There are so many companies around nowadays offering new website design, development, management, hosting, setup etc. etc. etc. that it’s hard to know exactly what you should be looking for and should be alerted by in the early stages of the process.

I therefore thought it would be good to make a check list so that as a new business, or as someone looking for a new website, you have something to look through and know what to ask for. Over the coming weeks we will explain to you the fundamental steps required to getting the work you want done for you, the way you want it.

Part One – Before The Initial Meeting

The initial meeting is (in our opinion) the most important step of the process. The reason we don’t have prices on our website, and the reason we don’t have packages is because everyone is different. Every company has a different plan, a different strategy and different themes that must be reflected in their website and we believe that it’s simply not possible to fit everybody into 3 different boxes.

We’ve built a form to make this whole process much easier! Click here to go to a page which contains every question we need to know before we can get you a quote and proposal.

So what you should do before the meeting?

Being prepared is essential. It’s not a deal-breaker if you haven’t thought of everything (don’t worry) because that’s our job to pull the information we need, but it certainly will make you more aware of what you want, and more in control.

Things to think about:

• What your company is and what it does (obvious, but sometimes you really need to think about it and be succinct);
• Who your website is targeting (clients, customers, businesses, individuals, age-groups, genders, tech-savvyness);
• Themes that your company currently employs (colours, branding, logos, styles);
• Websites you like and dislike on the internet (underlined for importance – make a list and think about what it is about each of them that you like/dislike);
• What your website will do (when a user visits, what is their goal, what should they achieve – whether it’s buying a product or finding out what you do)
• How are you planning on promoting your website? (advertising, search engines, viral)
• If you had one sentence that you want everyone to take away from your site, what is it? (We’re not getting philosophical on you, but sometimes you need to think about the take-home message so that it’s strongly throughout the website)
• Who are your competitors? (This is an important one.. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.. You must know your competition in order to get ahead)

These are the top things that you can think about without much help. Don’t worry if you can’t answer them, and don’t worry if you can’t think of much. We’re here to help you with every step!

If you’ve now answered all these questions and want a new website… Give us a call or check out our contact page