Working with a web designer to develop a new business website? Here are a few things to think about as you work towards your goal of building a website that accurately reflects your business.
Communicate – Your input and feedback is critically important to helping your designer understand your audience and what you are trying to achieve. Provide all of the critical information, photos and other details up front, and confirm they understand your needs. If your web designer has questions, try to answer them quickly with as much information as possible. Ride the momentum, especially early on.
Enjoy the experience – Don’t look at the process as a burden. Watching your website take shape is an exciting process, and can really unleash your creative energy. Take the opportunity to analyze the way you do things and the way you talk with customers, and make sure your site reflects how you do business.
Commit to content creation – The more information you can provide about your business, goals, industry, customers, and competitors, the better your website will turn out. A website that accurately reflects your business consists of content that speaks to your target audience. There are no shortcuts! You know your business and your customers better than anyone, so it is always best if you write the content, or have it written by someone who is intimately familiar with your industry and how you do things. If you are redesigning your site, make sure you look critically at your content, and rewrite as necessary.
Invest in your brand – A logo is an absolutely critical component of a professional brand. If you are starting from scratch or ready to truly revamp your look, find a web designer that has experience in this area. Real photos help people connect with you and your work, and should be used whenever possible. In some fields, a portfolio with high quality photos is absolutely critical to creating a site that reflects your business.
Plan for the future – Designing and launching a website is only the beginning of marketing your business online. Make sure your web designer works with modern technology that will be flexible to your changing needs. Make sure your web designer has a plan for blogging and site updates, either handing it for you or making it possible to do it on your own with content management technology.
