Last time I talked about how important a website is to your business. Now that you have committed to creating a new website, you are ready to get started. Whoa, just a minute. You think you are ready, but have you made a plan?
Here are some important things to think about when planning your new site.
- Have you created a site map?
- What information do your customers look for?
- Can they find that information in two clicks or less?
These questions are important because you want visitors to find what they are looking for quickly and efficiently, and then happily be on their way with everything they need. So first of all, you have to create a site map that is well thought out and will let the user move around easily.
Find out what the most popular pages are on your existing site. You can do this by checking your Google Analytics. If you don’t have analytics installed, then get a report from your hosting company. Once you determine where your visitors are going, make sure those areas are highlighted on your home page. You will also find that some pages have little or no traffic. You can delete these pages from your site map.
If you have users visiting your site for different reasons, separate them right away so they can find what they are looking for quickly. For instance, there are three types of people visiting an insurance company site – those looking for commercial insurance, personal insurance or they want to make a claim. They don’t want to wade though pages and pages of content before they find what they are looking for. Make it easy for them by separating categories on the home page.
Visitors to your site will appreciate finding the information they want quickly. Before you start your new site, take the time to think it through. Your customers will approve.