How to build a great website in 7 steps. A guideline to establishing your strategy, creating your content and infrastructural plan and developing a site that truly caters to your users' needs and your business goals.

1. SECRETS OF GREAT
WEBSITE DESIGN
By VIKTOR KIS
ACCOUNT MANAGER at SPARK MARKETING

2. CONTENTS
1. The 7 phases of web design
2. Strategize: Benchmark, Define, Set goals
3. Plan: The single most important step
4. Design + Build: Elements of a great website
5. Optimize: SEO, meta, sitemaps and other oddities
6. Analyze and improve

3. ABOUT SPARK MARKETING
Spark is an online marketing agency located in Toronto, Ontario and Austin, Texas.
We generate leads for small-medium businesses by leveraging Web Design, Social Media,
Search Engine Optimization and Paid Advertising.

4. Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.
7 steps to a great website:

5. STRATEGIZE.
“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six hours sharpening my ax” - Abraham Lincoln

6. WHAT DOES A WEBSITE DO?
1. Provides easily accessible information
2. Addresses patient pain points
3. Creates trust and captivates your audience
4. Stimulates emotional connection with your brand
5. Generates leads
6. Helps office workflow
7. ...and much more
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

7. QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
1. What do I currently like and dislike about my website?
2. What is missing from the current website?
3. What's the first impression I want to give my target audience?
4. Where is my current website failing at fulfilling its’ purpose?
5. Will this be a whole new website?
6. Do I have a logo to use? Does it need an update?
7. Will the domain name change at all?
8. What platform do I want my new website to be on?
9. What is a realistic timeline for this redesign?
10. What is our budget for this project?
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

8. BENCHMARK + DEFINE
1. Website performance
Number of visits / month, top keywords, leads, sales generated etc.
2. Determine Your Goals
Why are you doing the redesign? Mobile-friendly? New image? More leads?
3. Define Your Brand
What is your USP? Is this changing or staying the same?
4. Define Your Audience
Do you currently have a clearly defined target audience? Branding, content aligns with this?
5. Analyze the Competition
Are there competitor sites that you really like? If so, which ones?
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

9. PLAN.

10. Content is (almost) everything.
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

11. WHAT DOES CONTENT DO?
It makes you look:
1. Knowledgeable
2. Trustworthy
3. Professional
4. Interesting
5. Easy to understand
6. Creates emotional connection
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

12. WEBSITE ELEMENTS TO PLAN
1. Copy
2. Sitemap (include blog)
3. Photography
4. Videos
5. Graphic elements (logos, illustrations, social media icons etc.)
6. Testimonials
7. Trust symbols
8. Downloadables (whitepapers, patient forms, brochures etc.)
9. E-mail newsletter
10. Links (social platforms, resources etc.)
11. Additional features: Event Calendar, E-Commerce
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

13. GOOD WEBSITE COPY...
1. Addresses specific pain points
2. To-the-point, engaging, has personality
3. Is scannable, easy to digest
4. 800 words / page for important pages
5. Contains your keywords
6. Written for users not search engines
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

14. TO BE IMPROVED GOOD
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

15. SITEMAP
1. Easy to navigate
2. Logical
3. Includes all important services
4. Creates a sales funnel
5. Matches the user’s mental model
and expectations
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

16. TO BE IMPROVED GOOD
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

17. PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEOS
One word: professional.

18. TO BE IMPROVED GOOD
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.
http://www.marshalldentalclinic.com/

19. YOUR VIDEOS
1. Should be between 30 seconds - 2 minutes
2. Main introductory video about practice, doctor, USP etc.
3. 4-5 short videos on most important services
4. Include Dr. her/himself, staff members
5. Make it personable
6. Integrate it within copy
7. To-the-point
8. Not from 1993
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

