Although we often take the reins and guide our customers through our structured process, not all design firms work in that manner. Many of the frustrations companies experience can be mitigated with some thoughtful planning on the front end. Here are a few suggestions on how to speed up and clarify your needs:
- Decide why you need a website
- Define your target upstream market and downstream market
- Set objectives for the new website
- Get consensus, buy-in from everyone that needs to have a say
- Define the scope of work
- Define a budget
- Setup a team: writers, technical, etc.
- Write it down, gather it up
If the client hasn't already completed the above steps, we often walk through these concepts with them. Then we move into Phase II which includes:
- Mock-it up
- Test
- Design
- Prepare new materials as needed
- Beta
- Launch
- Edit as needed
As you can see, completing the first section prior to engaging a designer can save everyone a significant amount of time and money. Often you'll understand what type of designer/programmer is needed and how to guide them. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to give us a call at 619-393-6680.
