Planning A New Website - Part Two
Following on from the previous post, we will now look at the content you need to gather before embarking on a new website.
If you are looking to ‘revamp’ your existing site, or make the move to a different platform, these items will also apply to you.
1. Planning Your Website Structure (Sitemap)
A website designer will help you structure your site so it is logically set out and easy for a visitor to navigate, but you still need to sit down and work out what you want to have displayed. The main pages such as HOME and CONTACT are a given, but what about the others?
Will you have a TEAM page with individual profiles? Do you feel it’s important to include your mission and values? Will you have individual pages for the different services / products you offer, or just an overview page with a brief description of each one?
I recommend a quick read of another HLD blog post What should I have on my Business Website? to go through the main pages, and perhaps offer a little inspiration.
2. Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy
Australian privacy legislation now requires all Australian websites to post a Privacy Policy statement if they collect any customer or website visitor information such as email addresses, physical addresses, telephone numbers, credit card numbers, etc.
Even if you have a basic contact form on your website you MUST have a Privacy Policy. If you are marketing to a global audience you will need to check on being GDPR compliant as the privacy laws differ for other countries.
You will definitely require a cookies policy pop-up on your website if you are offering services to an overseas market.
If you are selling products, whether it be through an e-commerce shop set-up, or via order forms, it is strongly advised that you include Terms and Conditions on your website.
It is up to each business owner / website owner to produce terms and conditions / privacy policy that is relevant to them. A website designer can then create the pages and have the link displayed prominently on the site (usually in the footer section).
3. Images
Images are a powerful way to express your brand visually. They can convey a meaning, or represent a complex idea more effectively than a description, and help visitors to your website understand who you are and what you provide within moments.
Where possible, all images (including logos and profile pictures) should be high resolution and in either .jpg or .png format. Again, your website designer can advise on whether your current imagery is suitable, especially with a rebrand.
Stock photos have improved significantly and there are now a mix of free and paid sites where you can access images that will set the tone for your site. Squarespace also has free and paid stock images available whenever you insert the Image Block.
To read more about how images can ‘make or break’ your website, read another HLD blog post A picture is worth a thousand words
4. Website Copy
Perhaps the hardest part of the website process, and some of my clients have pushed back their launch date as they were still working on the copy.
All sites ideally have copy that is engaging, relevant to their target audience, and easy to read. The biggest tip I give to clients is to imagine that they are talking to a new / potential customer, hit the record button on their phone, and then explain what they do and why they do it. When transcribing the recording, you can see the main points that come across, as well as the ‘voice’ of the company. Don’t be afraid to show some personality, and it doesn’t need to be perfect first time. The beauty of Squarespace is that it is easy to update / edit any text on your site at any time.
If it seems too daunting, outsourcing this to a professional copywriter is an option. They can take your story, information about your company and services / products, and ensure keywords are inserted naturally to help with SEO.
If you have requested a blog page to be set up on your site, at least one blog post should be ready when your site launches.
5. SEO
This was briefly mentioned above when using keywords in your copy. Keywords are words or phrases that directly relate to your business, and will be the common words and phrases that people enter into search engines, e.g. website designer Perth.
Squarespace has in-built SEO features, and additional tweaks such as individual page descriptions, a short bio (or Google snippet), use of Google maps, linking to Google Console and Google My Business, as well as regular ‘fresh’ content such as blog posts will help increase your site’s visibility.
Remember that SEO takes time, and there are free online SEO checkers that you can use to see if there are any additional improvements you can do.
I hope you have found this post helpful!
If you are looking at revamping your existing site, whether on Squarespace or transferring from another platform to Squarespace, get in touch for a friendly chat to see what can be achieved - we’d love to hear from you!