In today’s market place an online presence is basically an essential part to most companies, be it a local florist or an international corporation. Our job as digital marketers is to create not only a website that works but specifically the website you want.
We understand it’s not always easy to transfer the dream website from your mind down onto a piece of paper. And if you are not in the industry it’s basically impossible to know how to explain your vision in the correct terminology.
As digital marketers and web designers we need to know your vision for the visual design, personal preferences and requirements to give you your tailor made website. Below is a list of some information to help you know what we need to give you what you want.
1. What is your Site used for?
This seems like an obvious question but the more details a designer can get on this the better. It is impossible for a designer to make an effective website unless they know exactly what purpose the site is being used for.
Take some time to ask yourself, what my business provides, what are the core values and needs of my business. Once you have thins information we can sit down and begin to map out your bespoke website.
2. Target audience
Once we know your ideas and dreams for your website design we need to know who the site is targeted at. Whether your company offers a service or product you should know your target audience. If you know your audience, now you need to ask yourself, what will they get out of your site?
3. SEO
Do you know what SEO is? If not, it isn’t the end of the world as it is easily explainable when moving through the design process. The problem many company owners have is thinking once a website goes live it will instantly be flooded with customer traffic. This just isn’t true.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is basically a process aiming to push your website to the top of search engines such as Google Search. Simply put imagine a search engine as a phone book, the closest your company is to the top of its relative list the more calls your company will get.
4. Content is King
Ask yourself, what king of content will you need? The content you include in your site is just as important as knowing what your site is for. To help you understand what content you need and what will work for your site you must know what defines your brand, product or service. Your content includes images, text, logo and taglines and really is a vital component to your site. Without this information it’s a none starter for any designer on building your tailor-made website.
5. What is your budget?
Often the first question a customer asks is “how much will a website cost me?” This basically is a “how long is a piece of string?” question. There is a website for every budget with cheaper template options available. I feel the real question is how much does your company mean to you? Or how much to you want your website to be successful?
There are certain things in life and business were cutting financial corners won’t really make much of a difference. In the case of a website this is not true. A website is a long term investment and therefore it makes sense to invest in it financially.
Simply put to get the bespoke website of your dreams, it’s worth taking the time for some careful planning and consideration to gather all the necessary information before taking the first steps to contact a web designer. Trust me it will pay off in the long run.
