Time for a new website? The first step is to hire a website developer, right?
Well, not quite. Building a website requires a significant investment of time and money. The best way to maximize the return on that investment is to carefully consider what you need in your new site.
The design specifications that you prepare at this stage will lay the groundwork for the rest of the site. Your site designer and architect will rely on these specs to create the body of the website. Consequently, the more effort you put into preparing a killer set of design specs, the better off your site will be once construction starts.
Learn how we walk our clients through this entire process here.
Benefits of good website design specifications
Putting in the time to craft a detailed, comprehensive set of website design specifications pays dividends throughout the project. Some of the benefits include:
- Streamlined website production
- Clear expectations
- Improved communications between team members
- No unpleasant surprises
All of those benefits, in turn, reduce the overall costs of the project and keep your project, your budget, and your timeline on track.
7 tips to create powerful website design specifications
Tip #1: Every spec is different
Like snowflakes, no two websites are exactly alike. No two design specifications are alike either. Whether you’re crafting a set of specs to use to find a good site builder or to distribute to a client, each set will vary depending on the scale of the projects and the needs for that particular site. That said, you’ll want to include the same basic information on every set so you have a standard approach.
Use these tips to keep your approach to creating a new set of website specs the same, even if the actual content differs.
Tip #2: Know where you’re going
Before you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), take a few moments to clarify in your own mind what you want the site to do and to look like. It can be helpful to sketch out the basic structure of your website, known as a wireframe, to better visualize what you need in the site and what it should look like.
You may even want to do multiple wireframes – one for the website initially, and one for where you anticipate the site being down the road as it grows and expands. Create your website with room for growth, and make that idea clear in your design specs.
Tip #3: Identify your team
You’re not going to create the specs, design the site, and build it yourself from the ground up. You’ll need support and you’ll need a team of experts to help keep the project on track.
Use the design specifications to identify key members of the project. Some of the possible roles that might be involved with the project and who should be identified includes:
- Web managers
- Site designers
- Marketing managers
- Content marketers
- CEO
- Project leads
If you haven’t identified specific people for the role – say, if you haven’t hired a website architect just yet, and plan to use the specs to assist that process – then identify the role rather than the individual. This will allow you to see what kind of human resources you are devoting to the project, and give you a better idea of whether you need a larger or smaller team involved.
Tip #4: Leave no stone unturned
The more details the better (with one exception: see Tip #7). Don’t say “we’ll need a few product category pages.” State how many you’ll need exactly. This fits in with Tip #2 above – you might need more pages later on, so it can be helpful to say “X pages initially, expanding to Y pages down the line.”
It’s not just the number of pages, either. You’ll need to clarify the site’s goal, outline, structure, content, purpose, and have clear expectations for how to fulfill each section. Understand what each section of your site is meant to achieve, and use the specs to set forth a clear pathway to meeting those expectations.
Tip #5: Lay out a timeline
No set of website design specs would be complete without a timeline. Timelines give control – clear expectations of when and how things will be delivered, and to whom. As an example: the site builder will need the following five pages to be created by this date, and to do that, they’ll need website copy from your content manager by two weeks before. The site will have a soft launch on X, which will be handled by your marketing manager.
No timeline will hold up rigidly throughout the project, but by setting out a timeline early, you’ll empower your entire team to meet deadlines and feel like they’re in control of the project.
Tip #6: Start at the beginning
There’s good reason to start with your homepage. Your homepage is the first thing people see, and consequently, it’s the first place to start with the design process. From the homepage, you can start to imagine where visitors will go and what they’ll see.
Design your homepage first to clarify your wireframe and to direct your marketing. What sort of promotional material will you need? What sort of offers? What’s the tone of your new site? The overall look and feel? The homepage will set the standard for all of these elements, so start there.
Tip #7: Simplicity is king
Include maximum detail – but also, keep it simple. These may seem at odds, but a killer set of design specs achieves the right balance between the two. Work from the top down, creating a sketch of the site, fleshing it out, and clarifying who and what needs to be done to bring each part to life. The greater the detail you can include for each section, the better direction the specs will provide to the people responsible for those sections.
On the other hand, don’t overburden your team with endless detail. Leave it to their own expertise – let your marketing manager handle the copy for the new website, rather than trying to tell them exactly what to write.
The best design specs set out clear, actionable steps to create each part of a new website, without a mountain of mindless detail that hinders creativity. Keep your outline detailed but manageable, follow these tips, and you’ll be well on your way to a killer set of website design specifications and an awesome new website.