Investing your time, energy and money into a website project offers big benefits but comes with significant risks. Even if you’ve had a website created before, it can be difficult to know how to ensure it is successful, with different people, processes and technologies involved every time.
So what do you need to have in place, for a website project to run smoothly?
- Know what YOU want - One of the most important things you can do is be clear on what you are trying to achieve with your website. Best advice is to choose SMART goals, that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, a 50% increase in sales within 12 months of publishing the new website. Having a clear brief lets you and your website creator stay on the same page and move you towards your goals.
- Find a web professional you can trust - While it is very important to find someone with the skills, experience, tools and ability to create the website you have in mind, it is also important to see if their personality is a good fit for you and yours for them. It is so much easier to communicate effectively and work together if you get on with each other. Are they happy to answer questions, and are the answers put in terms you understand? Are they interested in you and what you’re trying to achieve? Are there examples of previous work with their name on it? Is that the sort of thing you want them to do for you?
- Follow a process - Having a timeline in place is crucial for a project to run smoothly. Be clear with yourself and with the website creator on how long the project is expected to take, and that appropriate time & resources will be allocated. Map out how you and the website creator expect the project to run, and what communication and collaboration tools will be used. Will that suit you?
- Have a clear budget - Decide on the level of investment you are prepared to make for your website. Obviously, a $300 website is very different to a $30,000 website. Both are common! Agree your budget with your web creator before you start any work, and what that is going to provide - a formal signed proposal is a good way to proceed. Expect any additional features or changes that are outside the initial scope of work to require additional investment. Don’t be tempted to go for the cheapest option, it is cheap for a reason.
- Be prepared to get involved -You are unlikely to get what you want unless you are able to give constructive feedback, it is the lifeblood of a good web design project. Try to ensure that you provide feedback on each step of the process and especially when asked. It helps you and your website creator to stay on the same page. Provide feedback in a way that moves the project forward - so not “I don’t like the background colour”, but rather “I prefer a light blue for the background colour”.
Hopefully these quick tips are useful when you next look for a website creator to assist with your next website project. If you’d like to learn how to make your next website project a winner in more detail, why not download our free guide to learn the secrets to a successful website project, featuring tips that you can implement straight away.
