When you seek out a specialist to provide a service, there is a reasonable chances that you do not know much about that product or service in the first place (other than that you need it). So the job of choosing a specialist to provide that service can be a total minefield.
This is true of building work, car repair, accountancy, hairdressing, singing tuition…of course I could go on for several pages.
Wearing my Edge of the Web hat today (Duport’s web design business) here are 5 things I wish all potential customers (of any web design business) considered before they picked a company to work with:
- DON’T SCRIMP (part 1)
Save money on coffee, biscuits, watches and fountain pens. These are things to please you. Do not scrimp on your website; nearly all of your customers (and potential customers) will check you out online. If your website looks rubbish, so does your company. - DON’T SCRIMP (part 2)
A break down in the relationship between client and web designer is not uncommon. If you seek out the cheapest website design option available, you don’t get to be fussy about finish and functionality. Building websites takes time and skill, and if your web designer is working on unfeasibly low margins, you will often find the phone stops getting answered and emails get ignored. Saving a hundred pounds always seems like a good idea, until it isn’t. Seriously, we hear about this ALL THE TIME. - DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ
It’s easy for web design companies to make salacious claims about their service and commitment on their website (in fact it’s as easy as tapping a few keys on a keyboard), but it’s a very different kettle of fish when it comes to delivery. Ask questions like:- How many people are involved in the business,
- What happens if somebody gets sick,
- What happens if a more profitable web design opportunity than yours comes along,
- When will the website be finished (what guarantees apply?),
- What if you can’t agree on a final design?
- WILL YOUR WEBSITE BE COMMERCIAL?
There is a very (very) big difference between a website that looks nice and one that is designed to be ruthlessly commercial. The difference being that one of them looks nice AND helps you stay in business, dare I say even make a profit. - WHAT AM I BUYING?
A brilliant website is a equal combination of:- Brilliant design
- Brilliant wording
- Brilliant coding
- Brilliant marketing
Which of these are you paying for? You can be sure that at least one of your competitors has all of these.
So there you have my 5, what do you wish you could teach people about your industry?
