With advances in technology, it keeps getting hard for businesses to market themselves successfully without a webpage. Consumers often want to know more details (price, images, if possible, descriptions, and even reviews from previous customers) about the product offered before making the decision to purchase. Think about how often we choose what restaurant we prefer for takeout based on the images in their website, do they actually have the best food, or do other restaurants in the area not provide visual aids which means a higher risk when ordering?
Where to start:
The first thing when creating a website is having clear objectives of what the business wants to communicate. Is the site’s purpose to be informational, to drive sales, to engage with customers? Next, it's important to make sure that the site aligns with customer needs, offering optimal user experience (UX). Once there is a clear objective for the site, the planning begins.
Once there is a clear goal, resources like Wordpress or Shopify can be used to efficiently build the website. Selecting the right platform can save time and money and can help secure a website that is easily adaptable to frequently changing trends. In addition, it is important that the website is able to support broad marketing strategies and is optimized for search engines (SEO).
Let’s get clear steps going...
Step 1- Goals
Identify the purpose (engagement, promotions and sales, informational, etc.)
Choose a target audience
Step 2- Learn more about competitors and market trends
Is the competition more informative?
Are their approaches more effective?
What exactly is driving the consumer’s traffic?
Step 3- Sitemap (document where information regarding the details of the site is provided)
How does the website look, visualize it
Provide details of the different pages (i.e. landing page/ homepage, about us, contact us, promotions, etc)
Think of it as the index of the site
Step 4- Wireframe (map of the flow of pages)
See image below from Monica Galvan’s 20 Wireframe Examples for Web Design
Is the content arrangement functional?
Does it provide optimal UX?
Does it work efficiently, and cohesively through different devices (phone, tablet, laptop, etc.)?
Step 5- Content development
Ensure content can guarantee SEO from the beginning
Steer away from content that is too complicated, not well-founded research, and/or simply superficial information
Pick desired media (written, auditory like music or narrations, visual like images or videos, etc.)
Step 6- Establish a budget and agenda, be as detailed as possible
Be realistic regarding deadlines
Spend money efficiently
Step 7- Test and adjust
Explore the site, find any “bugs”, or not user-friendly features
Adapt/ update whatever vulnerabilities are found
Potential beta phase can be used to receive user feedback
Example of a wireframe sketch for desktop and mobile
Some best practices to also incorporate are to delegate responsibilities to tools that can facilitate the work, like using ClickUp or Trello for project management. Start with a clear idea but be open to feedback and changes for optimization. Maintain open communication between all parties involved in the development (designers, investors, developers, writers, etc.). and use all tools available to be most efficient.
Let’s apply the steps:
Snowcakes Bakery wants to improve their loyalty with new customers. They realize many new customers are not aware of their voucher program (After 5 purchases of $50 or more in the span of 3 months receive 60% off on your next order!) which is sent as a Thank you for your first purchase! They realized many customers were not aware of their wide variety of products because they do not have a website. By using the previously mentioned steps Snowcakes Bakery can create a successful website that allows customers to review the available pastries, order ahead, and use their voucher program efficiently.
Step 1: Goals- to provide images, real-time availability of products, and sales
Step 2: Scout competition- DoughBros is a new trendy bakery/ juice bar located a few blocks away. They also have a chain bakery on the corner of their block. They visited the bakery’s websites and noticed many images of the products available, sales offers, with very colorful themes, that were targeted towards a younger audience.
Step 3: Sitemap- Snowcakes Bakery wants to keep a simple but informative, and fun website.
Home
Welcome banner, featured Products, loyalty program highlight
Products
Categories (Cakes, Pastries, Breads, Specials)
Product Details
Voucher Program
Loyalty Program Overview
How It Works
About Us- Bakery Story
Contact Us- Contact Form; Address and Operating Hours
FAQs- Common Questions about Products and Loyalty Program
Cart- Shopping cart, and checkout
Step 4: Wireframe- Navigation Bar: Links to:
Home
Products
About Us
Voucher Program
Contact Us
FAQs
Cart
Hero Section
Image Carousel: High-quality images showcasing their top products (cakes, pastries, bread, etc.).
Call-to-Action:
Large text: "Welcome to Snowcakes Bakery!"
Subtext: "Delicious treats and special rewards await you."
Button: "Discover Our Products" (links to Products page).
Section 1: Voucher Program Highlight
Title: "Exclusive Voucher Program!"
Visual Representation: Icons or graphics representing the loyalty program (shopping bag, voucher, cake).
Text Explanation:
"Get 60% off your next order after 5 purchases of $50 or more within 3 months!"
Details about the Thank You voucher for first purchases.
Button: "Learn More" (links to Voucher Program page).
Section 2: Featured Products
Grid Layout: Showcase 6-8 featured products with high-quality images, names, and brief descriptions.
Button: "View Full Menu" (links to Products page).
Section 3: Customer Testimonials
Heading: "What Our Customers Say"
Carousel or Grid: Display 3-5 positive testimonials with customer names and photos (if available).
Section 4: Newsletter Signup
Heading: "Stay Updated!"
Subtext: "Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive deals and updates on our products."
Form:
Email input field.
Button: "Subscribe".
Footer
Quick Links: Home, Products, About Us, Voucher Program, Contact Us
Social Media Icons: Links to their Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Contact Information: Address, phone number, email
Copyright Notice: "© 2025 Snowcakes Bakery. All Rights Reserved."
Step 5: Step 5- Content development
Homepage content
Headline- Welcome to Snowcakes Bakery!
Subhead line- Delicious, high-quality pastries! Sign up today for our incredible rewards program!
Featured product images- High-quality photos of best-selling products like cakes, pastries, and bread.
Products- provide details (and allergy disclaimers), along with high-quality images for each product, divided by categories (bread, cakes, pastries, seasonal items)
About us
Snowcakes Bakery was founded in 2017 as the owners’ way to help their family pay for their younger sibling’s medical procedures. Nikki & Lucy developed a passion for baking when it helped their family unite to reach their goal. Starting from a simple studio apartment kitchen oven, Snowcakes Bakery grew exponentially and is now a high-quality establishment, that uses clean ingredients to deliver delicious pastries to their community.
Voucher program
Description- Thank you for your first purchase! After 5 purchases of $50 or more in the span of 3 months receive 60% off on your next order!
Contact Us- Address and operation hours, phone number, email
FAQs- Instructions on how to track purchases, eligibility, and program rules (may include customer reviews)
Step 6: Establish a budget and agenda
Investment of $3.5k - $5k (including website development and maintenance, content creation, and marketing campaigns)
Approximately 6 weeks to launch
Step 7: Test and adjust
Pre-launch testing- is it user friendly? Are the orders submitted accurately received and produced?
Is it seamless and efficient across devices?
Launch beta phase to receive user feedback
Adjust and adapt- some orders were not providing the “special requirement” customers listed
Continue monitoring after official launch
By following this plan Snowcakes Bakery can ensure a structured approach to content creation, budgeting, and hassle-free updates, setting them up for success in growing their customer loyalty.
In summary, for a website to be successful it’s best to plan ahead, set clear goals and intentions, stay adaptable, and optimize user experience wherever possible. A well-structured website plan can save significant time and money, allowing for better growth opportunities. In addition, keeping track of, and setting clear objectives of the site’s performance, can help make changes needed to adapt to trends easier.
Don’t be the website everyone closes because of how ugly or inefficient it is. Create a plan of action, set reasonable goals and use all resources available to make it effortless. Desing a website that reflects the success of your business!
Comments