Passed on 7 April, 2025

2. Planning your website

At some point, you might want to build a home of your own on the web. Whether you're building a website from scratch or improving an existing one, this lesson will help you create a plan that aligns with your business goals.

✅ Learning objectivesBy the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:Identify the goals that make sense for your website and business.Organise your site’s structure to make it easy for visitors to find what they need.Explore different ways to build your site based on your skills and budget.

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

Identify the goals that make sense for your website and business.

Organise your site’s structure to make it easy for visitors to find what they need.

Explore different ways to build your site based on your skills and budget.

Why crafting a compelling website matters

A strong website does more than represent your business—it builds trust, connects with your audience, and drives results. It’s a key tool to inspire action and support your goals.

Create a meaningful impact

Focusing on your website ensures it works effectively for your business. Here’s why it’s worth the effort:

Build trust

Your website is often the first impression customers have of your business. A thoughtful and professional site builds confidence in your brand, encouraging visitors to stay and explore.

Identifying goals for your website

When creating your website, consider how to combine your business goals with what your visitors want.

Aligning goals with audience needs

Discover how to align business goals with audience needs to create a purpose-driven site. Once you’ve set your goals, use the SMART framework from theSetting suitable goalslesson to make them clear, actionable, and trackable.

Goal: Increase online sales

Your audience wants product details they can trust and an easy checkout experience. Feature product stories, customer reviews, and clear calls to action to guide their buying journey.

Goal: Generate more leads

Audiences look for helpful info and a simple way to stay updated. Try a sign-up form for newsletters, offering valuable content that keeps them engaged and eager to learn more.

Goal: Build brand awareness

People love content that’s interesting and relatable. A blog with engaging articles or an “About” page with your story can build that connection and strengthen your brand.

Goal: Increase foot traffic

Your audience wants convenience and incentives. Create a page with maps, directions, and info on in-store events or promotions to make visiting easy and appealing.

Goal: Drive phone calls

Your audience wants easy contact options. Display your phone number prominently—often at the bottom of the page—with a clear call-to-action like “Call now for more info.” For mobile users, consider adding a one-tap call button.

Goal: Enhance customer support

Your customers appreciate easy access to help when they need it. A ‘Support’ page with FAQs, contact options, and live chat gives them clear ways to get assistance, building trust in your service.

Using AI to understand audience needs

AI tools can analyse your social media efforts, competitor activity, and trends to uncover what interests your audience. This detailed analysis helps you tailor your site and content to better meet their needs and maximise impact.

Structuring your website

The goal is to make it easy for customers to find their way around and access what they need. A well-structured site keeps visitors engaged and reduces the risk of them leaving out of frustration. Revisit theContent creationmodule to refresh your knowledge about planing and creating content for your site.

Organising your site into pages

Think about the pages found on the sites you visit often—how are they organised? Which sections do you use most, and why? What stands out to you? How does each section help you navigate or find information? Here are some examples.

Home page

A well optimised home page is designed to engage visitors immediately, often featuring a hero section—a large, eye-catching image or video with bold visuals and a clear call to action. It highlights key offerings, builds trust with testimonials, and guides users to important areas of the site.

Services/Products page

For services, include descriptions of what you provide, pricing, and customer testimonials. For products, feature product images, descriptions, and purchase options.

Blog/News page

A Blog or News section keeps your website updated with fresh content, which helps engage visitors and improve SEO. You can write posts about industry trends, company updates, or helpful tips related to your business.

Contacts page

Your website’s Contact page might include your address, phone number, email, and a map with directions. You can also add a contact form to make it easy for visitors to reach out, as well as links to your social media profiles for further engagement.

About page

The About page might tell the story of your business and include photos of some of your best work. You can also highlight your team, values, and mission to help visitors connect with your brand on a more personal level.

FAQ page

A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section answers common questions about your business, reducing the number of inquiries and providing quick answers to your visitors, improving their overall experience.

Using AI to structure your website

AI tools can help you design a website structure that aligns with your audience’s expectations.

Try exploring AI tools that analyse popular websites in your field, highlighting key pages and layout trends. They provide best-practice insights so you can set up a site that’s intuitive and user-friendly.

Start planning your website

Whether you’re planning a new website or imagining one, here are a few steps to help you think about its structure and layout.

✅ ActivityCheck the items off as you go.List the content you’d want to share on a website based on your goals or interests.Organise similar items into clear categories or sections, such as “Products,” “About Us,” or “FAQs,” to make navigation intuitive for visitors.For extra guidance, try a generative AI assistant or tool to get structure recommendations that align with your vision.

Activity

List the content you’d want to share on a website based on your goals or interests.

Organise similar items into clear categories or sections, such as “Products,” “About Us,” or “FAQs,” to make navigation intuitive for visitors.

For extra guidance, try a generative AI assistant or tool to get structure recommendations that align with your vision.

Download PDF

Download PDF

Developing your website

Now that you have a plan, let’s look at different ways to bring your website to life.

Choose your development approach

Each approach has its own advantages, whether you’re looking for a simple setup or more customisation. Understanding these options will help you decide what might work best for you down the line.

Website builder

Perfect for beginners, website builders are budget-friendly, with drag-and-drop tools and ready-made templates that make it easy to set up a professional-looking site without any coding.

CMS

A content management system (CMS) offers more customisation than a website builder, allowing you to add unique features and scale as you grow. It’s best for those who want flexibility and are willing to invest time into learning the platform.

Hire a professional

If you need a fully customised site and have the budget, consider hiring a freelancer or agency. Professionals can create a tailored site that aligns perfectly with your brand and goals.

Website hosting options

Cloud hosting stores your website on multiple servers, making it easier to handle high traffic as your site grows. It’s a good choice for larger or complex sites, while built-in hosting from website builders and CMS can be a budget-friendly option for smaller sites.

Check your knowledge

Let’s review what you’ve learned about planning your website. These quick questions will help you confirm your understanding of key concepts, from setting goals to structuring content. Ready to see how much you remember?

Question 1 of 3

Why is it important to align your website with your business goals?

It helps ensure that your website supports the overall objectives of your business.

It reduces the need for website updates.

It allows your website to run faster.

Submit

Submit

Correct.Aligning your website with your business goals ensures it supports the overall objectives of your business.

Question 2 of 3

Fill in the blanks with the best content type to support each goal using the words below.music | contact number | email | content | maps

music | contact number | email | content | maps

music | contact number | email | content | maps

To generate leads, consider adding engaging

like blog posts or newsletters to keep visitors connected.

To increase foot traffic, make sure to include

and location details to help people find you.

To drive phone calls, place your

prominently on key pages so visitors can reach you quickly.

Submit

Submit

Yes.You matched each content type with its goal perfectly. Blog posts or newsletters help generate leads, maps and location details boost foot traffic, and a prominently displayed contact number makes it easy to drive phone calls.

Question 3 of 3

Select the best website development option for each description.

Content management system (CMS)

incorrect

Website builder

incorrect

Website builder

correct

Show Answer

Show Answer

Almost.Hiring a professional offers full customisation, a CMS gives flexibility for those ready to learn, and a website builder is budget-friendly with drag-and-drop tools. Review these to solidify your understanding.

Lesson complete

Great job!You now have a solid understanding of how to design a user-friendly website.Head to the next lesson to learn more about website design and user experience.

You now have a solid understanding of how to design a user-friendly website.Head to the next lesson to learn more about website design and user experience.

Head to the next lesson to learn more about website design and user experience.

Head to the next lesson to learn more about website design and user experience.