Most website projects that go wrong don’t go wrong in design or development. They go wrong before anyone opens a design tool, when nobody has agreed what the site is for, who it’s for or what needs to go on it. Here’s how to plan a new website so that doesn’t happen.
Taking time to plan a new website isn’t glamorous, but it’s the cheapest part of the project and the part that saves the most money. An hour spent deciding what a page should do is worth several hours of redesigning it later.
This guide shows you how to plan a new website in a sensible order. Whether you build it yourself, hire a freelancer or work with an agency, you’ll end up with a clearer project and a better site.
1. Decide what the website is for
Every business website has a main job. Usually it’s one of these:
- Generating enquiries or quote requests.
- Selling products online.
- Taking bookings or appointments.
- Building credibility so people who’ve heard of you feel confident getting in touch.
- Supporting existing customers with information, downloads or account access.
Most sites do more than one of these, but one should come first. That main job shapes everything: what goes on the homepage, how navigation works, where the calls to action sit and how you measure success.
Write it down as a single sentence. For example: “The website’s main job is to get homeowners in Wirral and Liverpool to request a survey.” If you can’t write that sentence, you’re not ready to brief anyone.
2. Work out who it’s for
List the main groups of people who’ll visit the site, and what each one needs to do. A builder’s site might be used by homeowners looking for a quote, architects checking credentials, and potential staff looking for jobs. Each group needs something different, and some need more attention than others.
For each group, jot down:
- What they’re trying to find out.
- What would reassure them.
- What you want them to do next.
This becomes the backbone of your content and structure. It also helps you resist the urge to put everything on the homepage.
3. Plan the structure (the sitemap)
A sitemap is simply a list of pages and how they’re organised. Start with a pen and paper or a simple spreadsheet. A typical small business site might look like this:
- Home
- Services, with a page for each main service
- About
- Case studies or work
- Reviews
- Blog or news
- Contact
Give each important service its own page. One page listing everything you do is harder to read and much harder to rank in search. If you serve distinct areas or sectors, think about whether those need their own pages too, but only if you have something genuinely useful to say on each.
Keep the main navigation short. If a visitor has to read fifteen menu items to find what they need, some of them won’t bother.
4. Audit and plan the content
Content is where most projects stall. Designers wait for copy, owners wait for inspiration, and the launch date quietly slips. Get ahead of this early.
For each page on your sitemap, note what it needs: headline, main copy, images, reviews, downloads, forms. Then mark who’s responsible for each item and when it’s due. If you already have a site, check what can be reused and what needs rewriting. Old content often needs more work than people expect.
Photography deserves its own line in the plan. Stock images are fine for some things, but real photos of your team, premises and work almost always build more trust. If you need a shoot, book it early.
5. List the features you actually need
Features are where budgets swell, so be strict about them when you plan a new website. Make a list and sort it into three groups:
- Must have: the site doesn’t do its job without it. A contact form, a booking system, product listings.
- Should have: valuable, but the site could launch without it.
- Nice to have: ideas worth keeping for later.
Be specific. “Booking system” could mean a simple embedded calendar or a complex setup with deposits, staff rotas and reminders. The more detail you give, the more accurate your quotes will be.
Also note any systems the site needs to connect to: a CRM, email platform, accounting software, stock system or payment provider.
6. Think about search from the start
SEO is much easier to build in than bolt on. When you plan a new website, it means:
- Knowing the main terms people use to search for your services and giving each one a relevant page.
- Planning clear page titles and headings.
- If you’re replacing an old site, listing every existing URL so redirects can be set up. Losing these is one of the most common ways businesses drop out of Google after a relaunch.
- Making sure the site will be quick, mobile friendly and properly structured.
7. Set a realistic budget and timeline
Your budget should cover more than the build. Include domain and hosting, ongoing maintenance and security updates, content writing, photography, any paid plugins or software, and time for your own team to review and approve work.
Work backwards from your launch date and allow time for content, design, feedback rounds, development, testing and fixes. Feedback is the part that most often takes longer than planned, usually because it’s squeezed around everyone’s day job.
The launch date is only realistic if content has a deadline too. Most delayed websites are waiting for words and photos, not code.
8. Decide how you’ll measure success
Go back to the main job from step one. If it’s enquiries, set up form tracking and call tracking. If it’s sales, make sure e-commerce tracking is in place. Record your current numbers before launch so you have something to compare against.
How to plan a new website: checklist
- We’ve written one sentence describing the website’s main job.
- We’ve listed the main visitor groups and what each needs.
- There’s a sitemap with a separate page for each main service.
- Every page has a content list, an owner and a due date.
- Photography is planned, whether that’s a shoot or carefully chosen stock.
- Features are sorted into must have, should have and nice to have.
- Integrations with other systems are listed.
- If replacing a site, all existing URLs are recorded for redirects.
- The budget includes hosting, maintenance, content and our own time.
- The timeline includes feedback rounds and testing.
- We know which numbers we’ll use to judge whether the site is working.
Next steps
When you plan a new website like this, you’ll get clearer quotes and a smoother project from whoever builds your site. If you’d like help turning your plan into a finished site, take a look at our website design and development service, or our free website offer if you’re a smaller business that needs a solid site of up to ten pages.
