Web Design Process

The client's perspective

Do you really need a web site?
If you own a business, more than likely the answer will be YES! It will not only give you access to a larger client base, but will also allow you to keep current customers satisfied with the added benefit of quick access to information about new products, services, or ventures your company is undertaking.

Decide what type of web design is best for you.
No matter whether your site is for personal use or for your business, goverment or non-profit organizations; there are two basic "types" of websites:

• A static website is one that has web pages stored on the server in the same form as the user will view them. They are sometimes refered to as "online brochures".
• Dynamic Websites are those powered by a database allowing it to acheive a high level of interaction with the end-user.

Now that you have decided that you DO need a site, and what type; consider answering the following web design questionnaire before you contact a company to design and develop your web site.

1. Do you already own, or have in mind what URL (domain name) you want? - If you dont, the company you choose can either purchase the URL for you as part of their service, or they can point you in the right direction.
   
   
2. Who do you consider to be your major competitors? and What makes your company different from your theirs? - This will be of help to your designer when designing your web site to make it stand out from the rest.
   
   
3. How would you describe your company? and Who is your target audience? (i.e. men, women, age group, consumer, supplier, etc) - This will allow your designer to design and develop a web site that best meets the needs of both your company and your clients.
   
   
4. Decide before hand what your budget will be - This will allow you and the company of your choice to come up with the best plan to design and develop your site. Simply put, decide if you can afford the "Toyota Corolla" type of web site or the "Lexus" type.
   
   
5. Do you have marketing strategy already in place? Logo? Printed collateral material? - If so, providing this to your web designer will be beneficial in order to match your site to your existing marketing strategy.
   
   If you do not have an existing logo design, keep in mind that it will usualy be the first representation of your brand and should inspire confidence to your customers. So make that first impression a memorable one.
   
   
6. What type of look are you trying to achieve? What colors or color schemes do you like? - Even though your opinion does matter; in the long run, it is your clients who matter most, so design your web site keeping them in mind.
   
   
7. Will you require a website maintenance plan? - If you plan on doing the updates yourself, you need to know before your site is developed so the designer can keep that in mind. If you do not have much experience with html, the site should either be simple or have a Content Management system in place.