A website planning guide is a practical system for defining goals, audience, structure, content, and technical requirements before design and development begin. A website planning guide works by turning vague ideas into a usable plan: success metrics (KPIs), user personas, information architecture, sitemap creation, content strategy, wireframes, prototyping, platform decisions, and a launch checklist that ties into analytics and ongoing website maintenance.
A website planning guide has 4 outcomes. The website planning guide reduces rework, improves user experience (UX), supports search engine optimization (SEO) from day one, and makes budgeting and timeline management realistic. Website planning uses project management methods to keep stakeholders aligned, keep client communication clean, and keep scope under control.
This guide covers planning a website design project, the core planning steps, the website redesign process, and a 2026 planning framework for high-performing sites. The guide includes practical steps for content inventory, user journey mapping, conversion rate optimization (CRO), accessibility (WCAG), website security, CMS selection, and post-launch performance tracking using Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
Plan Your Website Design Project
Planning a website design project starts with decisions that most teams delay too long: purpose, users, content ownership, and success measurement. A strong plan answers five questions early:
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What is the primary business goal for this website?
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What are the top user goals and user stories?
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What pages must exist at launch, and what pages can wait?
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What content already exists, and what must be created?
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What technical constraints shape the build (CMS, hosting, integrations, security)?
A website design project plan works best when it is written as a small set of “non-negotiables” plus a prioritized backlog. That is the difference between a plan and a wishlist. A plan has scope boundaries, a timeline, a budget range, and clear ownership.
A useful website planning guide includes:
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a project plan with tasks and owners
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a brief with goals and deliverables
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a target audience definition (personas)
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a moodboard and design direction
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a sitemap and information architecture
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content planning for each page
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a development and testing plan
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a site launch checklist and post launch strategy
This is the pre-launch digital blueprint that prevents expensive changes later.
Website Planning: Key Highlights
There are 9 key highlights that make a website planning guide work in real projects:
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Define website goals early using measurable KPIs
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Prioritize target audience analysis before navigation planning
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Build website information architecture before UI decisions
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Create a sitemap that reflects priority instead of internal politics
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Plan website content planning early so design has real content to support
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Use mobile-first design principles so the structure works on small screens
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Plan technical SEO foundation as part of the build, not a final step
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Include accessibility compliance checklist (WCAG) during planning, not after complaints
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Set analytics tracking and reporting before launch using Google Analytics and Google Search Console
A website planning checklist that includes these highlights reduces timeline risk and improves conversion-focused site architecture.
The Website Planning Process
Website planning is a process, not a single document. A solid process ties together strategy, content, design, development, and testing. A planning process also protects your project from two predictable problems: content arriving late and scope expanding without budget.
The Creative Process
The creative process turns strategy into a working direction for UX, UI, and content. The creative process includes:
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collecting references (brand, competitors, UI patterns)
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defining layout priorities based on user tasks
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establishing brand voice integration for copy
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deciding how pages should feel and behave on mobile
The creative process is faster and cleaner when it is constrained by planning inputs: user personas, conversion goals, and information architecture.
A good creative process uses wireframing and prototyping early. Wireframing defines structure. Prototyping tests interactions. Both reduce rework during development.
The 6 Essential Steps to Website Planning
There are 6 essential steps in a practical website planning guide:
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Project plan
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Brief
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Target audience
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Moodboard
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Sitemap
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Content
These six steps are a simple system. They can be used for a business website, an e-commerce site, a corporate website planning guide, or a personal blog planning guide.
The 6 Steps in the Website Redesign Process
The website redesign process follows the same six steps, but adds three redesign-specific tasks:
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a content audit and content migration strategy
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a technical review (performance, security, tracking, integrations)
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an SEO migration plan (redirect mapping, canonical rules, internal linking, and crawl control)
A redesign is not only “new UI.” A redesign is a structured change that affects SEO, conversion flows, and the website maintenance plan.
