You may have never heard of the term website strategy. But have you thought about why you have a website? That’s where it all starts. The first step in forming a website strategy is to think about the most important aspect of your website…your visitors! Putting yourself in their shoes when designing your website will put you miles ahead of your competition. (psst….this works for other marketing materials too!)

Another essential aspect of website strategy is defining the goals that you and your organization have for your website. For example, a goal might be to have an increase in newsletter sign ups. So you’d better make sure that the way visitors will sign up is easily seen and inviting to them. Another goal might be to have visitors buy your product online. If that’s the case then it’s important to make sure the shopping experience is intuitive, simple and safe for visitors.

The architecture of a website is very like the architecture of a building. A well-crafted building is pleasing to the eye, is easy to navigate and gives you a sense of safety and quality when you’re in it. Wouldn’t it be great if your website visitors felt the same way? That is always the goal of a great website. Visitors should be able to interact with the website without having to figure out how to find what they are looking for. When you take some time to “architect” how a visitor will interact with the navigation and information, then you will provide a good user experience.

It’s equally important to think about how all of your content is arranged. 4Web will work with you to develop your site map to ensure your information is presented in an intuitive and accessible manner.

Design...finally! Everyone wants to start here but it's best left until after the website strategy and architecture are complete. Visual design is an integral part of the website equation. It encompasses colors, fonts and layout of pages. The visual design is put onto the website using a template.

Defining the scope of any project there is a balance between available resources.....budget, time and cost. 4Web will work with you to help define a scope that will work for your schedule and budget. If needed, we will divide your project into manageable phases so over time you get the website that works for your organization.

In the development phase, all the upfront work with website strategy, architecture and design come together in your website solution. During the development you will have full access to look at the site at any time to provide feedback or ask questions. 4Web is on your team and think it's important that you be able to inspect what you expect at any time during the project.

From the proposal to the final website launch, you will be:

• Engaged in productive conversations
• Educated along the way
• Fully aware of any challenges or obstacles
• Inspired by the process
• Capable of updating your own content

As a result...you will be able to manage and update your website in order to achieve your marketing goals on an ongoing basis.