If you are considering upgrading your website or commissioning an agency to design and develop a new site for you, stop! There’s some preparation work you can do first that will help your project run smoothly enabling you and your developers to ensure a timely launch date.
Before deciding to have a website designed, you need to decide on and set aside your ongoing marketing budget to promote your website. Why? Two reasons…
- Your website needs to be structured with the right pages in order to accommodate your online marketing. For businesses targeting a local area, this may mean a number of pages need to be created that showcase specific services or, for a business selling online, specific product and brand pages that attract the right sort of clientele may be crucial. It really does depend on your business goals.
- Secondly, there’s no point having a great looking website that never gets found. By setting aside a monthly budget for marketing, you are giving your site the best possible chance of generating maximum return on investment.
In advance of your meeting with your chosen agency, have a think about the following questions. They’ll save you some time and make the meeting more productive…
Your USP
What is it that makes you different, what are you promoting, why should I pick up the phone and call your company, why do people buy from you?
Website Structure
What you are trying to achieve, who’s your audience, how many pages do you need, do you want to be able to manage the content yourself or do you want your developer to look after that for you?
Content
A fact that often gets missed relates to content. What content do you have available, can it easily be uplifted to put onto the pages of your website, do you want any animation or video to create interest, do you have written content is it ready or will you require content to be written and do you have a need for updated photography?
Shopping Online
If your site allows customers to buy online, how many products do you have, how are you uploading them and what shipping methods and rates do you want to offer?
Contact
How would you like your customers to contact you? What vital information needs to be captured on the initial enquiry?
Once you have got to grips with the information for these questions, remember that you need to get some information back from the agency too…
- What you are getting for your money?
- What’s the timeline in which you need to collate the above information to ensure a smooth process?
- When will you need to be available to sign off designs?
By being fully prepared for this new business venture, you will not only make sure your site is delivered in a timely fashion, you will also be making sure that the site is fit for purpose and meets your businesses needs.
Work with your Agency/Developer and you assigned project manager. Together you both want the best looking and the best performing website. Don’t be intimidated if you’re not technical savvy, that’s why you have appointed a professional. Ask as many questions as you need to in order to feel comfortable and confident with the process and most importantly enjoy it! This is a really exciting moment for your business and its future.
Happy creating!