Plan a website in this order: goals, audience, content, sitemap, then measures of success. Design and development come after, because they depend on all five. Skipping planning is the most common reason projects stall in review rounds.
Australian government guidance agrees on the starting point. business.gov.au says to define your website goals before building anything and to align them with your business plan, marketing plan and target market.
Phase 1: goals
- Write the primary goal in one sentence, for example “generate qualified enquiries” or “sell products online”.
- Add up to two secondary goals.
- Note what the site must not try to do.
- Link each goal to a business target the owner already cares about.
business.gov.au gives examples such as acting as a digital shopfront, reaching a wider audience or improving brand and reputation. Pick the ones that apply, not all of them.
Phase 2: audience
- Name two or three audience groups.
- For each, list the situation they arrive in, the question they have and what stops them acting.
- Note device and context, such as phone on the go versus desktop at work.
- Check the words they use, since your own jargon may differ. The keyword research method can help.
Phase 3: content inventory
If a site exists, list every page and mark it keep, improve, merge or remove. If it is new, list content you already have: service descriptions, photography, testimonials you have permission to use, policies and FAQs.
| Item | Exists? | Owner | Needs work? | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service descriptions | ||||
| Photography and video | ||||
| About copy | ||||
| Legal and policy text |
Content is usually the slowest part of a project, because someone has to write and approve it. business.gov.au’s content tips are a good brief for writers: put the most important information first, use simple words, short sentences and clear subheadings, and check spelling and grammar.
Phase 4: sitemap
Draw a sitemap showing every page and how pages relate. Check that:
- Each page has one job.
- Important pages are reachable from the main navigation.
- Page names use words visitors would use.
- URLs are readable. Google’s SEO starter guide advises words that help users understand the page rather than random identifiers.
If you are unsure what to include, see which pages a small business site needs.
Phase 5: requirements that cut across pages
- Accessibility: decide the target standard early. WCAG 2.2 is the international W3C standard for making web content usable by people with disability.
- Mobile: every template should be designed for small screens too.
- Search: titles and descriptions unique to each page; Google advises they be accurate, concise and unique.
- Security and maintenance: who updates the site, and how often.
- Domain and hosting: a name that is easy to remember, spell and type.
- Privacy and terms: confirm what you collect and what legal text you need, with professional advice where necessary.
Phase 6: success measures
Choose a handful of measures tied to the goals before launch. Examples: enquiries submitted, phone calls from the site, sales, or time to first reply. Decide where each will be tracked and who reviews it, and how often. For ideas on lifting results after launch, read what makes a modern business website convert.
Phase 7: process and approvals
- Who is the single decision maker?
- Who provides content, and by when?
- How many review rounds are planned?
- What happens if content is late?
Redesigns need extra care
If you are replacing an existing site, URL changes can cost search visibility. Add a URL inventory and redirect plan to this checklist; the approach is in planning a redesign without losing SEO value.
The one-page summary
Before any designer starts, you should be able to hand over: a goal statement, audience notes, a content inventory, a sitemap, a requirements list and three success measures. If one is missing, the project will pay for it later.
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact’s Technology division builds business websites and redesigns, landing pages, automation and ongoing maintenance. If you want help working through this checklist, see Technology or contact us.
Sources
- Set up a business website, business.gov.au
- SEO starter guide, Google Search Central
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines overview, W3C
