The WWW (WHY? WHAT? WHO?) of Website Development
Websites are the core of most businesses’ brands. They are a portal for people to know and understand who you are, what you do, why you do it, and what you can do for them. As digital and virtual engagement continues to increase, it’s important that your website do the work that was once done by more face-to-face interaction.
There are a lot of questions to ask to determine what is best for your website, but we here at Chartwell love to find the answers. I’ve pulled together some of our key discovery questions that help us formulate the best strategy for both content and design. I’m calling them the WWW of websites.
The WHY?
Knowing why you need a website, or maybe a refresh, or refocus, is maybe the most important question to ask. Perhaps there has been a shift in your audience or business objectives. Technology changes fast, so it’s often a need to get up to speed with current web standards and practices. Sometimes it’s a new brand image that requires you to reassess and retarget your site. Maybe you’re a brand new entity and need your very first site. There are innumerable reasons why, but asking the question is key to your site’s effectiveness and your success.
The WHAT?
What does the site need to accomplish? What does it need to relay to the user and what do you need them to do? Are you needing to gather information? Sell a product? This What covers the vital functionality of the site. Often our clients are starting with an existing site and their Why has changed or they need a new What. We never throw out the baby with the bathwater. We ask ourselves what is working with the current site and what do we need it to do better. The What part often circles back to the Why, as they resolve and address each other’s needs and solutions.
The WHO?
This is all about your audience. That could be several things: a customer, a prospect, a supporter. The list goes on. But our goal is to understand who they are and how they behave as we develop the content and user experience. Having analytics from a current site or any data on your audiences’ web habits is invaluable information. There is much we can gather about the content they spend time with, what type of devices and technology they use, and what actions they are taking. This helps us develop compelling content and a user experience that fits your clients’ behaviors and technology. If you have a website or need your very first and are ready to ask the WWW of websites, reach out to us at Chartwell. We also invite you to take a look at our award-winning work in the healthcare, financial, education, and economic development industries, and see the difference we have made for them.
