4 Ways To Get The Most
Out Of Your Web Developer

by Sean Cairns

Whether you're looking to get a new website made or it's time for a re-design of your current site, there are four simple things you can do before you even sit down with your developer that will not only save you time and get your website done faster, but will almost always end up saving you money!

Find Some Designs You Like (And Some You Don't) Ahead of Time
The first thing your developer will probably ask you to do is to find some websites that you love and some that you hate.  Typically, they'll suggest that you look at the websites of your competitors, sites you use often, etc., to try and get a feel for the design aesthetic that you're going for.

Find some navigation layouts that you think would work well for your site, what sorts of color schemes you would like to see, content examples, and over-all layout.  Don't be afraid to have a list of a couple URLs and say “I like the navigation on this site, combined with the sidebar from this site, and the over-all feel of this third site.”  This will give your Developer a lot of great information that they can use to create an exceptional design for your website.

It's also good to have a couple examples of websites that you don't like.  Are there some color schemes that you despise?  Layouts you can't stand?  This is great to let your developer know ahead of time, so they don't accidentally waste any time developing a design that you'll reject anyway.

Remember: The better initial information you give your developer, the less time they'll have to spend doing design revisions for you, and that means more money in your pocket!

Plan Your Content Early
So you've got an idea of the direction you'd like the design of your site to take… now it's time to start actually planning and gathering the content for your site.  If you can provide a solid chunk of the site's content before coding begins, it'll save the coder a good deal of time waiting.

Pages
The best first step at this stage is to draw out a flow chart (or a site map) that list the pages that you'd like to include.  The top listings would illustrate your main menu items while the items underneath would be additional links or submenu items.

Almost every website will have a Home and a Contact page.  We typically suggest that you also include an About Us page unless, for some reason, it is not appropriate.  Other typical pages to include are a Products/Services page, a Photo Gallery page, etc.  Make sure to take a look at other sites for benchmarking and best practices ideas.

Features – Deal-Breaker vs. Would-Be-Nice
After you've got a good idea as to the pages you want, decide on the sorts of features you'd like to have on your site.  Things like Twitter and Facebook link icons, event calendars, and contact forms are all great things to have on your website to increase user interaction, and to keep visitors on your site longer.

Once you've got a good list of features, separate that list into two categories: Deal-Breaker and Would-Be-Nice.  Features under Deal-Breaker would be the sort of things that you absolutely must have on your site.  Some developers might not have the resources required to build every feature of your dreams, and it is a good idea to figure out a way earlier than later in order to get those unique goals met.

Features that you'd like to see on your website, if possible, would go under the Would-Be-Nice category.  Either way, be sure to talk over all of the features you'd like to see with your developer so they have all the information needed to supply you with the best possible product within your goals, time restrictions and budget.

Content
By this point, you should have a good feel for the structure of your site, so it's time to start actually creating the content.  For each webpage, think about exactly what you want the text on each page to be.  If you find yourself having trouble writing creative and motivating copy, talk to your developer, as they have probably had experience writing, or utilize a professional copywriters to help. 

You don't need to have the 100% final version of your site's content done before starting your website project, but it helps have something for your developer to work with during the initial stages. You can always change the text later!

Images
If you already have specific images that you want to use in your site, it helps to organize them by page into a set of folders, burn it to a CD or load it onto a jump drive for your developer.  Remember that it's better to use actual photos of your products, locations, and staff members instead of stock imagery (for more information on this, see below, under Don't Rely on Stock Images).

Proofread Everything
More often than not, it's the numerous tiny revisions to a site's content that will nickle-and-dime you into a more expensive website.  While your developer will do their best to proofread spelling and grammar, mistakes can still happen… and sometimes errors get through.  The better prepared your content, and the better that it is proofread, the less copy revisions you'll have.

Don't Rely on Stock Images
As stated above under Images, it's better to use actual photos of your products, locations, and staff members instead of using stock images.  If you're not familiar with the concept, stock images are images which are purchased from a stock image supplier and licensed for a specific use.  These licenses either allow you to use the image on the web, in print pieces, or unlimited universal use, which increase in cost greatly depending on the scope of their use.  While stock images can add a little extra something to a website, overuse can cause your site to appear plain and generic.

Most developers have a photographer on staff, or a working relationship with one, and can easily schedule a photo shoot for your site.  If you had a cake business and wanted to show off your work, you wouldn't pay to use a photograph of a cake that somebody else made, and you probably don't want to use your cell phone's camera, or a normal point-and-shoot.  The best quality images for your site will come from a professional's camera!

If you find that 4 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Web Developer is something that your company would like to know more about, feel free to contact Central States Media at info@centralstatesmedia.com or on the phone at (309) 693-2345.