I got into this business for a few reasons, but the top two are because I love business and I love web design. Both of which have helped make us successful over the past few years, and boy have I learned some things. One thing I’ve learned is that companies tend to know they need a website – but they don’t really understand it. That’s fine though – I mean, that’s why we exist, right? To help you through this process and get you on track to bring you to the next level for your business. So I’ve compiled the top 4 things that I’ve found are important. This doesn’t go for every web design company – but it tends to be true with the clients we’ve been lucky enough to have on board.
Time
For such an easy word, there sure are so many meanings. Firstly, clients tend to think a website can be done quickly. Although we could probably get one done for you quickly – is that what you want? No one wants a house where the builders cut corners, and that goes for a website as well. We have found that a typical website build takes about 60 days. The actual work that takes place may only be 40 hours, but there are other things that take up this time. For instance, how quickly can you REALLY get us content? You’re running a business after all, and sometimes writing content is tough. We can provide you with search engine optimized content if you run into that road block, however. What about imagery? Do you have GOOD photos, or ones that were taken on the old flip phone when you first started? These things tend to add up and that’s why we recommend planning ahead and setting time aside.
Budget
In the first meeting with a client I ask them the one question they don’t want to answer. I think it’s because they tend to think I’ll immediately go to their upper side of their budget, but in fact that’s not why we ask it at all. Someone has to say it – great websites aren’t cheap. We want to check on a few things. The first of which is to see how serious you are and see if we are on the same page. After all, if a potential client described the site you want and we are thinking it’ll take 150 hours of work, but you are expecting a $1,000 build, then we need to stop and have a serious discussion about the expectations. On the other hand, we have some that expect to pay a lot, and we can surprise them by saying it won’t cost nearly as much as they have expected. We can also then discuss the marketing of the website if it seems like it’ll fit into the budget, which we’ll get into shortly.
Knowing what you know – and knowing what you don’t
Let’s pretend you’re a residential contractor. This is something I know very little about, I won’t lie. I know that when I go to build a home, I will not be doing the blueprints myself and why pretend to be the expert? The one thing this job has taught me is to know what I know, and be very aware of what I do not know. This comes to life when a client asks for something and ends it with ‘that’s simple right? Can you get that done today?’. Unfortunately, the things that appear simple rarely are. Be prepared to alter the plan a little bit. We may have a more efficient way of accomplishing the same task or it may take longer than expected. This sort of goes along with the ‘time’ point from above.
Marketing your new website
Your new website is launched. Awesome! Now where are the leads and orders?! Well, what people tend not to realize is that you will not become #1 on Google as soon as it’s launched. Believe it or not, it takes a lot to get onto that first page. Companies spend thousands of dollars on search engine optimization (SEO) to gain those spots because they know that over 80% of the traffic comes from that first page. Depending on your market, we suggest doing proper SEO on your website as well as starting a marketing plan for your social media platforms. If you don’t have the time to take on the social platforms, just give us a call. We can put together a custom social media package to fit your needs and help get your name out there.
Did I miss something? What things surprised you when you first launched your website? Let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to join us on social media so you can stay up to date with our latest tips and tricks.
