Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO is the process that will help your business to rank well in the search engines, Google included. It should be part and parcel of any web design project, from the word go.

Your SEO strategy is something that needs attention way before you start work on the website itself. You don't want to have to redesign the content of pages on your site after you've spent the time building them due to a lack of clarity regarding what that page should be about.

The goals in building a website revolve around the needs of both the website owner and its target audience. Generally, people put up websites to promote a business or an advocacy. On the other hand, people visit websites to communicate, look for information, do business or simply be entertained. The goals of any website, therefore, should be a good balance between the objectives of the owner and the needs of the target audience.

Define Your Goals

When designing your website, begin with a clear understanding of what your goals are for your website, and what your target market is. Make sure you understand what your potential visitors will be searching for, and this will arm you with the information you r
equire to properly target the content you present on your pages.

Do research. It's not sexy, it's not glorious, but if done right, it can save a bunch of headaches down the line. Allow yourself the time to invest in solid research, and keep telling yourself that this research is solid progress. It's easy for many business owners to feel that the research stage is blowing the budget or the project deadline.

Make surveys. Making surveys is often tedious and time consuming, but it is a vital partner of research. Research generally involves theories while surveys validate theories. You may want to visit websites, both the successful and not so successful ones, that belong to the particular niche you are in. Or ask the experts, friends, colleagues and even your competitors. Gathering all the positives and negatives helps you define your goals. Clearly then, goal setting should be a win-win situation between the website owner and the target market.

If you have to add days or weeks to the delivery date of your website to get some reliable market research or analysis done, then so be it. Giving yourself clear goals from the outset is imperative. Who do you want to find you? What are they searching for? How do you want them to find you? Get a clear brief to inform your decisions later on down the line.