The process involved in developing a website may seem straightforward: figure out what you want to say and then make it look nice. For businesses and individuals who want to turn a profit on a website, there are other important considerations. The purpose of website in these cases usually falls into one or two of the following categories: selling products or services, collecting leads , promoting something, or building brand recognition and loyalty. It’s no secret that these are the main reasons for advertising in general, since websites are a unique combination of advertisement, information sharing, and, in some cases, sales.

Each of those main purposes will impact the design process in different ways. Sales sites will require a site architecture for displaying items and a shopping cart for processing actual sales. Lead generation will need a way to draw people in and then a contact or submission form for collecting the actual leads. Promotional and branding sites will likely offer information and possibly entertainment designed to generate good feelings toward the product, service, or company itself. Companies need to be very clear about their goals in order to ensure that the site is properly designed to meet them.

Many companies also turn to User Research and usability testing to aid in the development of the website. Market research will help them pinpoint what will appeal to their target demographic and what features are expected to be standard. Likewise, usability testing will provide valuable feedback on the effectiveness of a site before it goes live. This allows developers to fix any problems and make any changes to improve the site before launch.