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9 Truths About Your Business That Your Web Designer Needs to Hear


We like to tell business owners and executives that the most important part of the web design process happens before we’ve ever drawn a single pixel or written the first line of code. That’s because information and insight are the foundations for a good website and online marketing campaign. It’s not enough to create a strong online presence – you have to customize it to a specific company, and then keep growing and adapting over time.

None of these great things can happen, however, unless a web designer and a client are on the same page. If there isn’t a good flow of information from one side to the other, a creative team can’t really narrow in on specific strengths and opportunities. In other words, they can’t give a business the website or marketing plan it really needs.

Knowing that, it’s up to you as an owner or executive to supply your web design team with the details they need to help you. To be sure you don’t forget to mention something important, today we want to examine nine different truths about your business that your web designer definitely needs to hear before they get to work on your project…

 

#1 Where Your Business Comes From

Often, the history of the company can tell you a lot about its strengths, it’s values, and its future. Additionally, it can be central to the sales and marketing approach that the business will follow.

You should be sure your web design team knows where your company or organization comes from for those reasons, and to provide context for any future discussions about design, philosophy, or marketing results. Whether you’ve been around for a few hours or a century, make sure your creative partner understands your story and how it influences your business today.

 

#2 Where Your Company is Headed

Even more important in your history, is your future. In a big-picture sense, you want your web design team to know where you’re headed. They should have an understanding of what your dreams for the company look like, as well as the challenges that are looming on the horizon.

This is, once again, important for context. However, it also matters because a business website is never really finished. Instead, it grows and evolves over time. If your web designer knows where you intend to steer your company in the future, they can help lay the groundwork for additional expansion, new features, or tools and plug-ins that could be required down the road.

 

#3 What Your Specific Business Goals Look Like

Once you get past big-picture aspirations, it’s time to dig into the details. Let your web design team know what your specific goals for the project look like. Do you want to increase online sales, generate walk-in traffic, or grow your business in some other way?

These kinds of targets help shape the design of your website, and let your creative partner know what sorts of campaigns are going to be needed to turn your ideas into reality. The more firm you are in knowing what you want to accomplish, the easier it will be for your web designer to put together a plan that leads you in the right direction.

 

#4 What Kind of People Make Up Your Target Market

Who are your best customers or prospects? Where do they live? What kinds of jobs do they have? What are they willing to spend, and how informed are they about your products or services?

These kinds of questions are only a starting point, but they can remind you of just how important it is to know who your buyers are. You can think in terms of demographics or personas, but this sort of insight is going to influence every design or marketing decision that comes later. Be sure your web designer knows who you’re selling to, or your bottom line is going to suffer.

 

#5 Who Your Biggest Competitors Are

Of course, it isn’t only enough to know your own business and your customers – you have to keep an eye on the competition, too. That has always been true, but it’s even more critical in the Internet age where “the other guy” is just a click away on Google.

Ideally, you want your web design team to know which businesses you are in direct competition with, which colleagues you admire, and how each of them stacks up (in terms of price, value, and maybe even location) to what you have to offer. Then, they can help you put your best marketing advantages forward.

 

#6 Why Buyers Come to You Instead of The Competition

Your competitive strengths should be highlighted on every page of your website. They should also be presented in a way that appeals to your best customers and differentiates you from the competition.

We have already alluded to this, but it’s so important that it’s worth mentioning again separately. There is some reason that a certain segment of your target market decides to work with you instead of your competitors. Maybe you offer lower prices, better service, or just a more convenient stop on their daily commute. Whatever it is, your web design team needs to know.

 

#7 Which Geographic Areas You Operate Within

More and more, customers are turning to the web for local businesses and providers. Google has essentially overtaken the Yellow Pages as a top source for any kind of vendor you’d find in the neighborhood, and geography has become a big factor in search engine visibility.

Considering all of that, it’s easy to understand why your web designer needs to know which cities, states, or neighborhoods you operate within. They have to know where your revenue comes from, and which areas you want to expand to. That way, they can help you to not only optimize your site for local search traffic, but to reach out to the customers who are literally minutes from your door.

 

#8 Which Customers You Don’t Want to Target

In most businesses, there isn’t just a segment of the market to target, but also a group that doesn’t need to be focused on. These could include buyers who can’t afford the products or services on sale, those who are loyal to other companies, or just people who live too far away to serve cost-effectively.

If there are customers you can do without, or want to actively discourage from soliciting your business, you should let your web designer know. That way, they can ask buyers to qualify themselves, and make sure none of your marketing dollars are being wasted on the wrong audience.

 

#9 What Your Marketing Strengths and Weaknesses Are

After your website goes live, you’re going to need ongoing updates like blog posts, email newsletters, and social activity. Some of these you might want to handle on your own. Others you might prefer to outsource to your creative team, or to ignore altogether.

If you let your web designer know about your strengths and weaknesses as a marketer, along with your budget and time constraints, they can help you to develop a plan that maximizes the return you’ll get from each. If you don’t share that information, though, you may end up with a strategy that isn’t workable or profitable in the long run.

 

Is Your Web Designer Asking the Right Questions?

As we mentioned in the opening to this article, a good web designer is never going to move forward until they have this kind of information from you. How could they help you reach your goals if they don’t understand the challenges and opportunities you’re facing?

If you haven’t been getting that level of service in the past, it might be time to make a change. Call Arizona’s best web design team at Kinetik IT in Phoenix today, so we can set up a free consultation and review your current marketing plan together.

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