Website Planning in 9 Steps + a Checklist

Planning a website is one of the most important steps for any business or personal brand – but it can also be one the most daunting. It’s hard to know where to start, what you’ll need, and how best to go about it. So before you jump into design and coding, a structured approach to website planning is crucial. 

This guide will take you through the website planning process in 9 simple steps. From setting your objectives to selecting a domain, hosting, and designing your site, you’ll learn how to plan a website efficiently and effectively.

Plus it includes a detailed website planning checklist that will help you follow along and apply what you learn in real-time so that you don’t fall behind. Make sure you don’t miss any essentials and download the checklist so that’ll keep you on track!

What is Website Planning and Why it Matters

The website planning process entails defining the purpose, goals, and structure of a website before any design or development work begins. It involves understanding the needs of your audience, deciding on the content, determining the layout, and considering the technical aspects such as domains and hosting. A proper website planning process is vital because it:

• Ensures clarity of purpose: It helps you understand why you are planning a website and what you hope to achieve.
• Saves time and money: Avoids redoing work by eliminating confusion about site objectives, features, and functions.
• Improves user experience: A well-planned website aligns with the needs of its audience and provides them with a seamless user experience.
• Optimizes SEO and performance: Helps organize content and structure in a way that is favorable to search engines, making it easier to rank higher in search results.

Website planning is not just about building a website; it’s about creating a digital space that represents your brand, engages your audience, and achieves your business goals. It impacts not only how your site will look and feel but also how it will function, how it will be marketed, and how it will drive conversions. Let’s get to it.

How to Plan a Website

Now that we know why planning your website is critical, let’s dive into the steps involved in how to plan a website. Follow these 9 steps to ensure you have all the essential website planning tools.

1. Define Goals & Objectives

One of the very first things to do when planning your website is to define your goals and objectives. It will help you determine what messages to focus on, how to structure your pages, what calls to action to include, and more. So start with answering these simple questions:

• What are the short- and long-term goals for your website? Your short-term goals might be to sell products and generate leads, while your long-term goals could be building brand awareness and customer satisfaction.
• What actions do you want visitors to take? Such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, requesting a quote, etc.
• How will you measure the success of the website? Options could include web traffic, conversions, email sign-ups and other email marketing metrics, among other data.

Having these important details clear and front of mind will help guide you as you continue with the following steps for how to plan a website. Note your answers down and refer to them regularly to make sure you’re staying on track.

2. Identify Your Audience

You’re clear on the purpose of your website; now it’s time to get clear on who exactly you’re trying to reach. When planning your website, one of the key things you should consider is your target audience, as it can guarantee your website delivers the right message to the right people. That is, your website should cater to the preferences, needs, and behaviors of your audience. To define this, answer following questions: 

Who are your target users?

Identify key demographic details, such as age range, location, and occupation. For example, your audience might be young professionals aged 25-40, living in urban areas across the United States, working in the tech industry. Understanding these factors helps you focus your website content planning around appealing directly to their preferences and needs.

What are their pain points or challenges, particularly as they relate to what you’re offering?

Consider the specific problems your target audience is trying to solve. Are they looking for efficient solutions to improve productivity, struggling to find reliable services, or seeking advice on complex topics? By pinpointing their challenges, you can position your products or content as the solution they’re seeking.

What are their goals when visiting your website?

Think about what actions they want to take or what problems they are trying to solve when they arrive on your site. They may be searching for a product that addresses their specific needs, looking for expert advice on a topic, or gathering information before making a purchase decision. Knowing their goals will help you create relevant content and clear calls to action that guide them to the next step.

How do they consume information online?

Understanding how your audience interacts with content can influence both the design and layout of your site. For example, are they primarily accessing your site via mobile devices, or do they prefer a desktop experience? Are they active on social media, and if so, which platforms? Knowing this helps you determine the best way to present your content so that it’s accessible, engaging, and easy to navigate. Plus, understanding their online behavior can help you strategize how to drive traffic to your site, whether through social media, email marketing, or search engines.