1. Strategy and Planning
Strategy and planning connect the business goals to user needs. Strategy and planning determine what the site must do, how it will be measured, and what constraints the build must respect.
Understand your buyer personas or user stories.
Buyer personas describe what different audience segments need, what blocks them, and what persuades them. User stories define tasks in clear language. A user story is a simple statement like: “A visitor wants to compare services and book a call in under 60 seconds.”
A strong persona or user story includes:
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goals and motivations
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pain points and objections
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typical decision triggers
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device patterns (mobile vs desktop)
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trust requirements (reviews, credentials, security signals)
This step drives UX decisions, UI hierarchy, and conversion rate optimization (CRO) planning.
Assess your content.
Content assessment is a content inventory template in action. It answers:
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What content exists today?
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What content is accurate and useful?
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What content must be rewritten for clarity and brand voice?
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What content is redundant or thin and should be merged?
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What content is missing for key user journeys?
A content audit prevents “design-first, content-later.” Content should lead structure, not chase it.
If this is a redesign, content assessment also includes a content migration strategy: what moves, what gets redirected, what changes URL structure, and what gets retired.
Identify conversion opportunities.
Conversion opportunities are actions that support business outcomes. They include:
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primary CTA (book, buy, request quote, start trial)
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secondary CTA (download, subscribe, compare)
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micro conversions (scroll depth, click-to-call, chat opens)
Conversion opportunities should be mapped to specific pages. A homepage CTA is not the same as a pricing page CTA. This is conversion-focused site architecture.
A good plan defines the conversion points and the measurement plan early:
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event tracking in Google Analytics
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conversion goals and funnels
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traffic sources and attribution assumptions
Consider a growth-driven design approach.
Growth-driven design treats the website as a product that improves over time. Instead of trying to perfect everything before launch, you launch a strong baseline and iterate using post-launch performance tracking.
A growth-driven approach works well when:
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content must be published in phases
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stakeholder alignment is hard
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budget and timeline are constrained
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you want data-driven content strategy instead of opinions
This approach requires a post launch strategy, a reporting rhythm, and clear ownership.
Link strategy
A link strategy is the internal linking plan that supports both users and SEO. Link strategy includes:
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navigation links (top-level and footer)
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contextual internal links inside content
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hub pages and supporting pages
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breadcrumb structure for information architecture
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URL structure that matches topic structure
Link strategy is also technical: redirects, canonical URLs, and crawl control should be planned for.
2. Content
Content is not filler. Content is the substance that design and development support. Website content planning should define page intent before visual design begins.
Content planning includes:
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page goals and primary CTA
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target audience and user intent
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key sections and hierarchy (H1–H3 logic)
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SEO planning: keyword opportunity assessment and topic coverage
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supporting media needs (photos, icons, video, diagrams)
Content strategy should also define governance:
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who updates content
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how often content is reviewed
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how content changes are approved
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what tone and brand voice rules apply
Professional copywriting is a must
Professional copywriting matters because unclear content destroys UX and CRO. A clean UI cannot fix confusing words. Good copywriting reduces bounce rate and increases conversions by making pages easier to scan and easier to trust.
Professional copywriting supports:
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clear headings and page structure
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direct CTA language
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consistent brand voice integration
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SEO-friendly semantic coverage without stuffing
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better accessibility for screen readers and scanning users
3. Design
Design turns content and structure into UI. Design is not decoration. Design is the system that supports usability, trust, and conversion.
Website design planning should include:
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UI components (buttons, cards, forms, tables, alerts)
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responsive design breakpoints
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mobile-first design patterns for key interactions
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typography scale and readable spacing
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color contrast decisions aligned with WCAG accessibility
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interaction rules (hover, focus states, error states)
Wireframing should come before full visuals. Prototyping should test key flows like navigation, pricing comparison, checkout (for e-commerce), and contact submission.
