We all know the importance of having a website for your business. But, did you know that it can make or break your company? Designing and developing a website for your company is an investment, which you want to ensure will be successful. It's not just about being seen on the internet, it's also about website usability and accessibility. A web developer or web designer is an important asset to any marketing team because they are able to create a website design that will work well with users who have disabilities as well as those without.
You are about to embark on an exciting new adventure with your website redesign. There are many things to discuss with your web developer before kickoff, and this blog post will help you prepare for those conversations.
Here are six things you want to discuss with your web developer before kickoff!
What is my company's goal for this website?
Depending on what your goal is with your new website, your web developer and marketing team will tailor the existing content and the web design to reach your intended goal. For example, if you plan to have an e-commerce website with a place for customers to purchase a product or service, you will need to communicate that with the web developer, in order to develop the site to fit that need. All the content leading to your check-out page will help to guide a customer toward a call-to-action.The website development process ensures that the company's goal is being met, simply by doing a site redesign that matches the website visitors wants and needs.
Who are our competitors, and how do we want to differentiate ourselves from them?
Before your kick-off call, we recommend sending your web developer at least three competitor websites. These competitor websites should have features that you might want to see on your own company's website. Whether it is the placement of the blog on a homepage, or the font style in the navigation, each website is unique, and it is important to find what fits your brand identity. As time goes on, you can utilize Google Analytics to track click-through-rates and bounce rates for each landing page. This allows you to optimize and improve your website's usability. Most importantly, every competitor nowadays will have an existing website and web design that is accessible on mobile devices, as well as tablets, and computers. If your current website is not already doing so, it is definitely time to reach out and work with us!
What is our budget for this project?
You will need to get a basic idea as to what your new site budget will be. Depending on your budget, the goal of your website redesign or new site might need to be adjusted. For example, if you plan to re-write all your existing content but do not have the means or the funds to do so, you might want to consider a complete re-write further down the road once the website has been launched. If you have a current site with existing content, there is a possibility that the current website content can be optimized to at least perform better. This commonly requires adjustments to the meta description, meta title, and more. In the long run, although it is not a complete re-write, it still ensures your website visitors will be able to find your new site and that the marketing efforts put in place will be effective. It also saves you money and time, while allowing your web developer or web designer to focus solely on the website design.
How should we handle SEO (search engine optimization)?
If you are working with a marketing agency similar to Eternity, we guarantee there will be a dedicated content and SEO specialist to work with, along with your assigned web developer. The specialist will help your website rank well organically by recommending and implementing keywords for your website content that not only fit your brand identity, but also perform well on search engines. Using keyword research for all the pages will assist with search engine optimization efforts. These search engine optimization efforts go a long way, and you will be thankful that you put in the time to work with a well-rounded content and SEO specialist. The work itself will be done with a content strategy, and through a content management system that the company utilizes throughout their redesign process.
Who will be responsible for updates once the project is complete?
Typically, when you work with an assigned web developer or web designer at a marketing agency, they will require an annual fee that pays for any routine maintenance throughout the year. However, this does not include adding a new landing page, or a new feature to your website redesign. This requires a separate fee, at least when working with the Eternity crew. The web developer or web designer that worked with you on redesigning your website or building your new site will know exactly what you want for your site, and will ensure any updates align with your business goals. He/She will make adjustments to your website pages based on user testing and the target audience needs. For example, if Google Analytics shows a user journey that does not align with what your new site offers, adjustments will need to be made.
When do you need the site up and running by?
Whether you currently have an existing website, or you are starting from scratch, will play a role in deciding when to launch a website. Before the kick-off, decide when you would like your website to be live to your website visitors. Perhaps you are in a hurry to design an entire website in order to promote a product or service. If you have an event coming up where you would like to announce the new website launch or website redesign, you will likely want the website to be live for your website visitors ahead of time. Keep in mind, each web development project or web redesign typically requires a 90-day window. However, there are exceptions to this. For example, if the agency you are working with is creating content, it will typically require more time. The web developer or web designer on the website redesign project will follow the website redesign process that is in place, and the website redesign checklist to meet your requested deadline.
