WEBSITE PREPARATION GUIDELINES
Communicating with a web designer is easier now than it has ever been. With new technology you do not even have to meet the designer in person but there is no better way to discuss your ideas and your business aspirations. Targets should be agreed and set out in a written proposal in order to successfully produce a website that more than meets all goals.

If time and geography makes a meeting difficult or impossible then you can use the internet, website, email, twitter, facebook, online training programmes, Skype, ICQ and MSN hotmail for discussing the project. Design Four have many customers who use these forms of communications.

Before you begin designing your website please do consider the following points. Many of which, will be solved for you by the designer. It is our job to make this as simple and easy as possible.

Ask yourself:

  • Have you set a budget for building your website?
  • Have you a business plan?
  • Set yourself achievable targets
  • What are your main services?
  • What are your main products?
  • Ask yourself who are your customers?
  • What age are your customers? 
  • Where are your customers? Local, Regional, UK, Europe or the World?
  • How do your customers usually purchase the services and products you are offering?
  • Have you a 'hook' are you offering something new?
  • Is the market saturated?
  • Who are the competition?
  • Do your services and products offer something new?
  • Can you purchase and supply enough stock for customer orders?
  • Are your prices competitive?

Start thinking about your design concept:

  • Can you describe clearly your business concept in just a few paragraphs?
  • What are the main pages of your website?
  • Are there sub-pages that can be displayed under the main pages?
  • Have you the skills to write good content-writing?
  • Do you need to outsource content-writing or need support?
  • Do you have digital images that help convey your information pages?
  • Are your images well organised in libraries and folders?
  • Do you have a professional logo?
  • Have you a good slogan(s) or strapline(s)?
  • Have you thought about branding? Colours / Fonts/Typefaces / Heading and sub-heading sizes / Etc
  • What will your page layouts look like?
  • Main website menu navigation
  • Main website internal and external links
  • What extensions are you going to need? Shopping cart / Contact forms / Image gallery / Video links

Search Engine Optimisation:

  • Have you a marketing budget?
  • What techniques are you thinking of introducing?
  • Do you already use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc

Will you require a shopping cart, if yes, please consider:

  • Product short description
  • Product long description
  • Product image small(thumbnail) / medium / large
  • Product price
  • Product accessories
  • Customers also bought links
  • Payment gateway
  • Payment (Paypal default)
  • Shipping costs and terms
  • Delivery times
  • Discount coupons and vouchers
  • Returned goods policy
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Do you require training?
What level are you now? Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Do you require online support?
Yes / No / Maybe?

Don't panic! The list seems very long but most of the above are handled by your web designer. Use it as a guide and importantly use it to help inform the designer so they accurately interpret your business ideas.