If you are getting ready to build a new website here are some things to consider before you start and before you choose a web firm.

1) Clear goals: Do you know exactly what you are trying to achieve with your project? You want to start with a clear definition. Good web development firms are willing to help with this part of the project — at a cost. The more your goals are clearly defined, the less time the web team will spend defining scope, the lower the cost to you. There may be situations in which you would like some help with the definition and strategy. Be sure that you choose a team that has the strong experience in this area. There are many talented folks building sites, but do they see the big picture? Can they suggest better directions and outcomes for you?

2) Scope: You want to be sure to define what will be included in the new site. How large is your project? How much content will you be presenting? What types of transactions need to be available? Are you interested in extras like flash? The web firm will ask you these questions. Again, if you are clear about what you want, the definition phase of the project will be greatly simplified. If you want more guidance about the scope, be sure that your vendor is capable of working with you on a strategy.

3) Assets: These are the things that make up the look and content of the site – copy and images. How will the copy be written? Will you provide all of the content or do you need someone to help with copywriting? At a minimum you will want an editor to review everything before you go live. What about photos? Do you have high-quality photos of your subject, will you be using stock photos or will you need custom shots for your site? If you are not sure, be sure to talk this over with your web firm before you get started.

4) Audience: Who will be using your site? How will they find you? This seems pretty straightforward, but often there are unrealistic expectations about how much traffic your site will get. If you need people to find you through search engines, a lot of attention must be paid to Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This starts before the first design is drawn or line of code is written. You may love flash designs, but they do not work well for SEO purposes. On the other hand, maybe you have a built in audience and you do not want to register high on search engines — then a flash site may be perfect for you.

5) Maintenance: It seems silly to be thinking about maintenance of a site before you even get started, but this is the key to success. We assume that you want people to use your site for whatever purpose it was designed. Usually this means that it needs to be current. Even the simplest brochure-ware site must keep all of the information current. Who is going to do this and how? Are you contemplating a site with a content management system to make updates easy for anyone to do? If you want people to return to your site frequently you will need content that is fresh, valuable and enticing. How are you going to accomplish this?

There are many ways that we can help you to create a beautiful website that meets your goals. We are especially good at bringing ideas forward during the strategy phase. If you would just like to talk to someone experienced about your project, we offer a one-hour FREE strategy session. Sign up for yours; we look forward to hearing from you!