Planning a Website Before You Build
Start With Purpose
Why planning matters
Good websites begin with a clear purpose. Before writing code, decide what the site should help people do, who will use it, and what content they need.
A simple planning process
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Step 1: Define the website goal.
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Step 2: Identify the target audience.
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Step 3: List the main pages and content.
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Step 4: Sketch the page structure.
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Step 5: Decide what success looks like.
Planning questions
Think like a user
A website should solve a problem for visitors, not just showcase design skills.
Information architecture
Information architecture is the organization of content and pages. A clear structure helps users find what they need quickly and helps search engines understand the site.
What is the best first step before building a website?
Planning starts with purpose and goals.
Correct answer: Define the site's goal
Name one thing you should know about your audience before designing a site.
Audience needs guide content and layout decisions.
Correct answer: You should know what they need, want, or expect from the site.
What does information architecture help with?
It helps structure pages and content clearly.
Correct answer: Organizing content and navigation