Once you’ve clearly identified your audience, you can customize your website’s content, design, and user experience to meet their expectations. It will also help as you think about products, marketing copy, email newsletters, social media and so on. 

Just as when planning your website objectives, regularly refer back to your answers above to make sure you’re staying focused on your audience.

3. Establish Your Branding

There’s a good chance you’ve already developed at least some branding for your business – even if that only includes a logo. Now’s the time, though, to really get your branding ducks in a row and define your brand clearly so that you can execute it on your website. Consistent branding helps build recognition and trust with your audience – and ultimately conversions.

Branding Elements to Consider:

• Logo: When deciding on a logo design, focus on creating something that reflects your brand’s identity and values while being simple, memorable, and versatile. Consider your target audience, industry trends, and how the logo will work across various mediums and sizes.
• Color scheme: Define the primary and secondary colors that should be used across your website. Primary colors are ones that you’ll use most of the time; secondary ones complement the primary, and are typically used as accent colors.

• Typography: Decide on the font or fonts that you would like to use for your brand. These may all be the same font, but it is often a good idea to choose one font for your headings, and a complementary one for your body copy. Google Fonts, for example, can help you find ideal pairings for this kind of execution. It also offers a large selection of free fonts that you can download and use however you’d like. 
• Tone of voice: Whether you adopt a casual, formal, or playful tone, it should be consistent across the website, and of course align with your brand and what you wish to transmit.
• Visual style: Decide on the overall visual tone of the site, from minimalist and clean to bold and dynamic. This will help steer your vision as you explore and decide on layout, color usage, imagery and more.

Take note of these elements for your reference as you plan your website. Not only will it be handy for you to refer back to this information, but it will be helpful if and when you decide to work with outside designers.

4. Decide How to Build Your Website

After identifying your goals, audience, and branding, the next step is to decide how you will build the website so that you can soon put everything in action. When it comes to how to build a website, there are many methods to choose from. You can use ecommerce platforms, SaaS solutions, open-source tools, content management systems, or custom code – and more often than not, these different approaches overlap. While you’ll hear many different terms like these thrown around in the world of web creation, what you really need to know is that building a site typically falls into the following three loose categories. Let’s examine.

Website builder

With a site builder, you often benefit from a user-friendly, drag-and-drop functionality that allows you to easily construct your site with very little if any website-building knowledge. While you will likely have to pay a monthly fee, website builders are generally pretty cost effective. 

The downside, here, though, is that customization is substantially limited, and oftentimes adding extra features or functionality costs money – so the costs can quickly add up. For example, to achieve certain functionalities – like, let’s say a product subscription option for your online shop – you will likely have to pay an additional amount per month. Or, if you seek to add more unique customizations, you may even need to hire a designer.

CMS

A content management system (CMS), such as WordPress, is another option. WordPress powers a whopping 40% or more of the world’s websites! It allows users to create, manage, and publish websites easily without needing extensive coding knowledge. It’s open-source and highly customizable, offering a wide range of themes, site builders, plugins, and tools to suit various types of websites, from blogs to online stores. Indeed, by simply adding a plugin such as WooCommerce, you can easily turn your site into an online store – and at little to no cost.

All this said, using WordPress requires a bit more technical skill, as its interface and endless options can feel a bit less user friendly than a super simple website builder. But what you gain in complexity, you also gain in customization and flexibility. While much of these customizations are more accessible for the average user, certain updates may require you hire a designer and/or programmer. So while WordPress is often the cheapest option, costs can add up if you wish to do complicated customizations.

Custom-Built Site

If your website requires unique functionality or a very-specific design, you may wish to custom build your site. Whether you do it yourself, or hire a web designer, a custom site can be created in a variety of ways – either with custom code, or via the aforementioned website builders or CMS (or a combination of all of these). Ultimately, a truly custom-built website allows for bespoke features and designs that are hard to achieve with only pre-built platforms. 

