How to plan, select designers
& market for a great website!
If you want to build a website for yourself, business, or organization - I'd highly recommend purchasing BuildingABetterWebsite It was written specifically to 'non-techies', and is accessible for both beginners and web builders in the industry. It includes chapters on how to plan a new website, how to find people to build it (including over 350 hand picked web designers), how best to approach these design firms, and also - very important - how to market your finished website.
For anyone already planning on building a website, this book really is a great tool to understanding the big picture surrounding web design process, and will greatly increase your chance of having a successful website!
Excerpts:
From 'Planning':Probably the most important aspect of designing a great website is knowing who the website is being made for. Is it being made 1) for you the company, or 2) for the clients? If you think it’s the first answer - don’t expect clients to “oooh” and “ahhh” when they see the site. Your new website will probably make your competitors jealous, until they realize your clients feel more comfortable shopping with them and they start taking your money. Websites have to be made with the target audience in mind from the very beginning.
From ‘Budget'
The following is a method that will help you come up with a general number to start with. However, please remember, all industries are vastly different, and some people should dish out more than others will pay, because of their business type and size. This method is simply to determine the website’s actual value to you. And since web design pricing varies so much (think Wild West here. You’ll see what I mean soon), you’ll likely use these numbers as a good starting point. First off, lets determine the actual value of your website....
From ‘Finding a Company'
Choosing a web design company these days is probably similar to a rookie gold prospector in the 1800’s choosing a piece of land to start digging for profit. There are thousands of options, they all look the same to a newbie, and the land owners will determine prices over whisky shots in the local bar....
The web building industry is sort of like the wild west of modern businesses. I can show you designers charging $5.50/hr, and then I can show you other designers charging $300/hr.
