Tips to save you money, time and to get the website you want without stress!

Get prepared

Logo or style guide: This will be invaluable to ensure the site is a true extension of your business and consistent with other branding materials you have associated with your business. If you have the original design files for your logo, it's even better! Low resolution logo jpegs here just won’t cut it. 

What your business does: This one is important as unless you have agreed for the designer to work with a copywriter, they will not be able to easily create this content for you … after all, it’s your business and nobody knows it better than you. A big tip here is to provide as much content as you possibly can, and if you have the budget, work with a copywriter to make it the best it can be. Your website designer needs to know where to put all this information within their page designs. If you are building an e-commerce site, this also means that you have your product descriptions ready, returns policy and privacy policy. Your website designer cannot make this up for you. 

Your style: Think of a website style you admire and let your website designer know. This will save you a lot of stress and frustration as they then have a framework to work within. If you leave it up to the designer with no guidance on your preferred style, you may be disappointed with the result, causing project delays. Don’t forget, your website designer will have a fair idea of functional designs and what works for different types of sites and devices and will work with you to find a solution within the agreed budget. 

Key business details: Provide your ABN, or trade licenses or any other information that your designer may need to display on the site. Don’t ask for them to search for it via ABN registers as they may pick the wrong business number … 

Your social media channels: If you have social media channels associated with the business, be sure to share them with the website designer. Ideally, they will ask for this information during the discovery phase, however, if they don’t, make sure to provide it so they can link from your page.

Imagery and video: If you envisage your site having imagery and video, be sure to gather this in one location ready to share with your website designer. Setting aside in a cloud storage folder is a great way to share larger file sizes and prevent unnecessary email bounces because attachments are too large. Your designer will then have one location … a ‘source of truth’ for the project to find assets.  

What is the purpose of your website: This one can be easily forgotten as many business owners just want a website up and running quickly. It’s important to remember that your website is a valuable business tool, and the purpose of the site will dictate the design, copywriting and style. Have a chat with your website designer about your goals and they will design a site to best facilitate them!

Be available: Your website designer will have questions throughout the process or may need approval to add certain plugins or other elements. Don’t sit on those emails … your project will just be delayed as the designer waits to implement those elements. At the same time, if you have sent requests to your designer and you haven’t heard back, make sure to reach out to them to confirm they understand your instructions.

Overall by being an active participant in the website design process, you are less likely to face delays, frustrations or extra redesign work. Clear communication will set expectations for all parties involved and ensure that your website is looking its best and delivered on time. 

At Ipswich Websites, we take the time to learn about what your goals are and provide a transparent quote so you can see where costs lie and make an informed decision. We build sites around your business, with careful consideration of how you can get the most from your investment by building it right the first time. If you are looking to build a new website, reach out to Ben Hayward here for a complimentary discovery session.