Let Your Website Stand Out
When creating a website, it’s imperative to create what is referred to as user flow and in this case I’m calling it a user flow framework since I’m laying out what worked for me. In fact, creating a user flow is helpful in most projects as it allows you to design with the user in mind (UX), get organized and will save you money down the line. You can never be too organized when it comes to creating and developing a project.
What is user flow framework? You’re essentially designing the user experience. What will someone do the minute they land on your website? Where do you want them to go? What is the end goal? These are just some examples.
[bctt tweet=”Create a better user experience for you and your visitors by creating a user flow. Check out the framework here” username=”Ed_Troxell”]
Below is an example of the user flow framework as depicted in one of my recent projects where I am creating a website for my Stupid Easy® brand.
- Have an idea
- Create a folder and label it with the project title
- Ex. If my project was building a website I would label the folder “Website notes.” *Note, I use Google Drive for this process which I have found to be the most efficient program. At only $5 a month it is well worth the money.
- Within that folder create a few subfolder called:
- User Flows = Create one new document inside of the user flows folder
- Using the example above for every page of the website (Ex. Home page, About Page, Services Page, etc.) a new document will be created within the user flows folder
- Research
- Save all of your research/findings here so you can easily find them later. Be sure to always cite the source so that you know where the information came from should you need to reference it later
- Blog Material
- Add any content you think might work for a blog post. Again, every topic gets its own document
- Brainstorm
- All your brainstorming notes go here
- User Flows = Create one new document inside of the user flows folder
- Documents that you should create
- Design Notes
- Important notes about the design of the project. What it will look like? What it might need? The fonts, colors, etc. used?
- Launch Phases
- Not everything you want can be ready to go before you launch so it’s good to prioritize features and roll them out
- Parking Lot Questions
- This is your go-to document for all the questions you have regarding this project. Once you create all your individual documents, go back through each one to review. Pull out any questions and put them on this document. The format for this document should be:
- A bulleted list
- Each page is the main topic with the sub-bullet points being the questions that relate directly to that page
- For any questions that you can’t find a home for, include an “in general” at the top of the main topic bullet
- This is your go-to document for all the questions you have regarding this project. Once you create all your individual documents, go back through each one to review. Pull out any questions and put them on this document. The format for this document should be:
- Email Marketing
- List out your ideas here so that its easier to work on later. Also, see Email Marketing made Stupid Easy for more regarding this topic.
- Design Notes
- Research your idea/project
- Make notes in the appropriate folders so that you know where to find them later
By doing all of this “prep-work” you will be setting yourself, your business, and your clients up for success. Trust me, it’s worth it! By doing this you are setting yourself apart from everyone else out there.