Let me take you back to a time long, long ago before I started Web123. I was a print-based graphic designer with no clue about web design, user experience, shopping carts, SEO or all the other little tricks and tips that power a business online.
I bought my first website from a part-time developer and it was pretty awful (although as a graphic designer, I made sure it looked the goods). I didn’t understand how to leverage it as a business tool; all I knew was that I was supposed to have one.
And not surprisingly, I don’t think I ever got a sale from that nasty old website.
I’ve been reminded of those dark old days because we have had a new client explosion recently and I’ve noticed a trend. Most new clients have already had some form of website and so they’re able to tell me very clearly what they don’t want. The funny thing is that many of my new clients are still unsure about what they DO want (other than for their phone to ring). So, having once been that web-ignorant graphic designer, I know websites can seem overwhelming. That’s why I’m so passionate about educating anyone who wants to know how to make it simple! So for this article, I thought I’d go back to basics and talk about some really crucial things you should think about whether you’re building your first (or your 100th) website.
1. A lack of clarity/strategy is the main reason a website fails to gain business online.
You know that saying, ‘if you build it, they will come’. Well, hate to break it you, but that’s baloney. Before you choose your developer and start building your website, you need to take a moment. Ask yourself some really important questions such as ‘what am I?’ and work outwards from there.
- What am I? Will I be selling products online? Will I be an information site?
- What are my primary and secondary objectives for my website?
- Who are my customers? What do they want? How can I give it to them?
- What is the process when visitors land on my site? What do I want them to do?
- What are my leader products or services that should be promoted on the home page?
- What extra value adds can I offer to entice my customers to contact me?
- What keywords are my potential customers searching for online? How do I build those words into my site design and copy?
- What are my SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound)? What goals can I set around my conversions, sales, traffic, email subscriptions, ROI, etc?
2. Make sure you have full control over your changes
The difference between booming businesses and dying ones is the ability to adapt to change. As an entrepreneur, you might be fast on the draw, but is your website? Can you make changes yourself or is your website a monster that only your web developer can tame? Is your developer happy to teach you, or do they want to keep control? Despite what some developers tell you, it is possible to have a great looking website that is easy to use, saves you time AND earns you money… without being held to ransom by a busy web developer.
3. Make sure your ongoing costs are limited and fully understood.
Believe it or not, the biggest cost of a website is not what it costs you to build… although it should be! If you don’t select the right website developer, ongoing hidden costs can bring a small business to its knees. It’s not uncommon to pay thousands for a website and then, over a 2 year period, pay more than the cost of the website just for what might seem to be small changes and amendments, and that doesn’t even include hosting fees. It’s not right, but it happens… a lot. Our clients have told us a lot of horror stories over the years… one had been charged $2,500 to change 2 images on a flash website and $1500 to upload a multi-page PDF. We even had one not-for-profit client who told us they’d done a review of their web costs and realised in the 2 years they’d had their website, they’d been stung $11,000 just for simple changes. Even adding a Facebook logo to your WordPress site can cost far more than you’d expect if you need a developer to do it.
4. Future proof your website as best you can
The problem with building a website today, is that you don’t know what you’ll need tomorrow. So it goes back to my earlier point, have as much control over your own changes as you can. But you also need to make sure you’re working with a web design company that future proofs your website to include software upgrades and the like. I find it incredible that some developers charge huge amounts just to keep their software up to date. Surely that’s the job of the web company to make sure their websites continue to work?
5. And finally…
The final message I’d like you to take away from this article is:
If you ask the right questions and choose the right developer, your website will be an amazingly simple and powerful tool to online success.
So now you’ve got an idea of what’s possible, you can do your ring-around and see who will (and who won’t) give you what you need. From all of us friendly web geeks at Web123…. Good luck!