4. Development
Website development turns approved design into a working product. Development planning should include:
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CMS choice and configuration (Content Management System (CMS))
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platform evaluation (WordPress, Squarespace, Wix)
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web hosting requirements and scaling plan
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domain name registration and DNS ownership
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website security checklist (SSL/TLS, backups, updates, firewall rules)
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third-party integration roadmap (CRM, email tools, payment gateways)
Development planning also includes performance requirements:
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Core Web Vitals targets
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image strategy (formats, lazy loading)
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caching and asset optimization
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server response time expectations
Scalable infrastructure planning prevents rebuilds when traffic grows.
5. Testing
Testing is where assumptions meet reality. Website usability testing should cover:
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mobile vs desktop behavior
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browser compatibility
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accessibility compliance checklist (WCAG basics: focus states, contrast, keyboard navigation)
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form validation and error handling
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page speed and performance checks
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SEO technical checks (indexability, canonical tags, sitemap health)
Testing should include tracking validation:
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Google Analytics events firing correctly
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Google Search Console verification
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conversion events and goal setup
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tracking of phone clicks, form submits, and key CTA clicks
6. Site Launch
Site launch is not “push live and pray.” A website launch checklist includes:
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final content and proofreading
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redirect mapping for any URL changes
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XML sitemap submission to Google Search Console
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robots and indexation rules confirmed
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analytics and conversion tracking confirmed
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security configuration confirmed
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backup and rollback plan confirmed
Launch day should include monitoring:
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uptime and error logs
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conversion path checks
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indexing signals and crawl behavior
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page speed and real user issues
A strong launch includes a post launch strategy that defines what gets improved first.
Project Plan
A project plan is a working system for timeline management, owners, and dependencies. Project management tools vary, but the planning artifacts stay the same.
Create a new board
Create a new board to store all planning assets: briefs, personas, moodboards, sitemap, and content notes. A board works because it is visual, collaborative, and easy to update.
Choose a template
Choose a template to standardize your workflow. A template prevents missing steps and supports client communication.
Brief
A brief defines the project scope and keeps stakeholders aligned.
First, open the Brief board
Open the Brief board and make it the “source of truth” for project decisions. Keep the brief short but complete.
Define the background of the project
Background answers:
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why the project exists
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what problem the website solves
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what caused the redesign or rebuild
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what constraints are already known (platform, timing, budget)
Drag a note card onto your board
Use a note card to record the background in simple language. Keep it factual.
Write clear goals & deliverables
Goals define outcomes. Deliverables define what will be produced.
Examples of goals:
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increase lead form completion rate by 20%
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improve conversion rate on pricing pages
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improve search visibility for core services
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reduce support tickets by improving self-service content
Examples of deliverables:
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sitemap + navigation plan
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wireframes for key templates
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content briefs for top pages
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design system components
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development build + QA plan
Drag a to-do list onto your board
Use a to-do list to assign owners, due dates, and dependencies. This supports budgeting and timeline management.
Include brand references
Brand references include:
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existing brand guidelines
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tone of voice examples
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competitor visual references
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approved typography and color patterns
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imagery style and icon style
Upload a file or document
Upload brand guidelines, logos, and any visual assets. Store them in one place.
Target Audience
Target audience definition prevents design choices that feel good internally but fail for real users.
Open the Persona board
Create a Persona board dedicated to target audience analysis.
Choose a template
Choose a template that captures:
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demographic context when relevant
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goals and motivations
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pain points
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objections and trust needs
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browsing patterns (mobile-first vs desktop)
Gather existing customer data
Gather customer data from:
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Google Analytics (top pages, engagement, device mix)
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Google Search Console (queries, landing pages, clicks)
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CRM notes and sales call patterns
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support tickets and chat logs
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surveys and user interviews
Upload a file or document
Upload reports and research summaries to support decisions.
Describe pain points & the ideal experience
Pain points are specific issues users face. Ideal experience is what success looks like for the user.
