Purpose
Why are you putting together a website? Business, e-commerce, personal, blogging. There has to be a “Why” before anything else.
Content Topic and target audience.
You need to know what content you will be providing and who you intend to provide it to.
Domain name
Find something meaningful and memorable, so your users will be able to easily remember it and tell their friends!
Technology
You need a reliable host, and you need to decide what kind of platform you are going to use. (wordpress, custom php, asp, html)
Security
Do you need to use SSL? It can go a long way in making users feel safe when registering with contact details, and should be considered an essential if taking payments.
Design
The only things holding you back are imagination and budget. make it easily scannable and readable with your choices for layout, font, and colors
Compatibility and Accessibility
Plan for mobile. make it friendly for readers so the visually impaired can use it, too.
Navigation
Carefully think out your site map, allowing for short and well defined paths to all of your content. Don’t forget to make use of the footer, it’s a great place for essential navigation items and other information. (think quick links, contact info, and copyright notices.)
Optimization
Do everything you can to make your site search engine friendly, and as fast as possible.
Tracking and Analytics
Once you put up the site, you’re going to want to see how it’s performing. Plan accordingly.
