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Web Design - Is consulting really necessary to avoid mistakes
Part 2 of 10

If you have read the first article please skip the introduction.

Imagine this web page as the tip of a very large iceberg. What you see on screen is actually the smallest part. To be successful on the World Wide Web / Internet takes time, effort and money.

Introduction

Deciding to get onto the World Wide Web / Internet today has never been quicker or easier. There are so many options from do it yourself, Choose a pre-made template or choose from over a million Web designers ranging from the ridiculously cheap to the mega expensive.

Most first ventures onto the Internet end in disillusionment, massive expense, or with you simply walking away the project and forgetting the whole thing.

Why is that? The Internet is a massive beast and is built on a highly technical environment. The reality of the environment is hidden from us by friendly front-end systems; which is great as it encourages more people to use it. However, by not understanding how it all works, you can not use it to your advantage. With so much competition on the Internet this means you will not get the results you want or expect.

This article is the second in a series of 10 over which we will provide a simple guide to services for web design and to provide the winning inch of knowledge to ensure your success on the Internet. If you missed the first article, it would probably make more sense if you read that first.

We have adopted a process of nine steps courtesy of Services Web Design

1. Introduction

2. Consulting

3. Keywords

4. Domain Naming

5. Design

6. Hosting

7. Integration

8. E-commerce

9. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

10. Internet Marketing

Before you get involved in creating a shop window for your product and/or services on the Internet, learn from other peoples mistakes and take expert advice.

Consulting

Question: Why do I need this?

Answer: To avoid making the same mistakes millions of others made!

Consulting is the only reliable way to translate your expertise, in your chosen field, into a web design. This is a fundamental step toward saving money over the long and indeed the short term.

Question: What does consulting consist of?

Answer: Understanding what you do, who your customers are and whom you compete with!

Basic but vital.

For illustration purposes, let us say that you are an expert in widgets. As an expert in Widgets, would you trust someone who knows very little about Widgets to join your company as an expert?

Conversely, unless prepared to become an expert, why would anyone think they could create a Website?

Many of us think that creating a web site is a straightforward and simple matter. There are products that allow you to build a Web site easily without ever going near to HTML. But these products dictate how your Website is built. They will not be optimised for your business nor are they optimised to compete against other web sites. Naturally your competition will be after the same business as you and will have invested in a professionally built site.

Getting a web site that works for you is important. Consulting simply allows two experts to converse, you for your business and your Web site designer who understand the World Wide Web. This exchange of expertise creates a common understanding between the client and the designer, which is ultimately translated into your Website.

The important factors to understand, from a design perspective are:

1. Who buys your product / service?
2. What age group are they in?
3. What technology are they likely to use?
4. What do they look for when wanting to buy?
5. Is your product / service cool, traditional or leading edge?
6. Is the product service you offer a technology or a solution?
7. Is there an established market or does the concept require selling?
8. How does buyer decided when and how to buy?
9. What are the alternatives?
10. Are you a new kid on the block or a respected authority?
11. Is your business into growth or are there problems ahead?
12. What does a hot lead look like?
13. How do you currently market yourself?
14. What measures are in place to gauge good versus bad advertising?
15. Is your product / service a commodity or is it a niche market?
16. What do people pay for it?
17. Who regulates your business?
18. Are there any special considerations?
19. What is the value added proposition of your company?
20. What are your goals?
21. Who are / could be important influencers to growing your business?

You are probably thinking, what has all this got to do with Website Design?

The answer is everything.

If your designer is not asking these questions then beware, because what you will get may look good but probably not be what you or your business needs!

The answers to the questions above provide an insight into your company, your business and your industry. What use is a 24-hour a day 365-day multiple-page advert on the Internet if it fails to represent your business?

Question: So now maybe you are thinking how long does this take and how much does it cost?

Answer: This largely depends on the Website designer.

Allow yourself to be challenged, the deeper the pain the greater the gain! To get it right you need a partner that will want to understand your business and your goals in order to ensure that the design and messaging is correct.

You would be right in thinking that this verges on being business consulting. To be successful it is important that the Website is engineered specifically to your business.

What does consulting cost? There is normally a free initial consultation, at Services Web Design this is two hours. For start up or small businesses this can be enough.

Beyond that charges will vary but will range between 350 - 1,100 per day.

The result should be a working demonstration presented to the client for discussion. This demo site is a work in progress to evaluate the direction taken by the designer and adjusting it to the clients preferences. It is common that the demo version is discarded, but none the less necessary as part of the process.

Things to take away from this section:

1. The importance of planning your Website

2. If you are serious use a professional Website designer

3. Invest in pre-design consulting to avoid costly mistakes

4. Set milestones and targets for your Website and review often

The next article covers the importance of Keywords and why they are still important and necessary before the design phase can begin!

This is article 2 of 10 to find out more at http://www.services-web-design.com or go straight to our process map at

http://services-web-design.com/flash_site/Index.htm or take advantage of our "start-up fully inclusive package" by going to

http://services-web-design.com/services/startup_package.htm

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