| Before you contract a web designer to design your | | | | be totally ineffective. |
| small business website there are several things you | | | | 5. Content. Provide all of the written content for your |
| can do to make the process easier and therefore | | | | designer to implement into the site. You know your |
| save you money. If you do some initial planning | | | | business better than anyone else. Don't leave the |
| ahead of time it will help your designer get a better | | | | copywriting of your page up to a designer who, |
| sense of what exactly you want and speed the | | | | firstly, likely hates writing content about a business |
| project up because there will be less back and forth | | | | they know nothing about and, secondly, will charge |
| dialogue between you and your web developer. | | | | you a large sum of money for content creation |
| You will also have a better quote on the job as you | | | | because they hate doing it. So do make sure you |
| will have everything there for your designer to know | | | | provide the written end of the website as well as |
| exactly what you want before the process begins. | | | | any video or audio clips you would like to include on |
| This will eliminate any surprise expenses you were | | | | the pages. |
| not budgeting for. | | | | 6. Gather any images, logos, etc. together in one |
| Here is a checklist you can use to be sure you have | | | | folder to send to the designer. If possible, make the |
| all your ducks in a row before your first meeting or | | | | images web-ready ahead of time. By web-ready, I |
| email to the designer. | | | | mean shrink the sizes of very large images down to |
| | | | web-friendly sizes. This will save your designer time. |
| 1. First you need to surf many sites to decide which | | | | Remember that small images cannot be made larger |
| features or elements in your layout you really like. If | | | | unless they are vector images so if you are supplying |
| you find a website that you really like, copy the URL | | | | really small images, be aware that your designer will |
| so you can present a few samples of site layouts | | | | not be able to make them bigger to use on the |
| and designs that you like to your designer. This will | | | | website. |
| give them a sense of what you find pleasing and | | | | 7. Decide on your colour scheme. Unless you sincerely |
| what you hope your site will look like. Make notes of | | | | do not care what colour your website is, do your |
| which features of each site you liked the most. | | | | designer a favour and select a colour palette. Nothing |
| 2. Write a list of features you absolutely must have | | | | makes a web designer crazier than a customer who |
| on your site. Things like contact forms, opt-in lead | | | | says "choose any colours you like, I am not picky" |
| capture form, links to your Twitter or Facebook | | | | and then says "I don't really care for those colours" |
| accounts, blog, etc. | | | | when the job is done. If you do, be prepared to pay |
| 3. Write a wish list of features that you might want | | | | for a redesign as it is really unfair to expect a |
| to include if your budget and web space allows. | | | | designer to completely rework a web design because |
| These tend to be the "bells and whistles" types of | | | | of your lack of input. |
| elements that are a little flashy. Sometimes it makes | | | | 8. If your website will have a shopping cart, supply all |
| sense and sometimes it doesn't. Your web designer | | | | of the info for your payment method as well as all |
| will be able to advise you on these. There are times | | | | product images, descriptions and attributes such as |
| when simpler is better but it is good for the designer | | | | available colours and sizes. |
| to know what you find "cool" about certain sites. | | | | By following this check list and providing the designer |
| 4. Keyword phrases. This is critical since your web | | | | with as much information as possible upfront, you will |
| designer is not usually an SEO expert. You must | | | | ensure the project goes off without a hitch and is |
| provide them with a list of keywords you wish to | | | | completed in a quick and painless time period. Do |
| use for your website. Otherwise you need to hire an | | | | make yourself available to the designer during the |
| SEO specialist to optimise your site once the design | | | | web development stage. Making them wait for |
| process is done. Don't leave this one up to the | | | | answers or information will slow down the process. |
| designer because they will tell you it is done but it will | | | | |