Good pain point writing is concrete:
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“Users can’t find pricing details”
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“Users do not trust claims without proof”
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“Users abandon forms because they are long”
Drag a note card onto your board
Document pain points and ideal experience as short statements.
Bring your persona to life
A persona becomes useful when it is realistic and decision-driving.
Use the built-in image library
Pick a neutral image that makes the persona easy to remember.
Drag a note card onto your board
Add details like:
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what motivatess: top tasks on the site
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what blocks: objections and doubts
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what converts: proof, clarity, speed, or guarantees
Drag a column onto your board
Use columns to separate:
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goals
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objections
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content needs
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feature needs
Invite editors to your board
Invite editors so sales, support, and marketing can add real-world insights.
Moodboard
A moodboard aligns the visual direction before design time is spent.
First, open the Moodboard
Create a moodboard space for style, UI patterns, and interaction references.
Collect existing material
Collect:
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current site screens (what works / what fails)
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brand assets
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product screenshots
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competitor patterns worth studying
Upload a file or document
Upload screenshots and brand assets.
Add inspiring imagery and motion
Add:
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typography inspiration
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layout patterns
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animation references (subtle UI motion, not gimmicks)
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image style that matches brand tone
Use the built-in image library
Pull references quickly without hunting.
Save content from the web
Save UI patterns, hero layouts, and landing pages that match your direction. Keep notes on why a reference was selected.
Transform your board from messy to organized
Organization turns inspiration into decisions.
Resize images
Resize images to create hierarchy: what is core direction and what is optional.
Invite editors to your board
Invite editors so stakeholders align early instead of reacting late.
You’ve finished the moodboard!
A moodboard is finished when the team agrees on:
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layout style direction
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typography direction
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imagery style direction
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UI tone (minimal, editorial, product-focused, or service-focused)
Sitemap
A sitemap defines structure, hierarchy, and navigation priorities.
First, open the Sitemap
Create a dedicated sitemap board.
Create a new board
Create a new board to keep structure separate from moodboard visuals.
Add structure & hierarchy
Structure should reflect user intent and business priorities. A sitemap creation guide should answer:
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What are the top-level pages?
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What pages support them?
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What content exists for each stage of the funnel?
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What pages will support SEO planning and internal linking?
Use lines to connect objects
Use lines to show relationships:
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parent to child pages
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hub pages to supporting pages
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conversion pages and supporting pages
Your sitemap is done
A sitemap is done when:
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navigation is clear and minimal
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pages have a reason to exist
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hierarchy makes sense to a user, not only to the company
Content
Content planning ties the sitemap to actual page material.
Open a page on your Sitemap
Open a sitemap page and plan it in context: what the user expects and what action the page should drive.
Add ideas for content
Add:
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page purpose
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key sections
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proof elements (testimonials, case studies, certifications)
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CTA placement
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FAQ blocks where helpful
Drag a note card onto your board
Use note cards for section outlines and messaging.
Sketch the rough layout
Sketch before high-fidelity design. Sketching allows fast iteration and better UX planning.
Sketch ideas on the board
Sketch:
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section order
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content hierarchy
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CTA placement
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trust elements placement
Add images and video
Plan media early so design doesn’t rely on placeholders.
Use the built-in image library
Add example imagery styles and placeholders that represent the final direction.
Embed Youtube videos or audio tracks in a board
Embed video references to define placement, length expectations, and tone.
Collaborate and build on your ideas
Content planning improves when multiple teams contribute.
Invite editors to your board
Invite editors for client communication and stakeholder alignment workshop style collaboration.
You're all done!
You are done when:
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each priority page has a purpose
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key sections are defined
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CTA is clear
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media and proof needs are listed
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the content owner is assigned
Website Planning In 2026 - 14 Steps For High-Performing Sites
Website planning in 2026 requires planning for mobile-first behavior, AI-shaped discovery, accessibility expectations, and measurement discipline. These 14 steps improve performance and reduce rework.
