As with most things in business, it is always a good idea to start with a plan of what you would like to achieve, so why should designing your website be an exception. Surprisingly many business owners approach a web designer and simply ask for a website to be designed, but are then left dumbfounded when they are asked a series of questions regarding what they would like the to do.
Web designers may know everything there is to know about designing websites, but they are not mind readers. Therefore to ensure that the end result is what you are envisioning you need to provide them with as much information as possible. It is advisable that this is presented in a written brief format to avoid any potential confusion and ‘lost in translation ‘situations.
So what should be included in your website brief? Below are five things to consider to ensure that you end up with your dream website.
Consider how you wish your visitors to navigate through your website, making it too complicated and cumbersome will soon see them leaving and going elsewhere. However, not providing enough information could also have the same negative effect. Ideally you want the visitor to reach a call to action within three clicks. Therefore consider having sub sections off your main pages, which will often feature on the top navigation bar, these will offer the opportunity to provide more detailed information. Then consider what action you want them take, this could be via a contact form, call back service, online quotation or a live chat function.
We all see things through different eyes and therefore sometimes it is challenging to describe your vision to someone else through words alone. Consider providing examples of websites that you like and dislike to your web designer so that they can see the elements that you want to capture into your site.
Hopefully you will have your logo and brand colours sorted and will of course want these to be reflected in your website. If you have a set of brand guidelines ensure that these are passed onto the web designer as well as discussing the personality of your brand so that this can also be reflected. After all if you are a modern and vibrant company you don’t want a traditional looking website providing a conflicting story.
A picture paints a thousand words so the the saying goes, therefore it is important to include impactful images into your website design. No one wants to look at pages and pages of text! However, poor pixelated images can also have a negative effect, therefore purchasing hi-res images is of paramount importance. Purchasing images will ensure that you have the royalty rights to use the images without the risk of being sued for copyright infringement. Your web designer can often sort these out on your behalf but again it is beneficial for you to take a look and provide some ideas of the ones you like.
Content is King! But it is usually the one area that becomes the stumbling block in any website design project. Business owners will often insist on writing their own content in order to save money, but this often becomes a false economy as it is not as easy as it looks. Getting your company’s personality across can be difficult if you are not a professional copywriter. You need to consider the different sections of the website and the space available for content whilst ensuring that you get your key messages across. Your web designer will advise you on how much content you need and then you have three choices, write it yourself, ask your web designer to help or source a professional copywriter, the latter two will still need your valuable input.
Your web designer will be able to advise on the design of your website, but the process does require your involvement in order to get your vision to become reality. At Starting Point Website Plan we work closely with our clients to listen to their requirements and work with them to design a website to meet their exacting needs.
For more information consider giving calling us on 0121 728 8168 or drop us an email at hello@darrenlangley.com.