In the minds of web design clients, the major steps towards getting a new site online involve choosing a vendor, writing a check, and looking at mockups. These are all critically important parts of the process, of course, but they ignore an important detail: your web designer could probably use more help and input then you are expecting to give.
That’s not because the creative team you’ve chosen wants to get away with doing less of their work. Instead, it’s because your input and perspective are invaluable to the process. The more you give and participate, the better the end product will be.
To help you understand why, here are a few kinds of assistance your web designer will be sure to appreciate…
Patience in the Discovery Process
You probably don’t get all that excited about the idea of telling a designer all about the ins and outs of your business. After all, it isn’t new information to you. But, to someone who is learning about your company (and possibly your industry or market) for the first time, the insider details are critically important. The more you talk and explain, the easier it’s going to be for them to take your vision and turn it into a website that helps you meet your bottom-line goals.
Detailed and Constructive Feedback
Because a lot of business owners don’t know a lot about web design, they keep their comments and feedback restricted to what they like or don’t like. That’s a good starting point, but your creative team is going to want to know why you have the preferences that you do. Let them know what it is about certain colors, fonts, or images that catches your eye. Try to use comparisons to other sites, or specific details so the note to provide can be acted upon.
Timely Web Content
It’s amazing how many days, weeks, and months are lost because of missing web content. If you are in charge of writing the text for your website on your own, or have delegated it to a member of your team, be sure you’re up for the task. Otherwise, you can run into a situation where your site is ready to launch but doesn’t have anything to say. When that happens, you’ll either find yourself rushing to meet a deadline (like a student who has a paper that’s due in the morning), or searching for the first editor who can take on your project.
A Bit of Trust
Assuming you’ve done a good job of picking the right web design team, recognize that your creative team knows what they’re doing. If they show you something that doesn’t match your exact specifications, or would like you to think of something unconventional, give them a bit of your trust. You can always make changes later, but they may want to try something new and exciting because they think it’s the best possible solution for your company.
If you’re not used to giving your web design team plenty of help – or worse, they don’t ask for – then it might be time to try a brand-new approach. Call me today to set up a free consultation and see what I’ve been able to do for other Philadelphia area small businesses.