WordPress Development: What to consider before getting started?

While considering a CMS-powered website which will not only be easy to work with but will also have all the required functionalities; which CMS will probably come to your mind? WordPress, right!

Are you new to WordPress? Do you want to update your existing WordPress website? Are you going to integrate a new functionality to your site by collaborating with a web development outsourcing company? Whatever might be the case, it is always recommended that you do your homework upfront.

Here are nine things that you would need to do before getting started:  

 

1. What objectives you want your site to achieve?

This step is of utmost importance as it wants you to summarize your business objectives that you want your site to achieve for you. For instance, whether it will be an ecommerce website? This will help you manage your time and budget efficiently.

Besides, it would enable your WordPress development expert to get a good start. Make sure you sketch out a sitemap which is subject to change down the line.

2. Is there any next-level functionality mandatory to your website?

If your site requires any complex functionality then let your developer know about it well ahead. Also get yourself prepared to answer questions which the developer will shoot back. Being very clear and precise will help you achieve the desired functionality in your website.

3. Have you acquired hosting and a domain name?

You should tell your WordPress specialist in the very early stage about your hosting requirements, whether you need a dedicated or shared server. Also decide how much file storage is needed for your site and how to make your site secure with SSL certificates.

Providing the developer of your hired web solutions company with all the information well in advance would ensure that you are able to choose the domain name that your customers can relate with and find you. And your hosting service will decide how fast your site which in turn would decide how the customer experience is.

4. Prepare a creative brief

It is recommended that you create a creative brief which houses all your assets and requirements such as background about your company, project deliverables, technical specifications which the developer can refer to, target audience, your competitors, project budget and timeline.

This document can be referred by all the stakeholders involved and help to keep all of them on the same page.

5. Is your site copy ready?

Try to complete writing copy for your site once the wireframe for the pages of your site is ready. In case you are not writing the copy yourself then make sure to connect your copywriter and developer early on so that the content is written as early as possible with effective collaboration.

6. Zero-in on a theme based on your liking as well as needs

As there are more than thousands of themes, it will take time to zero-in on one which better reflects your brand and also supports your website needs. Therefore, make sure to select your theme and remember that it can be changed if need arise, including fonts and colour.

7. Is your brand style guide ready?

If your brand style guide is not ready, this is high time to make one. Make sure that all your customer touch points, be it printed materials like menus or brochures or the voice of your brand via social media channels reflect consistency.

When you outsource WordPress development, then it would be easy for the agency and their developers to give them the needed design parameters.

8. Do not forget analytics and SEO support

Make sure that your wordpress website development services provider integrates Google Analytics in your site and also optimize your site for search engines. They must provide you with SEO support like incorporating Yoast plugin, etc.

9. Get acquainted with plugins and APIs

You must take some time to browse around the WordPress plugins directory, search by category so that you can get to know what’s out there. Extensions like Yoast SEO, JetPack, WP SuperCache, Akismet spam filter are a few to mention which you must consider installing on your site.

Final Words!

After you have finished doing all the aforementioned things, prepare yourself to ask plenty of questions to your WordPress specialist. However, make it a point to remain open to new ideas to facilitate a smooth development process and end up with your desired WordPress website.