Beginning With the End In Mind: Strategy 101

The most important part of the web design process is the very beginning. The initial stage of a design project is where you decide what your priorities are and what the site is supposed to do. Developing these priorities and the plan for moving forward is usually known as strategy.

Strategy begins before a web design shop does anything. It should start with your internal staff who will be on the project brainstorming notes on both your current website (including the features you want to keep and those you don’t) and your new one (what should it include?).

Web strategy doesn’t require fancy documentation or snazzy presentations. The best web strategies often start with a piece of paper and a pen. All ideas are valid at this point, and putting them into a formalized business document can make them feel concrete and final. So just write things down.

Diagrams are also really useful. Examine your online sales process, or the one you hope to have. Make a flowchart of how you think the customer experience should ideally go on your new site. Start with their initial visit to your site and take it all the way through the completion of their purchase.

What you’re looking to create is a content mission. What functions should your website serve? What problem or problems should it solve? These questions should be considered both from the viewpoint of your own company, but also from that of your consumer.

Once you’ve got your strategy down, then it’s time to bring in your web design shop. They will be able to quickly and easily digest your strategy into a set of recommendations and a development plan that meets your needs.