In Part I of this series getting you prepared to work with a web designer to create your site we went through questions pertaining to business type, size, competition and target market. The more you provide the designer, the better results you will get.
In Part II we will discuss what you’d like to be included in your website, and start getting a feel for pricing the job for you. Below I will explain each term and what it’s primary use so when you are asked, it’s not going to provoke a “deer-in-headlights” reaction on your part.
Part II: Tell us what you want from a website
Are you wanting a website that is
- Informational
- Blog
- E-Commerce
- Paid Membership
- Online Courses
- Social Interaction
Each of these options offer different architecture so deciding the route will majorly affect the price of the site. Some sites are simple information and contact sites, others offer chat forums requiring major server space and 24-hour monitoring.
My checklist of site needs are as follows:
- HTML site All created with code for a single page site or landing page for information
- or Content Management System – A user friendly web builder interface like WordPress, SquareSpace and others. Strongly recommend for anyone looking for more than one page or wanting to make updates in-house. I personally create in WordPress due to the flexibility of the platform and unlimited access to add-ons.
- Responsive site one that simultaneously looks good on desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile
- Online magazine or blog A site that will feature many pages or posts to create a blog or magazine with a large hierarchy and searchable archive
- Newsletter, email or direct mail data collection you’ll create and deliver a small valuable piece of free content in exchange for data to add to email lists, newsletters or direct mailing.
- CSS Coding Meaning you’ll need more design than what options are offered in the basic coding. This is mainly for forms and navigation.
- E-commerce setup or setup and continued management If you plan to sell anything on your website, even if it is only one little item, you will need an e-commerce portal. It connects the customer to you and takes payment, arranges for taxes and gets shipping info. You can sell virtual (downloadable) content or actual goods and services. The designer in coming up with a quote for pricing will need to know if you plan to update store items or they will be doing so.
- Social Network Integration What level of social connection will you need? Links from web to your site, social feeds showing on your site or do you intend to have a full chat forum included on your site
- Booking System/Meeting Scheduler Will you want people to book a virtual meeting or reserve a rental on your website?
Additional options you might want to consider adding to your site:
- Registration forms how extensive do you need the form
- Video Hosting vs Streaming hosting takes a lot more resources than streaming from somewhere like Youtube or Vimeo
- Portfolio/Gallery of images Will you need a lot of space for photos and do you want protective measures to ensure they are not stolen?
- Search Panel
- Upload capabilities can your client send you files?
- Link Page a single page to direct traffic from social media sites that only allow one link – like a linktree. This is very helpful in your organic search engine optimization.
And last, but not least, what level of preparedness is your business for a website?
- Do you currently have a website? If so do you have access to your domain and hosting?
- If you do not have an existing site, do you need help acquiring a domain and hosting? As a rule of thumb, ALWAYS OWN YOUR DOMAIN outright. That way if the relationship goes sideways, you can go elsewhere. I typically suggest my clients own both domain and hosting.
- Do you have a logo for your business? If yes, then do you have a vector format (eps, pdf, png) or will we need to recreate it? If not, will we need to create a logo and brand guidelines for you? Not all web companies offer this, but as a brand designer, I do offer this and it makes for a very coherent design across the site and other branded locations (think anywhere from social media to billboards)
Now, this is a lot of information, new terms and ideas to work with.
Some of the items above may be discussed in reaching the goals you have in mind for your website you may not have thought much about. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Also don’t hesitate to prioritize what is most important in the initial build versus what can be added later. If you are keeping within a set budget, discuss with your designer ways to grow moving forward while still getting the best site for your budget. Sometimes those bells and whistles are unnecessary to turn browsers into clients!
In Part III we’ll discuss what to expect, what happens after the site is complete and what to be ready for next.
Suzanna Chriscoe is a 25+ year graphic design veteran and small business owner. She’s garnered numerous design awards both in North Carolina and nationally. Suzanna has worn many hats over the years and has served as junior designer, art director, web designer, ad placement advisor and social media director. She’s designed everything from a business cards to billboard and lots in between.
