KnavesmireIT

Making the decision to launch your first website, or perhaps to re-design your existing one, is quite a big commitment. Most people now understand that a presence on the web, even if it is only a single page website, is extremely important to future business success, although for most it is also something that they know nothing about.

So, you have decided that a website is what you need, next you start researching web design providers in and around your local area. You take a great deal of time to choose a web designer that not only provides great examples of their work, but you also pay extra attention to the feedback received by the designers existing and past customers.

You invest a great deal of time in the research phase to ensure that you choose the right person to deliver your online presence. Your investment in this time is equal to the cost investment you are expecting to make. Finally, you find the right person whom you trust with your money and business reputation.

Then, you make the mistake of a lifetime…

You dictate 100% of the project to your web designer of choice.

You tell them exactly what you want, from the title of each page, the order they should appear on the navigation and the design layout for each and every page, right down to what text font to use, what colours to use and even where to place deep links, etc.

The problem with this? Well, 99% of the time the most experience the dictator has is using MS Word to create basic word-processed document. And trust us, this is NOTHING LIKE web  and content design.

There are a whole host of things to take into consideration including accessibility standards, cross-platform responsive design, and search engine optimisation, and most importantly for both parties – creating engaging content with a key focus in achieving a conversion.

Your web designer, the person whom you have chosen to trust, is not actually being trusted to… well, design your website!

You MUST step back and stop micro-managing the project. Instead, provide your web designer with a clear set of guideline in terms of what you require the website to achieve for you, and provide helpful resources such as your logo and samples of business stationary and other things you may have had produced such as brochures and business cards.

Then, do the unthinkable… step back and let your web designer do what they do day-in day-out for a living… the very thing that they specialise in… designing your website!

This may sound harsh, but sadly this situation happens all too often, and it does not achieve the best results. In fact, this kind of micro-management instead can produce a piece of work that is unlikely to attract even a single visitor, let alone encourage any kind of conversion.

Trust your web designer to do what you have agreed, and provide them with room to breath and develop an outstanding piece of work that is sure to work brilliantly for your business.