The 7 C's of Website Design: What Every Business Owner Should Know

Before I design a website, I run through a simple checklist called the 7 C’s. The framework comes from research into customer-facing websites by Jeffrey Rayport and Bernard Jaworski, and it still works well as a plain-language way for business owners to judge a site.

What are the 7 C’s of website design?

1. Context: does it look right and work everywhere?

Context is the layout, look and feel. It’s the first impression.

• Does it work well on a phone? Most visitors in Kenya will see your site on mobile first.
• Does it load quickly on mobile data?
• Is the navigation obvious within five seconds?
• Does it look like your brand, with the same colours and fonts as your posters and social media?

2. Content: does it answer visitors’ questions?

Content is everything the site says and shows: text, photos, videos and downloads.

• What do you do, who for, and where?
• What does it cost, or how do I get a quote?
• What proof do you have, such as photos, results, testimonials and past work?

Good content is also what search engines rank (see Is SEO Still Worth It?).

3. Community: can visitors connect with each other?

Community means features where users interact, such as comments, reviews, forums and member areas. Many small sites don’t need this, but reviews and testimonials are a light form of community worth adding.

4. Customisation: does it adapt to different visitors?

Customisation is tailoring the site to each visitor. On large platforms that means personalised recommendations. For a small organisation it can be as simple as clear paths for different audiences, for example “Parents”, “Students” and “Alumni” on a school site.

5. Communication: can people reach you easily?

Communication covers how the site talks with visitors, and how they talk back.

• a visible phone number and WhatsApp button (essential in Kenya)
• a short contact form that actually reaches you
• newsletter sign-ups or announcements, if you’ll use them

6. Connection: does it link to the rest of your world?

Connection is how your site links out to other sites and platforms, and how they link back:

• links to your social media, and social media linking back
• listings in Google Business Profile and partner sites
• links to relevant resources your audience values

7. Commerce: can visitors take action?

Commerce traditionally means selling online, but for most organisations it means the main action you want visitors to take: book, enquire, apply, register, donate or buy. Make that action obvious on every page.

How do I use the 7 C’s to plan or review my website?

Score your current site from 1 to 5 on each C. Then fix the lowest scores first. In my experience, small organisations get the biggest wins from:

1. Context: a fast, mobile-first design
2. Content: clear answers to the top ten customer questions
3. Communication: WhatsApp and contact details visible everywhere

For example, the kids’ activity centre site I built focuses on context (bright, family-friendly design), content (programme pages and helpful blog posts) and commerce (clear calls to visit and book). A music production house site leans on context, with a dark, studio-inspired look that tells visitors what the brand is about before they read a word.

Want a second opinion on your website? Send me the link and I’ll point out the biggest improvements.