Blog

In today’s digital-first world, it is more important than ever to have a website for your business. It’s a central hub for your brand, a lead generator, a sales tool, and often, the first impression you make. Your website is where you tell your story, engage your audience, and—if you’ve done it right—encourage them to take the next step. Whether you’re building a new site or planning a website redesign, starting with the right foundation is essential.

As a marketing agency experienced in web design services, we’ve seen firsthand how the right (or wrong) decisions early in the process can shape the success of a project. There are many things to consider before starting out. So, before you dive into layouts and color palettes, ask yourself these key questions to build a website strategy that works.

What is the goal of your website?

Is the website an “online brochure” for customers to learn more about the business? Or are you trying to sell products? Maybe you need a lead generation tool? Your answer to the core question of your website’s goal shapes everything that follows, from the sitemap and structure to the functionality your site will need.

Today, most websites do more than one thing, of course, but having a clear primary goal is still essential. A lead generation site will be built to drive conversions. A recruiting-focused site needs to showcase your company culture and make it easy to apply for open positions. An e-commerce site will require a very different content strategy and development approach than a traditional brochure-style site designed to build general awareness and legitimacy.

Remember, there are major differences between a traditional website, lead generation, and an e-commerce website; therefore, it’s important to know what you want your website to do before you get down to business.

What platform or CMS will power your site?

One of the biggest early decisions in any website development project is selecting the right content management system (CMS). The CMS impacts how your team manages content, how flexible the site will be as you grow, and what features and functionality you can build.

CMS is a web-based software that helps create, edit, organize, and publish content, and there are a number that could work depending on the website’s goals. A WordPress website continues to be a go-to for many businesses because of its flexibility, SEO capabilities, and user-friendly admin experience. Other options like Squarespace or Wix may work well for smaller sites, while HubSpot CMS can be ideal for businesses already leveraging its marketing tools.

For brands with unique needs, a custom or “headless” CMS can provide even greater scalability and performance, but it may require more involvement from the web developer.

While some platforms are ideal for e-commerce, others are best for just presenting information, so it is critical to make sure you pick the right one. If your site requires advanced search, custom product filtering, or complex integrations, you’ll want a CMS that can scale with those needs. However, for more straightforward brochure-style sites or sites focused on lead generation, it’s often more important to prioritize ease of use, security, and future scalability. That’s where working with a web design agency can help you evaluate which platform makes sense not just for launch but for ongoing updates and business growth.

Where will your website be hosted?

Web hosting affects performance, security, and how users experience your site. It’s not just a technical decision—it’s a strategic one.

Choosing a web host can be impacted by several factors, including the software used, speed, and number of visits to the site. Shared hosting may be suitable for small websites with limited traffic, but more complex or high-traffic websites often benefit from dedicated or cloud-based hosting solutions.

Your host can also directly affect your SEO through site speed and uptime. Remember, hosting can impact the Google PageSpeed Insights score, which is a ranking factor for performance in search, and that can influence how easily your site is found. Not sure what level of hosting support you’ll need? GRIT can help guide you through the decision based on your website goals and performance expectations—whether that’s a fully managed solution or a more scalable cloud-based setup.

Will you use a template or invest in a custom website design?

This decision is often a balancing act between budget, timeline, and the level of design customization your brand needs. Most CMS solutions have templates and themes that can be used to style a website, and they range from basic to those for specific industries/purposes. For many organizations, starting with a flexible theme or framework can speed up development while still allowing for brand-specific styling.

On the other hand, a custom website design might be the better path if you’re looking for a completely tailored experience—or if your brand relies heavily on unique visuals or advanced functionality. A website design company can help determine the best approach based on your audience, goals, and available resources.

Determining which one is best may depend on your goals and budget for the project, as well as the answer to the next question.

What functionality will your website need?

Somewhere between a digital brochure and a complex online store lies the reality of most websites: they require specific tools or features to meet business and user expectations. Your website may need some special functionalities, such as:

• • • Integrations with marketing automation systems & CRMs
    • Scheduling/booking tools
    • Job boards & online applications
    • Membership access
    • Live chat
    • Social media & online review streams
    • Gated content

These features influence not only the platform you choose but also the design and development approach. Some needs can be met with existing plugins (especially in a WordPress website), while others might call for third-party integrations or fully custom solutions. A thoughtful website strategy will uncover these needs early—avoiding delays and additional costs later.

Do you have the content ready to support your new site?

Your website needs to have some meat on the bones! Copy, visuals, and brand assets are just as important as the technical build.

Without compelling content, even the most beautifully designed site will fall flat. That includes web copy, calls to action, high-quality imagery or video, metadata for SEO, and thoughtful internal linking based on your information architecture, sitemap, and user journeys. There is no question—it is vital to plan what is needed before it is time to fill in the website. A strong content strategy ensures every page speaks clearly to your audience and supports your overall marketing strategy.

Who will maintain your site once it’s live?

Website development doesn’t end at launch. Ongoing maintenance is essential to keep your site secure, fast, and up to date. Yet this is one area many businesses overlook during the planning phase. Ask yourself: Who will be responsible for performance tuning and SEO? Will you need security patches, plugin updates, or content publishing support? What happens if something breaks?

Whether you decide to handle updates in-house or partner with a web design agency for ongoing support, having a plan in place will help protect your investment—and ensure your website continues to perform long after go-live. Your long-term maintenance plan matters just as much as your launch checklist.

Ready to build or refresh your website?

Whether you’re launching something brand new or planning a website redesign, GRIT’s website development team is here to help. As a full-service marketing agency and web design company, we combine strategy, creativity, and technical expertise to build websites that don’t just look good—they perform.

Let’s talk about your goals and how we can bring them to life. Contact GRIT today.