While this has its benefits, having a custom-built website comes with extra costs. Not only can it literally be costly to build, but, if you’ve outsourced its creation, then anytime you want to make a change to your site, you’re likely looking at paying even more. Beyond this, if you have to depend on someone else to make changes (and you have to pay for those changes), that means keeping your site fresh and up to date can be more of a challenge.

5. Choose Hosting and a Domain

Selecting the right hosting provider and choosing a domain name are the next steps in the web planning process. Hosting is where your website will live on the internet, while your domain is the address visitors will use to access it. Both choices can significantly impact how users experience and interact with your business online.

Choose Your Hosting

First thing’s first: many website builders automatically host your website for you, which means choosing hosting is not relevant. But if you are using a CMS like WordPress, or building a fully custom site, then you will need to decide where that site will live. When selecting a hosting provider, consider factors such as speed, security, and customer support. 

The type of website you’re building may also impact where you decide to host your site. That is, if you (or your designer) are building a WordPress site, it can be especially helpful to host it with a company that can offer WordPress-specific support and services. SiteGround, for example, offers WordPress Managed Hosting, which includes automated setup, migration, and updates, along with top-notch security and expert 24/7 support. Similarly, if you’re using WordPress with WooCommerce, then you would benefit from the easy-to-use WordPress Hosting for WooCommerce.

Choose Your Domain

Now it’s time to choose just the right domain – and make sure you snatch it up. When it comes to selecting a good domain name, there are several factors to keep in mind such as keeping it simple and memorable, using keywords, and avoiding numbers and hyphens. 

If you have a great idea for a website name, start by checking if your domain name is available. Then you’ll need to purchase your domain name – a cost typically paid annually, or for multiple years in a row. That said, keep in mind that sometimes your domain is actually free for the first year when you buy a new hosting plan, as is the case with SiteGround Web Hosting. So when it comes time to select a hosting service, this is something to keep in mind. 

6. Shape Your Web Design

You’ve established your brand, and how you’ll build your site – now it’s time to bring them together and determine your website needs, by either communicating that to a designer, or by choosing a template.

But first, start by exploring other sites for inspiration, focusing on businesses that align with your offerings and target audience. Competitor websites can be especially helpful in identifying effective layouts, features, and designs within your industry, as well as opportunities to stand out.

For example, if you’re a creative professional, a portfolio might be essential, while a wedding planning service might benefit from featuring client testimonials. Note common design trends – whether sites in your field are sleek and modern or colorful and content-rich – and consider how you’ll adapt these patterns for your own site.

If you’re using a designer, this research will also help you provide more specific guidance so that they create a website that matches your expectations. Even if you’re building the site yourself, analyzing websites you admire can help you identify website functionality and layouts that work best for your needs.

Meanwhile, if you’re using a website builder or CMS like WordPress, you likely have access to a wide range of predesigned templates to meet your website planning goals. These templates serve as a foundation for your site’s design, offering a quick and easy way to get started. The key is to choose a template that looks professional and includes the functionalities you need, so you can focus more on content and less on design tweaks. Just keep in mind: the less you edit the template, the better it will look! 

7. Create a Sitemap for Effective Website Architecture Planning

Once you’ve considered the look and feel of your website, the next important step is to plan the website architecture. Also called a sitemap, your website architecture plan is basically a blueprint of your website’s structure, defining how its pages are organized and how users will navigate through them. Creating a clear and logical website architecture plan not only improves the user experience but also plays a key role in optimizing your site for search engines. Here’s how to approach it:

