You wouldn’t start building a house without a blueprint so you shouldn’t build a website without some sort of plan at first. Having a plan is the key for success and without one you will fail. These plans will also ensure that everyone is on the same page and has a clear understanding of what the final goal is.
The website should be easy to use for whoever your target audience is. If the target audience can’t use it or doesn’t like the design the website will fail. It helps to build a site map so you know how everything will function and where everything will lead a person. Site maps are one of the earliest things to make and are usually done on paper or with sticky notes.
When making a site you need to take into consideration what types of imagery and possible video will be on the site. Video on a site can make it require a specific hosting environment that may not be accessible to all people. Other things like content management and data collection can cost a lot and needs to be taken into consideration when making a site.