With so much competition for attention, how do you make sure your website rises above to make a great first impression? More than anything else, making strategic decisions for your brand by asking the right questions will ensure that decisions about design or messaging are made with your overall goals in mind. The result being not only the lasting impression you’re looking for, but cohesion between your company values and the website that represents them.

So what are these questions? Here’s a brief list to help get you started:

1. What’s unique about your company?
2. How would you briefly describe what your company does?
3. What’s your vision for your company’s future?
4. Who is your biggest competition?
5. Who is your target audience?
6. What’s the most important decision your customers make when it comes to choosing your company?
7. How do you think your company is perceived today, and what do you like and dislike about that?
8. Why do you want to have a new website, or have your current website redesigned?
9. Why will people visit your company’s website?
10. What do you want people to come away with after visiting your company’s website?

By answering these questions you’ll have lots of information to help inform the decisions you’ll make regarding your website, whether you’re building it yourself or hiring someone to do it for you. As you think about the messaging you’ll include on the site and how it will be designed, refer back to your answers to help guide your plans to make sure you’re serving your company well!