1. Identify Core Pages: Start by listing the essential pages that your website needs. This might include a homepage, an about page, a contact page, and any specific pages related to your business such as services, products, or portfolio pages. Think about your site’s primary goals and what website content planning is necessary to fulfill those objectives.
2. Group Related Pages into Categories: Next, organize your pages into categories or sections to make the site easy to navigate. For example, if you offer multiple services, group them under a “Services” section. Similarly, blog posts can be placed under a “Blog” or “Resources” section. Categorizing your content ensures that visitors can quickly find what they’re looking for and enhances the overall flow of your site.
3. Determine the Hierarchy: Establish a clear hierarchy for your sitemap. Your homepage should sit at the top, with main sections (like “About,” “Services,” or “Contact”) branching off from it. Subpages should be nested under the appropriate parent pages. This hierarchy will dictate how users and search engines interpret the importance of each page. The more organized and logical this structure is, the easier it will be to navigate.

1. Prioritize Key Pages: Not all pages on your site will have the same level of importance. Determine which pages are critical for conversions or user engagement and make sure they are easily accessible. For instance, if your contact page is a key point of interaction, it should be prominently linked from the homepage or main menu.
2. Plan for Future Growth: Consider how your sitemap might evolve as your site grows. You may want to add additional sections, subpages, or even integrate features like an ecommerce store or a member login area in the future. Building flexibility into your sitemap now can save you the trouble of major restructuring later.
3. Optimize for User Experience: As you finalize your sitemap, think about how users will journey through your site. Make certain that important pages are no more than a few clicks away from the homepage, and provide clear pathways for users to move between related content. Use intuitive navigation menus, calls to action, and internal links to guide visitors through your content seamlessly – and ultimately to conversion.

When it comes to how to plan a website structure, a well-organized sitemap will set the foundation for a website that is both user-friendly and optimized for search engines. It acts as a roadmap for both you (and your designer, if you use one), ensuring your site’s content is logically structured and easily accessible to your audience.

8. Gather Your Website Content Planning Assets

Before building your website, let’s take a minute to set aside all the content we’ve covered so far – plus a few extra tidbits. This will be an especially important step if you’re working with a designer, but it’ll also be helpful if you’re building your site yourself, allowing you to have all your content in one place. Website assets that you’ll want to round up include: 

Copy

Write and compile copy for all the pages you’ve identified in your sitemap. These will likely include the following pages and content:

• Homepage: Summarize your brand’s value proposition, services, benefits, and features.
• About page: Provide background information, your company’s history, and your team.
• Service or product pages: Detail your offerings, benefits, and how they address customer needs.
• Blog posts or articles: Aim to have at least a few articles published so that your blog already adds value. You may also wish to leverage this content to help educate your users, so don’t be shy about using calls to action on your website in order to send users to your blog to learn more about different products, features, product uses, and more. Just be sure to include further calls to action in your blog post so that you keep users moving to the next step.

Branding Elements

Now it’s time to put together all those brand elements we discussed, and make them ready for use. Items you’ll want to have on hand for your web design include: 

• Logo: Ensure it’s in a high-resolution format. Depending on your site color, you may want your logo to have a transparent background. Of course, always make sure you are following whatever branding guidelines you or your designer have established for your business.
• Color scheme: Note the primary and secondary colors that should be used across the website. Have the pantone and/or hex codes accessible so that you can easily provide them to your designer, or access them as you customize your site.
• Typography: List the fonts you’ll use for headings, subheadings, and body text. If you’ve purchased and/or downloaded your fonts, be sure to have those available as well.

Media

Finally, pull together all of the media for your website, such as: 

• General site imagery: You’ll likely need visuals for your homepage hero section (the header image), as well as sprinkled throughout your site to add interest. Make sure these images – and all your media – consistently fit the visual style you’ve defined.
• Product photos: If you’re running an ecommerce site, high-quality, cohesively styled product images are essential. 
• Team photos: Personalize your website with professional photos of your team.
• Icons and other brand elements: If you have other branding elements, such as icons, be sure to include these as well. They can be used to support text, or simply to infuse branding into your design.