20. GRAPHIC ELEMENTS
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

21. TESTIMONIALS
1. Use names, photos
2. Integrate them with all pages
3. Encourage users to leave reviews
4. Use a timestamp
5. STAND OUT!
6. Sites to focus on: Google Plus, RateMDs, Yelp, Facebook
7. Testimonials management
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

22. TO BE IMPROVED GOOD
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.
(bottom example: www.raventools.com)

23. INTEGRATE YOUR TESTIMONIALS
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

24. TRUST SYMBOLS
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

25. DOWNLOADABLES - GAIN MORE LEADS
1. Boring Essentials: patient forms, brochures
2. Exciting Additions: whitepapers, podcasts, videos
3. Address patient questions!
4. Think “longer blog post”
5. Professionally designed
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

26. TO BE IMPROVED GOOD
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.
hubspot.com

27. Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

28. EMAIL NEWSLETTERS, EBLASTS
1. Still very strong in generating leads
2. Helps with longer sales funnels
3. Great vehicle of promotional messaging
4. Establishes credibility
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

29. TO BE IMPROVED GOOD
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.
toronto.com

30. DESIGN + BUILD

31. Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

32. RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN
● Responds to the size of the device
● Able to resize and change accordingly
● Difference between mobile site and responsive design
○ Responsive better for Search Engine Optimization
○ Updates to a responsive site reflect on mobile as well
○ New devices mean a challenge to mobile sites + apps
● Importance of easy navigation on mobile
● How do I know if a site is responsive?
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

33. ELEMENTS OF A GREAT WEBSITE
1. Header:
a. Clear navigation
b. Contact Info
c. Social Icons
2. Hero area
3. Call-To-Actions
4. Simple forms - Home page, Sidebar, Contact page
5. Testimonials
6. Privacy: Privacy Policy, HTTPS - Secure connection
7. Optimized landing pages
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

34. A few examples
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

35. Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

36. Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

37. Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

38. Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

39. OPTIMIZE

40. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
“The process of maximizing the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that
the site appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine.”
Source: Google
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

41. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

42. WHAT DO I NEED TO OPTIMIZE?
1. Sitemap
2. Meta Titles
3. Meta Descriptions
4. Image Alt tags
5. Rich snippets
6. Schema markup
7. Website speed
8. Usability
9. Google Authorship - not anymore
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

43. DON’T OVERDO SEO.

44. LAUNCH.
LAUNCH

45. BEFORE LAUNCH
1. The website looks correct in all targeted Web browsers
2. The design works seamlessly through desktop and mobile devices
3. Contact and other forms work
4. Internal and external links work
5. Images are sized properly
6. All placeholder content has been replaced by the final copy
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

46. ANALYZE

47. BAD NEWS!
Web Design never stops.

48. IMPROVE WITH WEB ANALYTICS
1. Where do visitors come from? (search engines, paid ads, social media etc.)
2. Where do visitors live?
3. What pages are the most popular?
4. Do they visit pages you want them to visit?
5. Where do visitors exit the site?
6. How much time do they spend on important pages?
7. If they are coming from an advertising campaign, do they become leads?
8. What are the obstacles users experience on the site?
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

49. TEST, TEST, TEST
1. What works best - promotions, price discounts, loyalty programs etc.
2. Colors, sizes, headlines, slogans
3. The list never ends!
Strategize. Plan. Design. Build. Optimize. Launch. Analyze.

50. WHAT CAN I DO TODAY TO MAKE MY
WEBSITE BETTER?

51. 5 THINGS YOU CAN GET STARTED TODAY
1. Check if your website is mobile friendly
2. See if you have Google Analytics installed and start using it
3. Have a family member use your website and give feedback
4. Update your website with the latest services and promotions
5. Check if it is easy to contact you - phone, email, forms

52. If your Mom can use the site, everybody can.

53. THANK YOU!
Hope that gave you some helpful insights.
We are happy to answer any questions you may have about web design or any other details
about online marketing.
Viktor Kis
vkis@hellospark.com
416-849-8971