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Web Design

From brief to launch: planning a website that converts

Author
Lumna Team
Published
2 min read

R edesigns often go wrong for the same reason: the project starts with how the site should look rather than what it needs to achieve. A clear plan keeps every later decision, from layout to copy to technology, pointed at the same goal.

Define what success looks like

Agree on the few actions that matter most, such as an enquiry, a booking, a sale or a download, and how you will measure them. These goals decide what goes on the homepage, which calls to action appear where and what needs tracking from day one.

Understand who the site is for

List your main audiences and the questions each one arrives with. A buyer comparing suppliers needs different reassurance from someone looking for opening hours. Mapping those journeys shows which pages you need and which you can drop.

Plan content before design

Draft a sitemap and the key messages for each page before visual design begins. Real headlines and real copy reveal layout problems early, and they stop the design being shaped around placeholder text that never arrives.

Wireframe, then design

Low-fidelity wireframes let you test structure and priorities quickly. Once the hierarchy is agreed, the visual design can focus on brand, typography, imagery and the small interactions that make a site feel considered, on mobile first and then on larger screens.

Build for speed, accessibility and editing

A fast, accessible build helps every visitor and supports search visibility. Semantic HTML, sensible colour contrast, keyboard-friendly navigation and optimised media are part of the job, not extras. The site should also be easy for your team to update without a developer.

  • Set up analytics and conversion tracking before launch
  • Redirect old URLs to their new equivalents
  • Test forms, emails and integrations end to end
  • Check every template on real phones, not just desktop

Launch is the start rather than the finish. Watch how people use the new site, fix friction points quickly and keep improving the pages that matter most to your goals.

Lumna Team

Lumna is a London digital agency working across SEO, web design, social media, advertising, apps and analytics. We write about what we learn on client work so you can apply it to your own brand.

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