Getting your small business online.

You've decided it's time to get your small business online and you want to hire a designer to create the site for you. If you have the funds, this is undoubtedly the best way to go.  And if you are laying out more money, whether a little or a lot more, you'll want to get the most for your investment. So, here are some thoughts about how to work with a Web designer or consultant.

Choose your designer by their sites.  Obviously, the best criteria for choosing a Web designer is that they've designed sites you think are very well done. It's usually extremely easy to review a Web design firm's prior work, since their portfolios are typically highlighted on their own Web sites. You may want to pick a firm that has created sites similar to your own in terms of scope and complexity, so you know they are more likely to be in your price range and/or that they have the skills to handle the complexity you expect.

Create a general plan. Before you contact any designer, take time to put together a written creative brief to guide the project. If you're not sure how you want to go about this, you'll want to go with a design services that can help you from start to finish.

However you go about forming your plan, it should probably include some or all of the following:

1. Summary vision: What is your overall vision for your Web site? Are you expecting a three-page brochure that shows hours of operation and directions to your offices, or a 300-page product catalogue with product-specific pricing and real-time online sales capability? How will it be used in your business? What will the site look like? What do you want people to do when they visit the site?
2. Objectives: What are the objectives or goals for your Web site? Make sure you whittle down your objectives to no more than three goals. Depending on the business, your goals might be to do some of the following:
   • Sell products via the Web.
   • Help people find your storefront or office and know what hours you are open.
   • Tell people why your business is unique and convince them to call you and make an appointment or reservation.
   • Convince local customers to sign up for a monthly newsletter that includes special offers, thus increasing in-store sales.
      
3. Brand image: Your Web site is all about your image — it's a prime place for you to lay out the words and pictures that define your business, and then to establish those phrases and images as your brand name. Remember, though, that your Web brand should be consistent with your business image as it appears in your existing offices or storefronts, in your marketing materials, and in your other communications to customers.

   To set up a brand:

   • Start by telling the designer what is unique about your business. How does it differ from other, similar businesses? How would you describe the personality of your company? If you get lost here, your designer should be able to offer suggestions.
   • Include visuals that will help the designer get a sense of what your company is about. Photos of your offices, employees, storefronts are very helpful, as are your existing marketing materials (stationery, brochures, text from letters frequently sent to customers, business cards, etc.).
      
4. Target customer: Give the designer a short summary of the customer audience you want to attract to the Web site. Who are your customers? What motivates them to buy your products or services? Why do they choose your company instead of a competitor? How do they feel about your business? If you have some quotes or comments from customers, share those with the designer, as well.
    
5. Budget, timeline and deadline: Give the designer a sense of your budget and expected completion date, so you both can decide if your goals and desires match up with your expected cash outlay and deadline. Be as explicit as possible about what you want the firm to deliver — number of Web pages, a navigation system, color scheme, and so on. Again, here is where your designer should be able to offer some specific help, especially if you're feeling you don't have the experience to know just what the Web site should include, and when the various elements should show up on the site.
6. Design "must-haves": This is your list of what you think absolutely has to be included in the Web site. Examples might include your company logo, a color scheme that reflects the colors used in your existing marketing materials, hours of operation and a map showing how to find your store, an 800 number to contact you, photo of the owner, and your company tagline or mission statement, or even a photo of your dog because she's the company mascot.
7. Similar sites you like and dislike: It can be helpful if you locate some Web sites for businesses similar to yours — you can show the designer a few sites you like and a few you do not like.
8. A history of your business: You might close with a short history of your business and some information about why the company was started and what keeps it going — those motivations can figure into the overall design for your site.

First meeting. Start with a phone call or e-mail to a firm whose work you like, to see if their pricing scope and skills match up with your budget and needs.  Once you've found a firm that looks like a potential match, you can set up a first meeting, where you can walk through the creative brief. You'll want to understand the process by which the firm works. Do they offer you several design options to choose from? Do you get a first draft and then have time to suggest revisions? What is their process?

The first meeting is also a good chance to get more in-depth about whether your project is in line with the type of work they typically do. If they typically create more elaborate sites, you may want to ask if they really think they can work within your budget. Or, if they usually work on sites that are simpler than what you expect, it is reasonable to ask them to help you get more comfortable about their ability to take on a more complex project.

After the first meeting, the designer will usually come back with a proposal that includes a cost estimate and a timeline showing what will be delivered when. Be sure you are clear about exactly what they will deliver (number of Web pages is typically a good thing to agree on) before agreeing to terms.

Once the design process begins, you'll want to give the firm timely feedback so that they can stick to their schedule. You'll also want to keep in touch with whoever is managing the project, making sure that the firm delivers the project you want. Most important, you'll need to be assertive about keeping in touch after the site is up and running, so that you get the appropriate follow-up and maintenance.

Article by Deborah Whitman, MSN Marketing.