The Essential Website Design Checklist for 2015 and Beyond

I recently had someone ask me for a definitive checklist for designing a website. We had already published an On-Page SEO Checklist, which is helping hundreds of readers every month who come looking for a definitive checklist that will help them perfectly optimize their posts and pages.

I recently had a frustrating experience searching for a web design checklist, which I couldn't find, so I took to the Internet to track it down. There were a number of results, but understand my frustration when I couldn't turn up a single site offering me a complete checklist.

Considering this, I decided it was about time to make a website design checklist that will be the essential guide for web designers, freelancers and agencies starting web design projects. This article will provide a checklist that will help you in your next web design project.

1. Project Goal

Before you write even a single line of code, identify and establish your goals for the project. Defining a purpose will put things into perspective and will speed things up.

Ask yourself the purpose of your website–your website needs to center around specific business goals. Do you want to engage with your audience through your platform or you are just building it to showcase your portfolio? Do you want to generate leads or is your goal to sell products?

Write down your goals and build everything with these key objectives in mind if you are managing the project yourself. If you are working with a client, make sure to send them a questionnaire that will help you understand their goals and will help streamline the project.

2. Key Performance Indicators

Gary Vaynerchuk recently shared the following that resonates with me on one of his Facebook posts, and I wanted to share it here so you know why it is important to set the right expectations for your personal or clients' projects: One of the hardest parts of working in client services is getting the client to actually tell you what they really want.

This is extremely important because you don't want your designs to keep coming back for more edits and revisions. I understand that some clients are just difficult to work with, but some just need to be asked the right questions, because without the right questions, you won't get the right answers that will set the wrong expectations for the project.

Set the KPIs of the project; these include delivery time to expected results, such as direct sales or leads. They can even be generating press if you are designing a one of a kind website. Identifying your KPIs will help you measure the ROI at any time, but more on that later.

3. Framework

Identifying your website's framework is the most important decision you'll have to make before kicking things off. By default, a lot of platforms have limitations or they are just too complex (e.g., WordPress or Magento). Pick the framework you'd like to use for your website.

As we are on the topic of setting up the right foundation, I want to touch on the topic of picking the right web hosting for your business. I've had my fair share of trouble with various hosting companies and recommend the following web hosting companies in order:

SiteGround or WP Engine

Bluehost

InMotion

There are expensive options available too, but if you are just starting out, both SiteGround and WP Engine offer a feature called "Staging" which lets you create a replica of your live site, make changes, and with a click of a button copy your staged site on the live site.

Having said that, you can always go for more expensive options, but the ones I listed are the one I use and recommend.

4. Development

What does your buyer journey look like? From start to finish, visualize how and where customers will come from and the tasks they will want to perform on your site.

Do the visitors want your contact information, your physical address, a description of your products or services, reviews from other customers, or the ability to purchase your products online? Profile your website visitors and their needs, and base the structure of your website around that.

Also ensure your website will be responsive or adaptive. Validate HTML, CSS, and other scripts and ensure they are properly optimized so that the website performs smoothly right off the bat.

5. Launch

Before pushing the "Go Live" button, test the site using real devices or use services that help you check your website in various environments.

6. Track and Measure

Now that your website is live, use the testing services, software, and scripts mentioned above to track and measure the behavior and performance of your website. The KPIs and objectives that were established earlier will help you see what is going on with the website and if there is room for improvement.

Now that your website is ready, get ready to market it.

Source: The Essential Website Design Checklist for 2015 and Beyond