Whether your business has been established offline for years or whether it is a new business altogether, the design of your website must coincide with your overall brand image and sales goals.
Evaluate the Purpose of your Website
The first obstacle in determining your website design is to evaluate its purpose. If you are a retail business, you most likely will need a shopping cart feature. However, if you are a consulting firm, you may only want to list your contact information or an application for service. Evaluating the purpose of your website will help determine the features you need and those you can live without.
Determine the Complexity of your Site
Again, if your business sells many different kinds of widgets, then you will need a shopping cart. If your widgets are self-explanatory, (i.e. impulse items), then perhaps you simply need a page for each category of widget. The page can list each item, a short description, and a link to add it to the customer’s shopping cart.
