Nigel Wilkinson
Managing Director of Daneswood. Nigel has been in sales and marketing since the 1980's and run digital marketing agencies since 2000.
We all know the old expression, “People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan.” This is as true building websites as in any other field. Once the website is agreed, jumping into creating a wonderful-looking design is usually the first thought.
Before the designer gets involved, you need to look at the User Journey, sometimes called the Customer Journey or, in jargon, the UX (User eXperience)
Spending time upfront, mapping the site structure, and confirming the layout BEFORE passing it to the designers, will not only save time and money over the development process, but it’s the end result where you will really see the difference. It’s like sanding down the wood before you paint; it gets rid of the lumps and prepares the surface in readiness for the creativity to follow.
The starting point is to work with your agency to create a Site Map; they should be able to offer valuable advice about what works best in your industry. What pages will the website have, and how will those pages interact with each other? The Site Map determines the Navigation and therefore, the Customer’s Journey through the website.
Next, get your agency to Wireframe the key pages. Block out the layout of the website so everyone knows the format. This ensures that when you pass the structure over to the Designers, they make your planned Customer Journey look wonderful instead of creating a visual masterpiece that visitors can’t use!
We had a great session last week with a client who had their previous website built elsewhere. After three and a half hours mapping a very complex website, they were happy with the new structure, but their parting comment was telling. “We never did this on our last website, we just told the agency we wanted a website, and they built one and presented it to us! It’s always been a nightmare for visitors to find the information they want!”
Don’t dive into the design without mapping the website and the layout. Plan the website structure carefully, and not only will the build go faster, but the end result will also be miles better, giving you a website you can be proud of.