Planning a New Website with Future Growth in Mind
A common misconception is that once the website is launched live onto the Internet, that it is finished. However, website success relies on frequent expansion, updates, and changes. A website should never be “finished,” it should always be growing and adapting.
If you don’t use forethought to plan for future growth, new material may just be added onto your website in a haphazard way, creating clutter and confusion for your website visitors. Many times, this can lead to an expensive organizational overhaul.
Although reorganizing isn’t always a bad thing and it is better than having your visitors sort through a confusing website, you should plan ahead to minimize the need for an overhaul. Much like a building can be designed for future expansion, your website should be planned for future growth.
Websites can have many promotions that change every month:
�· Community Involvement
�· Seasonal Reminders
�· Frequently Updated Galleries
�· Blogs (Web Logs)
�· Frequently Asked Questions FAQs
�· Newsletters
One of the ways you can plan for additional growth is by asking your designer to create the website so that new material can be added and navigated easily. This can be as simple as having a website designed so that navigation buttons can be added without needing to redesign the entire navigational structure.
Having extra content created in the beginning, to add to the website in later months is also a great way to expand your website consistently over a long period of time. This approach allows you to know where your website is headed, and doesn’t leave you scrambling for new content or reorganizing every month or quarter.
Extra content can be as simple as Frequently Asked Questions pages that are added once a month without sacrificing your website’s integrity by just including text links at the bottom of existing pages.
Another great way to allow your website to grow without technical assistance is to have your designer add a Blog (web log) like this one to your site. A Blog is an inexpensive way to update your website whenever you feel like it.
Planning for growth is one of the best things you can do for your website. Not only will it avoid clutter and confusion, but also keep your website updated and organized.
