A great website doesn’t start with design. You may only see what’s on the surface — a well-designed and well-functioning website.  But behind it is weeks, sometimes months, of strategic planning.

Without it, your website wouldn’t exist in the first place.

You would never build a house without a plan. Even before you meet with your contractors, you have an idea of what you want out of your house. The same goes for your website.

Not allocating the time and resources necessary to strategically plan your website is the biggest mistake companies make. While these steps will vary based on your company’s needs, here’s what a well-developed tactical Web strategy should look like:

Step 1: Establish Your Goals

Before your Web design agency starts creating a website, make sure you’re clear on the basics: What are you trying to achieve with your new website? What is your website’s main purpose?

Ask your key stakeholders:

“What’s the biggest goal of our website?”

Everyone is likely to have different answer to this question, and you’ll want to discuss all input. But you’ll need to reach a consensus so there’s one clear-cut vision. A good way to do this is through Card Storming. – href="http://smallbiztrends.com/2013/01/the-strategy-behind-web-design.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SmallBusinessTrends+%28Small+Business+Trends%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">The Strategy Behind Web Design by Erin Everhart

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