1. Start With Your Goals & Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Define 3–5 KPIs tied to business outcomes. Examples:
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lead submissions per month
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qualified lead rate
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checkout conversion rate for e-commerce
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demo request rate
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organic sessions to priority landing pages
KPIs should match the business model and conversion structure.
2. Define Your User Personas
Personas should guide:
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navigation labels
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page order and hierarchy
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content tone
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trust signals (security, proof, credentials)
Define 2–4 personas that represent real segments.
3. Analyze Your Direct Competitors
Competitive landscape analysis should cover:
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page types competitors prioritize
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content depth and structure
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UX/UI patterns that reduce friction
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positioning and differentiation
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SEO footprint (topics, internal linking patterns, content gaps)
The goal is not copying. The goal is knowing what “good” looks like in the category.
4. Plan SEO As Structure
Website SEO planning works best when it shapes:
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URL structure
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sitemap hierarchy
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internal link strategy
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content clusters and hub pages
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technical SEO foundation (indexing, canonicals, schema where appropriate)
Keyword research planning belongs in the architecture stage, not after launch.
5. Create A Sitemap That Reflects Real Priorities
A sitemap should reflect:
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revenue drivers
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high-intent pages
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support pages that reduce friction
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content that builds trust and authority
Avoid bloated navigation that tries to show everything.
6. Map Out User Journeys That Reflect Real Behavior
User journey mapping should cover:
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first visit landing behavior
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comparison behavior
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decision behavior
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support behavior post-purchase
Map the journey for mobile and desktop separately when behavior differs.
7. Audit Existing Content To Inform Page Strategy
A data-driven content strategy uses:
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Google Search Console landing page performance
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organic queries and intent patterns
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pages with high impressions but low clicks
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pages with traffic but poor conversion
Use the audit to decide what gets updated, merged, or removed.
8. Write Page Briefs Before Design Starts
Page briefs stop scope creep. A page brief includes:
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page goal and CTA
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target persona
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key sections
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proof needs
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SEO focus (topic scope and supporting terms)
9. Create A Design Brief To Align Visual Direction
A design brief defines:
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UI style direction
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component requirements
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brand usage rules
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accessibility requirements
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responsive behavior expectations
10. Plan Accessibility & Compliance As Part Of Structure
Accessibility (WCAG) should be planned early:
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color contrast requirements
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keyboard navigation requirements
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focus states for interactive elements
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form label clarity
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alt text guidelines and media rules
Accessibility improves UX for everyone, not only edge cases.
11. Account For AI Use On Both Sides
AI affects:
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how content is created internally (drafting, editing, research support)
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how users discover and consume content externally (search summaries, AI assistants)
Plan content clarity, entity coverage, and structured layout so pages remain useful in AI-driven discovery.
12. Define Technical, Security & Integration Requirements Early
Define early:
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CMS needs and editorial workflow
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web hosting performance requirements
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website security checklist
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backups and rollback strategy
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integrations (CRM, email, payments, analytics)
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third-party scripts and privacy impact
Security hardening measures are cheaper to plan than to patch after incidents.
13. Plan Measurement, Reporting & Ongoing Review Before Launch
Define:
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event tracking plan in Google Analytics
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reporting cadence and ownership
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dashboards for KPIs
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Google Search Console monitoring process
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post-launch performance tracking workflow
14. Close Planning With Budget, Scope & Ownership
Budget allocation framework should define:
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what gets built now
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what gets phased later
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what is not included
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who approves changes
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who owns content and maintenance
Risk mitigation protocol includes a clear change request process.
When One Planning Process Doesn’t Fit Every Website
A single planning process does not fit every project because different websites have different constraints and success criteria.
