Deciding what your website needs
Is this right
for my website?
Aware Design helps a website respond to different visitor needs. That only helps when those needs really differ.
Use this guide to consider what is worth trying on your site. Sometimes the answer is clearer information—not a page that changes.
Find a familiar situationYou are considering your own website
Which situation sounds familiar?
Open a situation to see a fictional example, its limits and one first step for your site. This guide does not scan your website, score it or submit anything.
Different people need different routes.New visitors and existing customers are sent through the same introduction.Open example and first stepClose this example
One workshop website. Two different jobs.
A person choosing a photography workshop needs to compare what is offered. Someone who has already booked just wants to know where to go and what to bring.
Before · one route for everyone
The booked attendee has to search past the sales information for arrival details.
Possible fix · two obvious routes
- Choosing a workshopTopics, dates and cost
- Already bookedDirections and what to bring
Start with clearer routes—not a guess about who someone is.
Let the visitor choose the route that fits. Keep both routes available if they change their mind.
When a simpler site is enough: if two clearly labeled links solve the problem, stop there. A visitor profile or AI model may add nothing useful.
Test the two different tasks.
Ask a new customer to find what they need to decide, and an existing customer to find help. Watch where each hesitates. Try clearer route labels before rebuilding the experience.
Look for: both people reaching the right information without you explaining the navigation.
People ask for details that are already on the site.Cost, eligibility or what happens next is there—but visitors cannot find it.Open example and first stepClose this example
The answer exists. It is just in the wrong place.
A fictional photography-workshop page describes the experience at length. The time and cost are buried in an FAQ, so people have to leave the page to decide whether it fits.
Before · the visitor has to hunt
The information needed for the decision sits away from the decision itself.
Possible fix · answers beside the decision
- Workshop overviewWhat you will learn · Who it is for
- Before you decideTime and cost · What happens next
Fix the page before adding adaptation.
If everyone needs the same facts, make those facts easy for everyone to find. Do not hide basic information behind a question, chatbot or signup.
When Aware Design may add value: different visitors may need different detail first. Once the essentials are clear, an explicit choice can change their order while keeping every fact available.
Try an example that changes the order of information →Move one frequently requested answer.
Choose a question people often ask. Put a direct answer next to the decision it supports. Ask someone to find it without telling them where you put it.
Look for: the person finding and understanding the answer without an extra search or inquiry.
People have to explain themselves again.They make choices on the website, then start from zero when they ask for help.Open example and first stepClose this example
Keep the useful context—with the visitor in control.
Imagine a fictional workshop site where someone has chosen beginner photography, using a phone, on a weekend. They still have a question. The inquiry form asks them to explain everything again.
Before · the next step forgets the last
- Choices already madeBeginner · Phone camera · Weekend
- Blank inquiry“Tell us what you are looking for…”
Possible fix · a visitor-controlled summary
“I’m new to photography, I use my phone, and I’m looking for a weekend workshop.”
The visitor reviews and edits it.
They choose whether to include it in the inquiry.
Carry forward the choices—not an assumed identity.
A short, editable summary can connect two parts of a visit. Make clear what will be shared and with whom. Keep an ordinary blank inquiry available.
When this is worth considering: people repeatedly lose useful context between steps. If there are no earlier choices to carry forward, a simple form may be enough.
The extra care it needs: do not silently save or send the summary. Remembering it across visits is a separate decision about benefit, permission and retention—not a default.
Sketch the handoff before building memory.
Show someone a sample summary of choices they have made. Can they correct it, tell who would receive it and choose not to share? Test that simple handoff before adding saved sessions.
Look for: less repeated explanation, without surprising the person or taking away control.
Not sure which situation applies? Start with one real visitor question instead of guessing.
You don’t need a diagnosis to begin
Try one task before planning a bigger build.
Use a real question someone brings to your website. You are looking for a difficulty you can observe—not a reason to add a new feature.
Choose one task.
For example: find the total cost, check who a service is for, or get help with an existing booking.
Watch someone try it.
Let them use the site without coaching. Note where they hesitate, backtrack or cannot find an answer.
Change one thing.
Try clearer wording, a visible answer or a better route. Check whether it makes the same task easier before adding more.
A good stopping point: people can complete the task and explain what happens next. A straightforward page that does this is a successful outcome.
Leave with a useful next step
A question worth taking back to your team.
“People come to our website to ____. They get stuck at ____. The smallest change we could test is ____.”
You can use that sentence in a team discussion or a conversation with us. If you cannot fill it in yet, start by watching one person use your site.