Considerations for a new website – strategy and key decisions

Key considerations before starting a new website

Today, there’s much more to consider than just cost and launch date. User experience (UX), accessibility (WCAG), performance (Core Web Vitals), security and compliance (GDPR), along with personalization and integration options, have become crucial to creating real business value. At the same time, both customers and search engines expect higher standards for speed, mobile optimization, and quality content.

This means your website project should begin with a set of strategic questions:

What business goals should the site support?

How will it contribute to lead generation and sales?

What experiences should it deliver for your customers – across channels and devices?

How do we ensure the solution is scalable and maintainable long term?

A new website is therefore not just a design project, but an investment in your digital foundation. The more clarity you achieve up front, the more value you’ll unlock – in visibility, leads, and brand strength online.

Defining the purpose of your website

Before development begins, it’s critical to define your overall objectives. Many focus on design and features, but the most important question is: what role should your website play in the business? With clear goals from the start, you can make the right decisions on content, functionality, technology, and budget.

Ask yourselves:

Why do we want a new website? Is it primarily a visual refresh, or should it also support new business goals?

What is our unique value proposition – and how should it be communicated digitally?

Is the site meant to generate leads, inform, sell products, or serve as a platform for branding and recruitment?

Have we defined SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely) to measure ROI?

Who are our main competitors, and what can we do better than them?

Does the redesign require a full rethink of structure, journeys, and functionality – or mainly design and branding updates?

What data and reports do we need monthly, quarterly, or yearly?

How will we market the website after launch – SEO, social media, paid campaigns?

What is our budget – not just for development, but also for ongoing maintenance and optimization?

Website Requirements

Once the goals are clear, the next step is defining the requirements. These should address both current needs and future growth, ensuring your solution remains relevant as your business evolves.

Consider:

Do we meet accessibility requirements (WCAG)?

Are we fully compliant with cookie laws and GDPR?

Does our current hosting meet traffic and performance demands?

Do we need scalable hosting for peak periods?

Do we have the necessary access to hosting environments?

Do we need additional security such as SSL – and at what level?

What works well and poorly on our current site? What sites inspire us?

Do we use marketing automation, email, or landing pages that need integration?

Should the site connect to CRM, ERP, or other systems?

Do we need multiple user roles with different access levels?

Functionality

With goals and requirements in place, it’s time to prioritize functionality. Separate the “must-haves” from the “nice-to-haves.”

Ask yourselves:

Do we need an intranet/extranet with member or customer login?

Should we integrate audio or video files – and how will these be hosted?

Will users write reviews, comment on blogs, or engage via chat?

Should we have advanced search or tailored navigation?

Does the site need to be multilingual – and how will translations be managed?

Should content be shareable directly on social media?

Will the site support e-commerce and payments?

Do we need to manage multiple websites from a single CMS?

Should we include an event calendar with registrations?

What information must always be visible (contact info, CTAs)?

Is tracking (Google Analytics or similar) in place, and will we run user testing?

Data and benchmarking

A new website should be informed by how the current one performs. Data highlights strengths and areas for improvement.

Key questions:

Which pages get the most traffic and rank best in Google?

How many visitors and pageviews do we have monthly?

How long do users stay, and what’s the bounce rate?

Which traffic sources perform best?

How does mobile traffic compare in performance?

How many leads and sales does the site generate?

Which landing pages and blog posts perform best?

What’s the load time of key pages?

Are we optimized for Core Web Vitals?

How many pages are indexed in Google?

Do we track the right metrics (conversions, engagement, leads)?

Lead generation

A website should deliver measurable results. Lead generation needs to be built into both structure and content.

Consider:

Do we collect visitor data in a CRM – and use it actively?

Are our forms optimized – focusing on must-have fields only?

How do we use email marketing and automation (newsletters, nurture flows, triggers)?

Could we benefit from automated flows based on user behavior?

Do we have strong CTAs, and have we tested them (A/B)?

Do we use lead scoring to qualify prospects?

Will we drive traffic via paid ads, and do we have tracking in place to measure ROI?

Collaboration and process

A website project is also a collaboration project. Clear roles, responsibilities, and communication make the difference between a smooth process and chaos.

Ask yourselves:

Which tools will we use for virtual meetings?

Who owns the site after launch?

Who maintains the content?

Who approves milestones and final go-live?

Do we have internal content resources, or should we bring in external support?

Content as the core

Content is the engine of your website. Without relevant, updated content, even the best platform won’t create value.

Key considerations:

What CMS are we currently using, and do we have preferences going forward?

Do we have a content strategy?

What formats will we produce (articles, guides, cases, videos, whitepapers)?

How often will we update content?

Do we have duplicate content that should be cleaned up?

Should we reuse or rewrite existing content?

Do we have buyer personas defined?

Will we use personalized content?

Do we have visuals ready, or need stock, photography, or design support?

AI and automation

AI can improve both user experience and operations – from personalized content to chatbots and automated journeys.

Ask yourselves:

How can AI make the experience more relevant and personal?

Can chatbots or intelligent FAQ improve service and reduce response time?

Can automated flows (emails, recommendations) enhance lead generation and retention?

Sustainability

Websites have a carbon footprint too. More businesses are now choosing sustainable digital solutions – from green hosting to code optimization.

Ask yourselves:

Have we considered the environmental impact of hosting?

Are images and videos optimized for both performance and energy efficiency?

Should sustainability be part of our digital strategy and communication?

A lot to consider

As you can see, there are many elements to consider – from strategy and goals to functionality, content, data, and collaboration. It may seem overwhelming, but that’s exactly why a structured approach matters. The better you clarify these questions in advance, the more value you’ll get from your new website – in visibility, leads, and a stronger digital presence.

We hope this guide has helped you better understand the process of building a new site – and inspired a more strategic dialogue with your partner or provider.