When you are starting the process of a new website, the first thing to ask yourself is “what do I want from this website?”   It may be that you are looking to showcase your services, give contact information and get your brand noticed ONLY.   Alternatively, you may want to sell your products and services online.

Things to consider:

Before you talk to any agencies, decide what you want.

Start by asking “what triggered you into deciding you need a website?”  Do you already have a website, and if so, what’s wrong with it?

You might want to consider some of these broad requirements.

Obviously, you’ll want a website that works on mobile devices, looks good, works, and is relatively fast. I think those are obvious and certainly should be given nowadays.

TKF Digital can guide you through this important stage, offering you a package that suits your business and the current status of it, giving you the option for expansion when your company grows.

]Who is going to write the copy/content?

Many web design agencies will simply ask you for copy (and photographs for that matter).. It’s probably best to decide and make it clear in your requirements document though. It’s the same if you have, for instance, product details in an e-commerce site that will need to be transferred. Who’s going to transfer that data across?  Can this be automated?

Do you need a new logo or assistance with branding?

Are your brand logo and visual design guidelines all set or actually do you need a new logo too? Is this part of a larger new look for your business? Will you be wanting new stationery and signage? A brochure?

If your needs are actually wider than just website design, then ideally you’ll need to find a company like us that does everything you need.

Having thought about all of this, write a specification. It doesn’t have to be detailed. Probably shouldn’t be. But if a design team can see what you want by when and your budget, that will help enormously.

There is, of course, much more to planning a great online presence, however, if you have considered the points above, this is a great place to start.