As a website design and development company, you’d think we’d encourage anyone to build a website anytime they’re ready. Websites are an important asset, and keeping a website up-to-date and with modern design and functionality is something that most companies need in order to thrive.
However, after working with clients for over a decade, we have come to recognize certain situations that signal a need to take a minute before jumping into a website project. There are times when we uncover issues that need to be addressed before we begin.
If you’re considering a website project and wonder if now’s the time to start one, this list will probably assure you that you have what it takes. However, if any of these situations sound a bit familiar, there could be some work that needs to be done prior to beginning a website project.
Either way, our team at Bellaworks is here to help! We’re a small shop, and our core business is building websites and servicing our website design and development clients. We do all of our website work in-house from kickoff to launch. Plus, we provide hosting services.
We can help your team overcome obstacles so that you can enjoy a smooth website process and finish with great results.
5 Potential Obstacles to Your Website Project and How to Overcome Them
Reason #1: Your Company’s Management is Not Really on Board
Sometimes there can be a disconnect between the owners of a company and the person who oversees marketing efforts.
The marketing director may see so clearly the potential that exists through a new or redone website. The business owner may agree to move forward with the website project, however, when it’s time for decisions to be made, they can have some reservations.
Sometimes business owners have a hard time making changes to the things they think made them successful. We’ve also heard people say that their last website project was so poorly run by another company that they dread doing one ever again. These are just two of several reasons we’ve heard that the management team just can’t seem to get on board.
Bellaworks has worked with companies in a variety of capacities to overcome hesitancy and ease the perceived pain points on the way to creating a new website.
Reason #2: Cost
Understandably, cost is an important factor. Companies need a quality website at a price that makes sense for their business. Since websites can range in price from free to many thousands of dollars, finding the right fit for your budget is important.
In order to determine the cost of a website project, Bellaworks starts by discussing a client’s goals. Then, we scope the work involved. We determine whether an existing website can be updated or if it’s more cost effective to build a new website. If we determine it’s better to build a new website, we can discuss building it on a template or from scratch.
Our Bellaworks team always aims to find the most cost effective solution to achieve our clients’ goals. Having a clean, modern, responsive, secure website that positions your company in the best way possible is like having a great salesperson who is always on the job. There are many options that Bellaworks can offer, and you can rest assured that any website we build will be high quality and a great reflection on your company.
Reason #3: Unsure of How to Present Products or Services
Descriptions of your products or services are a core component of a website. Yet, sometimes business owners can have a hard time describing their services to potential clients. We’ve seen this with clients ranging from business consultants to service people.
While we can’t make decisions regarding what services your company offers, we can help you present them in a compelling way on your website.
We like to help by offering suggestions for setting up your website navigation and information structure. We also provide clients with a content guide that has tips for preparing content. Many clients also choose to partner with our copywriting expert, who can really remove the burden of copywriting.
So long as you can outline the service or product you want to offer, we can help you package it and sell it on your website with compelling copywriting.
Reason #4: You Don’t Have the Visuals that You Need
Some companies offer products and services that require the use of specific photos on a website. For example, if you are selling the use of a physical location or property, you need photos of it. Or, if you are offering a particular product, you probably want photos of your product.
It’s always preferable to have your photos ready before you start on website design. Our designer is inspired by photos, and good photos can really enhance a site. However, if you don’t have the photos you need, placeholder photos can be used temporarily. Custom photos aren’t needed for every company, and for service providers, we often rely on stock photography.
At Bellaworks, we discuss your photography and video needs in our first meeting, so we can plan the best way to ensure you have the materials you need and get the best design for your website. We have excellent photographers and videographers that we can recommend to help you get the photos that you need.
Reason #5: Not Prepared to Respond to Inquiries
Typically, one of the main jobs of a website is to generate next step actions from potential customers. The next step usually includes a request for more information or an interaction of some kind such as a quote for services, a newsletter sign-up, or even a phone consultation.
We recently talked with one small business owner who provides a service. He said that he would like to have a website, however, his business is already booked. He doesn’t have anyone who can handle inquiries, so he doesn’t think a website makes sense right now.
Deciding how to interact with potential customers is an important part of planning a website. We discuss many different options with our clients in order to find the solution that works best for them. Generally, we are able to identify the right next step that will help our businesses move forward without overwhelming them.
In Conclusion
Our team at Bellaworks has been designing and developing websites for over a decade. We have experienced so many situations with our clients and have helped them to overcome countless obstacles that could have prevented them from building a great website.
Reach out to us. Our team will be in touch with you quickly to begin discussing your project.