I therefore thought it would be good to make a check list so that as a new business, or as someone looking for a new website, you have something to look through and know what to ask for. Over the coming weeks we will explain to you the fundamental steps required to getting the work you want done for you, the way you want it.

Part One – Before The Initial Meeting

The initial meeting is (in our opinion) the most important step of the process. The reason we don’t have prices on our website, and the reason we don’t have packages is because everyone is different. Every company has a different plan, a different strategy and different themes that must be reflected in their website and we believe that it’s simply not possible to fit everybody into 3 different boxes.

So what you should do before the meeting?

Being prepared is essential. It’s not a deal-breaker if you haven’t thought of everything (don’t worry) because that’s our job to pull the information we need, but it certainly will make you more aware of what you want, and more in control.

Things to think about:

• What your company is and what it does (obvious, but sometimes you really need to think about it and be succinct);
• Who your website is targeting (clients, customers, businesses, individuals, age-groups, genders, tech-savvyness);
• Themes that your company currently employs (colours, branding, logos, styles);
• Websites you like and dislike on the internet (underlined for importance – make a list and think about what it is about each of them that you like/dislike);
• What your website will do (when a user visits, what is their goal, what should they achieve – whether it’s buying a product or finding out what you do)
• How are you planning on promoting your website? (advertising, search engines, viral)
• If you had one sentence that you want everyone to take away from your site, what is it? (We’re not getting philosophical on you, but sometimes you need to think about the take-home message so that it’s strongly throughout the website)
• Who are your competitors? (This is an important one.. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.. You must know your competition in order to get ahead)

These are the top things that you can think about without much help. Don’t worry if you can’t answer them, and don’t worry if you can’t think of much. We’re here to help you with every step!

If you’ve now answered all these questions and want a new website… Give us a call (number on the top right) or check out our contact page

Part 2 – “The Initial Meeting” coming soon.

Josh

My answer is simple, and often surprises people: It’s because I don’t like ripping people off, and I can’t stand seeing other businesses and companies taking advantage of unknowing parties. The IT, computer and internet world is (unfortunately, in my opinion) dominated by jargon and a minority of individuals who can use big words to completely throw everyone else off. The truly talented, in my opinion, are not the people who can confuse you with their knowledge; instead they are the ones who can explain the most confusing concepts in a way that everybody can understand. I don’t think I am alone with this opinion, but there is still a strong culture of protecting the advanced works of the internet so that business continues to boom, and the uninformed stay that way. This is the main reason that I started Identiti Web Development, and also the reason that I am a consultant with IT Advocate (http://www.itadvocate.com.au/). The principles of both these companies are simple: If you like the work we do, you will recommend us, and there will be more work for us in the future. As opposed to how I believe many other companies operate, with a reliance on trapping you in a cycle of updates and repeat work in order to fill their quaffers.

So what is this all about? Content Mangement Systems (or “CMS”) are how this site is made, and is my preferred way of creating all sites. Quite simply it means that I create the framework, and you fill in the content. If tomorrow you want to change the content, then you simply jump on to the user interface and you do it yourself. This means that you don’t have to call and be charged for half an hour or even an hour’s worth of work for something that probably took 12.2 seconds. It does mean that I don’t hear from you until you have a dramatic change required, but I’d much prefer you to be happy with the overall final product!

Josh