Finally, one last thing to keep in mind when it comes to your assets is their size. Large files can slow down your site speed, and thus negatively impact user experience as well as Google search rankings. If you’re using WordPress, leverage the SiteGround Speed Optimizer Plugin, which will take care of all the file optimization for you (along with a bunch of other speed-improving features).

Bonus tip: To make all your assets extra handy, consider creating a shared drive, such as a DropBox folder, so that your files are easily accessible for all collaborators.

9. Bring Your Website Planning to Life 

Once all your assets are ready, it’s time to build your website. Depending on whether you’re building your own site, or outsourcing it, your action items will vary. Let’s explore next steps. 

If You’re Building Your Own Site

While building your site is a bit more hands on, you’ve already done a lot of the legwork, and you have mapped everything out on your checklist. So it’s just time to put it all in action.

Website Builder and/or CMS

If you’re using a website builder or a CMS such as WordPress, you’ll want to start off by adjusting the template to match your branding, colors and fonts. Usually this can be done easily by adjusting the template settings allowing color and font changes to take effect across your site.

From there, you’ll want to upload and start organizing all your content, including copy, images (including your logo), and any additional media. 

Lastly, you’ll want to set up any extra site functionality. In the case of a CMS like WordPress, this could include installing plugins for SEO or ecommerce, as well as adding any contact or email sign-up forms. (New to the world of email marketing? We’ve got you. Read our guide on email marketing and how to get started.)

Custom Coding 

Meanwhile, if you’re personally building your site from scratch, you’ll need to start designing and coding, and, in doing so, leveraging and implementing your gathered content as discussed above. Designing and coding a website from zero is obviously a much larger undertaking that requires more than a simple article. So enter into these waters only if you are well acquainted with how to custom-build a site. 

If You’re Working With a Designer

If building or customizing a website isn’t in your wheelhouse, but you want a custom site, then you will have chosen to hire a designer. In this case, plan to share all the information you’ve gathered thus far, including:

• Goals and objectives of your site
• The target audience
• Content documents (copy, branding guidelines)
• Branding elements (logo, font files)
• Media files (images, videos, animations)
• Detailed instructions for the sitemap, layout, design preferences, and functionality requirements. This should also include any sites you’ve found for inspiration. Many designers may even provide you with a design brief so that you can clearly address all their questions and needs up front.

Ultimately, whether you build your site on your own or with help, once it’s built, be sure to test all elements thoroughly before launch. Consider asking users in your target audience to interact with your test site so that you can gather valuable and relevant feedback. You’ll also want to test site responsiveness on mobile devices, any interactive elements, and page load times. Need to speed up your website? Check out these website speed optimization tips.

Next Steps After Planning a Website 

The website planning process is ongoing. After your site goes live, you’ll need to monitor its performance, update content, and optimize it for better user engagement and SEO. Make sure to:

• Track your metrics: Use tools like Google Analytics to measure traffic, conversions, and user behavior.
• Optimize SEO: Continuously update your SEO strategy to improve rankings. If you’re using WordPress, for example, you can install plugins, such as Yoast, which will do the heavy lifting when it comes to SEO.
• Update content regularly: Keep your website fresh by adding new blog posts, products, or case studies.
• Maintain the site: Do regular backups, update plugins, perform security checks, and make sure your site speed is adequate, and stay on top of other web performance metrics. 

Beyond Website Planning

Effective website planning is the cornerstone of a successful online presence. By taking a step-by-step approach – defining your goals, knowing your audience, building a strong brand, and picking the right design and website planning tools – you’ll lay the groundwork for a site that not only looks great but also works for your business. From choosing the right domain and hosting to making sure navigation is smooth and gathering all the necessary assets, paying attention to these details sets you up for success.

And remember, your work doesn’t stop once the site goes live. Regular updates, monitoring, and optimizing performance are key to keeping your site engaging and functional as your business grows. With this guide and our website planning checklist, you’ll create a site that helps you connect with customers and hit your business goals. Happy planning!