A corporate website planning guide often prioritizes credibility, service clarity, and lead generation. An e-commerce website planning guide prioritizes product discovery, checkout flow, security, and catalog structure. A personal blog planning guide prioritizes content publishing workflow, topic structure, and long-term SEO.
Planning should scale with complexity:
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a 5-page brochure site needs lighter planning
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a 100+ page content site needs stronger information architecture
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an e-commerce site needs deeper CRO and technical planning
A planning process should be consistent but flexible.
6 Mistakes To Avoid When Planning A Website
These mistakes show up in almost every underperforming website project.
1. Treating User Personas As A Formality
Personas that don’t affect decisions are useless. Personas should change how navigation is labeled, how content is written, and what proof is included.
2. Letting Content Decisions Happen Too Late
Late content creates broken layouts, rushed copy, and weak SEO. Content planning should happen before design is finalized.
3. Designing Navigation Around Internal Structure
Internal org charts are not user journeys. Website navigation planning should reflect how a user thinks, not how a company is structured.
4. Treating CTAs As Decoration Instead Of Direction
CTAs should be planned as part of conversion rate optimization (CRO). Each key page should have a primary action and a secondary action.
5. Planning SEO Too Late In The Process
SEO is not a plugin. SEO is structure: URL paths, page hierarchy, internal linking, and topic coverage.
6. Ignoring Governance & Ownership After Launch
Without ownership, websites decay. Website maintenance needs a schedule, approvals, and clear responsibilities.
In-house Development vs Hiring an Agency vs Using a Freelancer to Redesign Your Website
This decision affects cost, speed, quality control, and long-term maintenance.
In-house website development
Benefits of in-house development:
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Direct control over priorities and changes
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Fast internal client communication
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Strong long-term ownership and maintenance continuity
Cons of in-house development:
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Higher fixed costs (salaries, tools, management overhead)
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Skill gaps across UX, UI, SEO, content strategy, and security
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Slower output if the team is small
Hiring a web design agency to redesign your website
Benefits of hiring a web design agency
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Specialized roles across design, development, and strategy
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Mature project management and timeline management
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Better process consistency and QA discipline
Cons of hiring a web design agency
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Higher total project cost
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Less flexibility for constant changes
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Agency quality varies, so due diligence matters
Hiring a freelance designer/developer
Benefits of hiring a freelance web designer
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Cost-effective for smaller projects
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Flexible scope and quick iteration
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Direct communication with the builder
Cons of hiring a freelance web designer
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Limited capacity for large multi-skill projects
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Dependency risk if the freelancer becomes unavailable
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Testing, security, and documentation may be weaker without a system
Who Should Be On A Website Redesign Team?
A redesign team needs clear roles, even if one person covers multiple responsibilities.
A strong website redesign team includes:
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Project owner (scope, approvals, priorities)
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Project manager (timeline, tasks, communication)
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UX lead (flows, wireframing, usability)
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UI designer (visual system, components, responsive design)
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Content lead (content strategy, briefs, writing, migration)
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Developer (CMS, performance, integrations, security)
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SEO specialist (technical SEO, information architecture, internal links)
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QA/testing owner (cross-device, accessibility, analytics validation)
Client communication should be owned by one person to avoid mixed signals.
How Much Does A Website Redesign Cost?
Website redesign cost depends on scope, content volume, complexity, and technical requirements. A redesign is cheaper when structure and content are stable, and more expensive when the project includes new positioning, new content, and new functionality.
Cost driver: creating website content
Content cost depends on:
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number of pages
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depth of content needed
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research requirements
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editing and approvals
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content migration strategy complexity
Professional copywriting and content strategy reduce long-term cost by improving performance and reducing future rewrites.
Cost driver: designing the website
Design cost depends on:
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number of templates (home, service, blog, product, landing, etc.)
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UI component system size
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responsive design complexity
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prototyping depth
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accessibility compliance requirements
Custom design is more expensive than using a prebuilt theme, but can improve UX and CRO if executed well.
