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Socialite · Inscrit le: 15 Mai 2014 Messages: 1

Getting a website is relatively easy, you could even almost do it yourself. Getting REAL results from your website can be incredibly hard.

While a website can look great - that's often in the eye of the beholder - the real key to success is in the numbers.

What do we mean?

The numbers are the measurables - factual, specific data that the website can generate so you can track and measure it's success. Things like: Visits, Enquiries, Sales, Form Completions, Email Subscribers and so on.

Unfortunately many designers do not think of these things, just the base 'product' of getting a website up online. And they aren't held to account either, because their clients either neglect to ask, or more likely have no idea what to ask in selecting the right designer for their job.

So what are 6 things at the minimum you should be asking a potential web designer?

1. How soon will I see a draft of the site, and when will the project be completed?

OK, so two questions, however very important to see when your potential designer feels they will be able to complete your project. This is important as you may have other marketing activities to tie into it. But also is the time period acceptable to you? Are you clean on what you want or are you vague? This could add time to the project.

So you might then ask:

2. What is your design process and how will you give us status updates?

Any good designer will have a systemised process to work through a web project from start to completion. You should gain confidence from the answer to this question. A vague answer would be cause for concern.

Likewise how often can expect to be contacted and updated? Regular communication and updates are the key to both parties working together to complete a success project, on time.

3. Can I see a portfolio or your sites, plus a list of references?

You shouldn't be the guinea pig... Any designer you engage should have experience in delivering projects that have worked for others. They should be able to explain a previous process (like a case study) showing how they understood their client's needs and then delivered a project to meet that need. It's all the more potent if they can also attached a reference who is willing to rave about their site to you.

A portfolio will also help you to see if the style of the designer is in line with your needs and expectations. If you are child care centre and the prospective developer can only show a portfolio of legal websites - your site may not turn out to be the most engaging and fun...

4. Will you outsource any work?

A big question for some, and not a problem for others. Outsourcing takes on many forms and most designers outsource at some level. However you may need to ask about privacy and security of you intellectual property for instance. Also unfortunately it must be warned that many outsourced people are located in those overseas countries (where telemarketers come from) and in general the standard of development and programming is extremely poor. In particular security become an issue due to weak code on a website - most embarrassing for you if your site gets hacked.

5. What web site reporting will be setup for me?

Another key question, as most people never ever get reporting on their site and therefore never really know how successful their website has proven to be.

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