Things to consider when planning a website


Planning to build a website for your business, campaign, or personal use? there are many factors to consider. This post breaks the process in to 5 questions, that when answered properly, will help direct your project.

How many times how important a website is for your business, campaign, brand, and even career? But researching “how to build a website” can lead to a healthy dose of information overload. This breakdown helps you organize all that information into questions that serve you and your project team.

A little bit of research, will reveal the pros of having your own website, which include;

  • giving your brand online credibility
  • making your service or product easy to find
  • helping you engage better with customers
  • automating your marketing
  • and many more.



Whether you plan to build your website from scratch, use a web builder, or hire a professional, answering these 5 questions will make the entire process easier.

What’s my domain name and where should I host?

Your domain name is an easy and readable digital address. Having one is an important and strategic step to improving your online presence. When choosing a domain name, the main rule to follow is it should not be long and complex. Your host sets up a web server for you, think of this as a computer on the internet that stores all the information used by your website. Your host also provides the resources you will need to use and manage the server. These resources include storage space, email servers to direct your email traffic, backup and security tools and configuration access. It is the infrastructure that supports your website. Hosting services usually provide you with options for getting your domain name also. You can find a list of good hosting services in this review: Things to consider;

  1. Domain names with a unique end AKA top level domain (i.e.,, may not be supported by a service you plan to use.
  2. Some hosting services are optimized for certain technologies (e.g Bluehost & WordPress). Mixing and matching these improve your chances of having a great web building experience.
  3. If you are already using an email service like GSuite or Zoho mail, make sure your host supports integration.
  4. If you plan to get paid through your website, include an SSL certificate in your hosting package.

What kind of content will I produce?

Think about the information you want provide to visitors. Is it mainly text, are you planning a blog, will it be images or videos? This information varies depending on the purpose of the website. If you plan to market a product/service or compel your visitor to do something, consider hiring a copy writer. If you need to sell or rent properties, hire a professional photographer or videographer.

What information do I need to collect?

Think about all the information you require from your users. This could be their contact information, their project information and budget or as simple as answers to a survey. Whenever you collect information of any sort from your users, you will require a privacy policy. This explains to your visitors, what information you collect, how you use it, how you secure it and how you share it (if you do).

What tasks do I need it to perform?

A website is a tool and like all tools is best when it is designed to perform specific tasks. Determine the core purpose for your website. This helps to control the process and channel your resources when building your web project. In this step you want to consider all the ways your visitors might use your site and how it should help you serve them. Will they register for a service, book and appointment or just buy a product? More complicated functions include things like geolocation and cart tracking.

What is my brand identity?

Is your online identity going to be professional, simple, bold or colourful? Your design works with your content to send a message about your brand. Your website design is influenced by your industry, target audience and your content. Decide what the colours, styles, fonts and backgrounds should be. This could be determined by details like your industry, audience or personal preference.


There are many services online that will help you build and manage a professional website. Not all services that handle these different aspects of a website work well together. That is why I encourage consultation with a web professional as much as possible when beginning. Remember, a website once built can always be improved and refined to serve your needs more efficiently and drive the metric that matters most. If you have questions about planning your website project, contact me by any of the following means:

Twitter: @niyi_adewole

LinkedIn: Matthew Adewole