Cost driver: programming and functionality
Development cost depends on:
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CMS setup and customization
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e-commerce complexity (catalog, filters, payments, shipping, taxes)
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integrations (CRM, booking systems, email automation)
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website security requirements
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performance targets and infrastructure planning
So, what is the cost of a website?
There is no single number that fits every website. The cost is the sum of content, design, development, and testing, shaped by timeline and quality expectations. A realistic budget comes from a scoped sitemap, clear deliverables, and defined ownership.
Terms to know about websites
These terms come up in planning meetings and affect decisions:
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Domain Name Registration: securing the domain name and controlling DNS
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Web Hosting: where the website runs and how it scales
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Content Management System (CMS): how content is created and managed (WordPress, Squarespace, Wix)
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Information Architecture: how pages and content relate in a structure
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Wireframing: low-detail layout planning
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Prototyping: interactive testing of flows before development
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Responsive Design: layouts that adapt to screen sizes
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Mobile-First Design: designing for small screens first, then expanding
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Website Security: SSL, updates, backups, access control
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Website Maintenance: updates, content refresh, monitoring
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Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): improving the percentage of visitors who take an action
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Search Engine Optimization (SEO): making content and structure discoverable and crawlable
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Google Analytics: traffic and behavior tracking
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Google Search Console: search visibility and indexing diagnostics
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Accessibility (WCAG): guidelines for usable experiences for everyone
The Importance of User Experience (UX) in Website Planning
User experience (UX) is the planning layer that shapes how users move, decide, and complete tasks. UX is not only about visuals. UX is structure, clarity, speed, and trust.
UX planning improves:
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navigation clarity and reduced friction
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content scanning and comprehension
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conversion flow completion rates
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accessibility and usability across devices
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long-term SEO performance through better engagement signals
UX works best when it is planned alongside information architecture, content strategy, and measurement.
Let's Grow Your Brand
A website planning guide is the difference between a website that looks good and a website that performs. Website planning connects content strategy, information architecture, UX, UI, SEO, development, testing, and launch into a plan you can execute. A strong website planning guide also defines post-launch performance tracking, website maintenance responsibilities, and the next iteration roadmap.
FAQs
What is a website planning guide?
A website planning guide is a structured process that defines goals, audience, sitemap, content, design direction, technical requirements, and launch steps before development begins.
Why is website planning important?
Website planning is important because planning reduces rework, improves UX, supports SEO, protects budget, and improves timeline reliability.
How do I start planning a website?
Start planning a website by defining goals and KPIs, building user personas or user stories, and creating a prioritized sitemap.
What are the key steps in website planning?
The key steps in website planning are strategy, content planning, design, development planning, testing, and launch preparation.
How to set goals and KPIs for my website?
Set goals and KPIs by choosing 3–5 measurable outcomes tied to business results, including leads, sales, conversion rate, or qualified inquiries.
How do I identify my target audience when planning a website?
Identify the target audience using analytics data, search queries in Google Search Console, CRM insights, surveys, and persona templates.
What should I include in my website’s sitemap?
Include priority pages, supporting pages, and a hierarchy that matches user intent, including conversion pages and trust pages.
How to plan the content for my website pages?
Plan page content by defining the page goal, audience, key sections, proof needs, CTA, and SEO topic coverage before design begins.
What design elements should I collect before building my site?
Collect brand guidelines, typography direction, color rules, UI patterns, imagery style, and competitor references in a moodboard.
How to choose the right platform or website builder?
Choose the platform based on content needs, scalability, integrations, editorial workflow, and ownership, then compare WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix against those requirements.
Do I need a budget when planning a website?
Yes. A budget defines scope boundaries and prevents planning from turning into an unbuildable wishlist.
How to create a content strategy as part of website planning?
Create a content strategy by auditing existing content, mapping content to user journeys, defining page briefs, and assigning content ownership for updates.