The Excellanz Blog

The art of being prepared

Late last night I returned from a long weekend vacation in  Sedona, Arizona. I had never been there before, but knowing it was hot, at least in contrast to Minnesota, the plan was to spend a great deal of time outside soaking up the sun and hiking with 3 other women.

On Saturday we hiked about 8 miles amongst the beautiful redrock formations, wandering in and out  the cactus and scrubby brush. It was hot, dusty, and very sunny. Sunscreen, sunglasses, light clothing, and extra water was required to be comfortable. We were very prepared, as this was exactly the vision we had in our heads when packing gear for the trip.

On Sunday, however, we hiked in a new area for about 4 or 5 hours. This time it was in a canyon, and the terrain was more difficult with some climbing involved. The path crossed a creek in about 2 dozen places.  The only way to get across was by teetering on wobbly fallen logs, or by hopping from rock to slippery rock. My traveling companions were prepared with sturdy shoes and jackets, and one even had a walking stick. I, however, was not. I had gotten a little smug, and wanting my shoes to match my clothing, thought ‘Hey, it’s Arizona, I walk in sandals all the time at home, it’ll be fine’. Not so.  My sandals had little traction, and my feet slipped into the VERY cold creek several times while crossing.  That made for uncomfortable and muddy feet trudging through the soft dirt on the other side. I was not prepared. I was more concerned about my appearance than the function of my shoes. Thankfully, I had at least brought a sweatshirt that I could put on when the temperature in the canyon began dropping.

The same holds true in web design. You need to be prepared and know what the goal for your site is before you begin. Proper planning up front can prevent you from getting your proverbial feet cold and wet later on.

Here are some things to think about and consider before beginning:

• Who is your target audience, and are you looking for it to change and expand over time? 
• What types of information are your presenting, and how should it  be organized for clear, logical navigation?
• How would you like your users to interact with your site?
• Do you have  good quality images to use on the site, or the capabilties to obtain them? If not, are you willing to pay a professional to take them?
• Who will write the content copy for your site?
• What is your definition of success for the site. What do you consider a conversion? 
• Are you willing to devote the time to continue to bring updated, fresh content to your site as needed?

Each business or group will have unique goals, and it it is important to work them through before beginning. Spending time defining your site goals will make for a better site every time. The best looking site will be useless if you are catering to an audience that it isn’t appropriate for, or if your users cannot easily find their way around inside it.