If you are like most people you are not terribly tech savvy especially when it comes to a website design for your business.
Most business owner have a passion for their product or service, but know little about what constitutes a website that will get good search engine rankings, attract people to your site, and compel them to do engage you. The same is true for those seeking to develop a website for a business they work for.
The truth is, whether you are a Fortune 500 company or a small local business, you need a website that will help you compete where 90% of Americans are now looking for goods and services: the internet. Building a website for your company can be an intimidating process.
The greatest fear is not knowing where to start. Following are ten tips for you to consider when needing to build a website or hire a company to redesign your current one. We have all been there before, so relax. We’ll walk you through the process.
What are your Business Goals?
This is the first question to ask yourself. What are your company’s goals for service, selling a product(s), spreading a message, informing, or being a meeting place.
This will help you determine what kind of site you want. If you are selling a product then you will want a site that allows for this to occur and gathers data about your customers so you can analyze their habits and provide information to help persuade them to do business with you.
How will the internet help you achieve your goals?
99.9999% of all companies need an internet presence, though not all need a site to compete with Wal Mart’s. Local businesses have enough competition as it is, so your site should be there, as well as have a mobile website component, so that you can easily be found in your area as the leading web page for the type of service or product you offer. Ask yourself what you want the internet to be for your company. Include this in questions to web developers you interview to hire.
Use Internet to search for web designers
Type in your search bar “website” or “web designer” and see what comes up. Often the best web designers are found at the top of searches on Google, Yahoo! and Bing.
However, there are many exceptional companies that will never list in the top 10 for a variety of reasons, and none of them have to do with web competence.
Also, ask friends who have businesses if they know of reputable and competent web designers. Here’s an article about website teams and how they work to help accomplish your website design and development goals.
Investigate potential vendors
Once you have collected data, read their websites regarding web design thoroughly. Many will have clients they want to show off on their site, so view them and see if the quality is what you are seeking.
Call the ones up you are interested in speaking with and spend time asking them about their web philosophy, success stories and if they have any clients similar to your business, and how they have managed them as clients.
What are their services?
As you learn about them from reading their website and speaking with them, be sure you clearly understand what website development services they offer.
If you want a website and internet marketing to be combined so that your site is promoted online, then you will want to steer clear of a company that only designs the sites.
SEO Friendly and Google compliant?
Be sure to ask if their work is not only SEO-friendly (search engine optimization – helps get you high rankings on relevant searches for your services and products) but also Google compliant.
Since Google traffics 75% of all searches globally you will want to make sure your website is compliant with their best practices so they do not overlook your pages.
Understand how their work helps your goals
Be sure they understand and can repeat what your goals are. Do not let them sell you a Cadillac when all you need is a family van. The converse is true – don’t go cheap when you need something more robust. Your website is you first impression and must grab the visitor the first time or you may lose them forever.
How do they charge?
Understand how they charge – by the hour, project, page? Ask them to put into writing all that they plan on doing for your site as well as costs.
Update fees?
Many websites need updates daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly – do they provide that as a service? If so, what are the costs related to making changes?
Length of contract?
Finally, make sure you understand the contract completely before signing, know its length, and make sure there I an “out” if they are not performing properly, are behind schedule, appear incompetent once the project begins, or for any other number of reasons.
Never sign a contract that gives them final authority on the project without your approval, nor owns the work they do for you, including the art, slogans, and code.
Hopefully this helps you prepare for that big purchase. Remember, get the right site for your business not just the cheapest one. Get your budget aligned with developing a website that will help you achieve your company’s goals and you will see growth opportunities.