ensuring your website meets its objectives.

Adding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to the mix allows you to measure and track the effectiveness of your efforts, providing valuable insights for continuous improvement. Whether your goal is to generate leads, enhance customer satisfaction, manage workload, increase brand awareness, drive sales, or build credibility and trust, a well-structured website strategy aligned with your business objectives is essential.

Remember, your website is more than just a digital brochure; it's a dynamic tool that can drive significant value for your business. By following these steps and continuously refining your approach based on measurable outcomes, you'll create a website that not only looks great but also delivers real results. So, take the time to plan, execute, and optimize your strategy, and watch your website become a powerful asset in achieving your business goals.

Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash