Websites are the front door to your business. They can be an effective way to market products, services, and brand awareness. But creating a website isn’t simple—there are many considerations when developing a website that will be accessible on multiple devices and browsers and optimized for search engines and social media channels. If you’re thinking about creating a website for your business or updating an existing one, it’s worth taking some time to consider these factors first.

So Weqollab is here to help you with the web development process through this comprehensive checklist.

Download the Ultimate Web Development Checklist

Define your goals

The first step towards building a successful website is clearly defining your goals.
In our web development checklist, try your best to answer these questions:

1. What are you trying to accomplish with your website?
2. What is the purpose of your website?
3. What actions do you want your website to drive?
4. What is your target audience?
5. What are their pain points?
6. How do you plan to solve those pain points through your website?
7. What do you want people to do on your website?
8. How will your goals help to increase conversions?

Decide on a platform

Deciding on a platform for your website is an essential step in creating a website. There are many website platforms, and selecting the right one can get overwhelming. But the best one will depend on your business goals, target audience, and budget.
Decide which of the following website types you would like for your website:
Blogs: These websites contain a mixture of informational and promotional content and are used to generate regular traffic and engagement. They can be hosted on a website platform or a hosted blog service such as Squarespace.
Ecommerce: These are sites designed to enable customers to purchase products and services such as subscriptions or memberships. They can be hosted as a WordPress plugin or on an independent eCommerce platform such as Shopify.
Landing pages: These are designed to drive a specific action, such as signing up for a newsletter or a free trial. They are often built with minimal functionality and can be hosted on a WordPress plugin.
Portfolios: These websites showcase creative writing, photography, or illustration work. They can be hosted as a WordPress plugin or on a platform such as Squarespace.
Informational websites: These are designed to provide information and relevant links in a way that is helpful and accessible to your audience. They can be hosted as a WordPress plugin or on a platform such as Squarespace.

Plan your site’s architecture and navigation

Once you’ve decided on a platform, you’ll need to plan your site’s architecture and navigation. A website’s architecture and navigation are two of the most essential parts of creating a high-quality user experience. Hone in on the direct experience you’re trying to deliver.

1. What is the central message you want to convey?
2. What do you want your visitors to do first?
3. What do you want your visitors to do second?

Where do you want visitors to go after each section?
Once you’ve decided on the general experience you’re trying to deliver, you’ll need to decide on the different areas of your website. Each section should contain a primary message and link to other sections, either internally or externally.

Assessing your current website performance

Once you’ve completed the development of your new website, the next step is to assess your current website performance. This will help you determine whether your new website is meeting your goals. You’ll also be able to compare your new website’s performance to your old website and see which areas of your content are performing best and which need improvement.
There are a few ways you can assess your current website performance:
Website analytics: These tools track site visits, where visitors are coming from, and what they do on your site. These will help you gain a better understanding of your current website performance.
Website speed test: This will help you understand how fast your website loads. A slow-loading website will negatively impact your ability to convert visitors.
Website review: This will allow you to get feedback from people about your website. You can either set up an online review form or ask people to complete a paper review.

Select your design partners

Once you’ve decided on a general design direction, it’s time to select your design partners. These people will build your website, brand, and content. If you’ve decided to go with a design partner, they will work with you to decide on a design direction and create the different elements of your website. Depending on the design partner you select, you’ll have a few options for how you can collaborate on your project:

• In-house team: If you have a large budget and internal capacity, you can collaborate with your internal team. However, this approach can be time-consuming and create a bottleneck in your organization.
• Internal creative team: You can also work with your internal creative team, freeing up your internal team from other projects and allowing you to create a more cohesive brand voice. However, this can be challenging if you don’t have experience in design.
• Contracted consultants: You can also work with a contractual consultant, such as a marketing agency. This approach allows you to free up your internal team from other projects, and it will enable you to benefit from the expertise of a design partner.
• Outsourced designers: You can also choose to outsource your design by working with designers in your country and abroad. This approach allows you to tap into an extensive range of designers with different specializations, price points, and experiences.

Develop your website’s content strategy and copywriting

Once you’ve selected your design partners, you’ll need to develop your website’s content strategy and copywriting. This will determine how your website’s content is written and organized. Begin by assessing your brand’s voice and who your target audience is. What is the central message you want to convey? Once you’ve nailed down these aspects of your brand, you can determine the content you want to create for your website.
You’ll want to decide on the following:

• What are your top content types? What types of content should be on your website? Are you creating written content, video content, or a mix of both?
• What are your primary content goals? What do you want your primary content to accomplish? What are your secondary content goals?
• Who is responsible for creating your content? Who will be responsible for making your content?

Choose the right tools for the job

Once you’ve completed your website’s development and selected your design partners, it’s time to choose the right tools for the job. There are a few ways you can choose the tools for your website:

• Determine which tools your current website is using. This will help you determine which tools are best for your existing site and which tools could be updated.
• Decide which tools will help you achieve your goals. This will help you determine which tools are essential to your website and which are apt.
• Consider the long-term cost of each tool. This will help you determine the most cost-effective tools so you don’t get stuck with a high monthly bill.

Conclusion

Building a website can be overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time doing so. Luckily, many resources are available to help you through the process, and if you follow a comprehensive web development checklist, you’ll be well on your way to creating a successful site. If you’re building a website for the first time, or if your website is outdated, now is the perfect time to start planning your new website development. With the right checklist, you’ll be able to ensure you’re covering all your bases and making informed decisions along the way.