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Developing a Successful Website
The marketer's mindset should always be to evaluate the value proposition from the perspective of the user
- John Funk, Founder of Mercury Mail & Infobeat
What to ask a Prospective Web Designer
Tell us about your experience
By posing this key question first, your business can immediately grasp whether the designer has created the kind of site your business desires. Ideally, the designer will be able to point to a number of different clients, indicating a breadth of experience.
Ask the designer for sites that were priced roughly in the range you are prepared to spend. Bear in mind that price doesn't always reflect quality. You should come away from this with a clear picture of the designer's skills as well as an idea of his/her style.
Describe the goals of the sites and how your design fills these needs
Every website must have clear objectives and purpose. While it is not essential for the designer to understand all your business practices, he must understand the business' goals and be able to transfer them to the web. In answering this question, he/she should be able to show how he has met other clients' goals. Have him demonstrate how his design and the technology work together -- how and why this particular navigation system and approach complement each other and meet the company's objective. Then have him explain whether the site at hand is part of an overall integrated marketing plan across many media, or whether it was created as a stand-alone piece.
Your business can look to a designer to provide one or all of the following services: registering your domain name (business name on the Internet), creating the site (which may be part of an integrated marketing plan), hosting the site (testing and putting it up on the Internet) and maintaining and updating the site.
How many prototypes will your business be able to choose from in selecting the site's creative direction?
Does your business have to provide its logo and other files in electronic format, or will there be additional charges incurred to convert camera-ready art into digital form? The list of questions can be endless, so make certain that you receive a detailed proposal from day one of exactly what will be delivered.
What is the schedule for completing this project?
Those who have been through the website creation process agree that deadlines are difficult. Often, this is because the most carefully laid plans are subject to change as new ideas are developed and new technology incorporated into the design. Generation of content for the site almost always falls back on the client and that process, with its edits and approvals, invariably takes longer than the client expects. However, it is still the designer's responsibility to provide a realistic schedule for meeting your business's deadline for the site, based upon your business' ability to deliver on its part of providing materials and approvals. The creation of a website is a process, not a project. When it launches, a site is never 'done' -- it should change constantly to reflect your offline initiatives.
What questions can we answer for you?
Assess the designer using some of the same criteria with which your business is judged. Make certain the designer asks your business who its target audience is and what it is trying to achieve. Is it apparent the designer did his homework prior to the meeting? Has he visited other websites relating to businesses in the same industry as your own so he can speak knowledgeably? Did he request in advance the firm brochure to learn more about the businesses market niche? If the designer is not prepared and does not ask questions such as these, your business should ask itself whether he will be able to deliver the end product it is seeking.
Armed with these questions and a solid sense of the goal for its site, your business should be able to choose a designer with whom it will be comfortable. While the process itself is time-consuming, the end result will be worth it. By selecting a knowledgeable and creative professional, your business can make its entry to the Internet an enjoyable and worthwhile experience.
Web Site Maintenance
Updating and maintaining your website keeps your customers returning to your site.
Many businesses find it difficult to maintain their site, and costly if they have to rely on outsourcing minor content changes to web developers.
To offset the ongoing costs of content maintenance, it may be feasible to have an administration area where content changes can be made regularly without additional web developer costs. This should be considered at the conception of the website, but will also be tied with budget.
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