A website is rarely a website problem. It's a problem of goals, content or organisation, showing up on screen. Here are the seven questions we systematically ask at the start of a project — they save weeks.
1. What is this website for?
"Presenting the company" is not a goal. Generating quote requests, recruiting, reassuring a client who was just referred to you, selling online: each of these goals leads to a different website. Pick one main goal, two at most. Everything else in the project, from the sitemap to the button at the top of the page, will follow from it.
2. Who is it for?
A website that talks to everyone talks to no one. Describe precisely the person you want to convince: their job, what they're looking for, what they already know about you when they arrive. In Luxembourg, the language question comes up immediately: French, English, German, Luxembourgish? Each language version costs writing time, not just translation.
3. What does the current site say, and what should you keep?
Before throwing everything away, look at the numbers. Which pages get visited? Where do visitors come from? Which pages rank well on Google? A poorly prepared redesign can wipe out in days a ranking built over years. List the URLs that matter and plan their redirects from the start.
A successful redesign doesn't start from scratch. It keeps what works and replaces what holds you back.
4. Who writes the copy?
This is the number one cause of late projects. The design is approved, development is finished, and the site waits three months for its content. Decide early: who writes, who proofreads, who approves, and by when. If nobody has time internally, budget for it.
5. What budget, and for what?
A five-page showcase website and a platform with a client area can't be compared. Rather than one global figure, think by line item: concept, design, development, copywriting, photos, SEO, maintenance. For small Luxembourg businesses, the SME Packages programme can cover part of the project. Worth checking before launching a tender.
6. Who will keep the site alive after launch?
A website is judged at six months, not on launch day. Who will publish news, update the team, add a project? If the answer is "nobody", a simpler, very well-made site beats a full-featured tool that will age badly. This choice also determines the technology: a static site, a CMS, a platform.
7. How will you know it worked?
Go back to question 1 and set one or two indicators: contact requests per month, applications received, rankings on three key queries. Measure them before the redesign so you can compare after. It's the only way to know whether the investment paid off.
Key takeaways
- One main goal, one precise audience: everything else follows.
- Copy is the most underestimated line item. Plan it.
- List the pages that matter for SEO and plan their redirects.
- Decide who will keep the site alive before choosing the technology.
